Perfect for weekly meal prep or your next gathering.

This creamy tuna pasta salad is hearty, refreshing and filled with fresh veggies. It’s the perfect balance of protein, crunch, and flavor.

A white bowl sitting on a marble counter with tuna pasta salad dotted with diced carrots, celery, red onion, peppers, tuna, and sauce with a blue fork hanging off the bowl.

High Protein Tuna Pasta Salad

Pasta salad turned high protein!

We’re not just tossing in tuna for a protein boost (though it definitely packs a punch). The secret? Dressing made with half Greek yogurt for extra protein and tang, and a swap to protein-packed pasta. Trust me, you can fool your taste testers. I highly recommend Barilla Protein pasta, you really can’t tell a difference.

You can add more tuna if you’d like but you may need to increase the greek yogurt & light mayo.

Tuna Pasta Salad Ingredients

This recipe is simple and straightforward, you likely have the veggies on hand already.

Let’s break it down:

protein pasta
diced celery + celery leaves for garnish!
diced carrot
chopped pepperoncini peppers + juice from the jar
tuna
light mayonnaise – we’re a Hellmans family
Greek yogurt – use your favorite! I use Fage
diced red onion
celery salt – makes all the difference!
kosher salt
black pepper to taste

Ingredients laid out on a marble table including a blue bowl with mayonnaise and yogurt, a clear bowl with elbow pasta, and various small glass bowls with tuna, red onion, pepperoncinis, celery, carrots, and celery salt.

How to Make Tuna Pasta Salad

So simple and easy! Boil your pasta, chop your veg in the meantime, measure a few ingredients, and toss together!

Boil your pasta and place in the fridge to cool!
Dice your vegetables – carrots, celery, pepperoncini peppers, red onions
Toss in the tuna & mix!
Make a simple dressing
Mix until fully coated & garnish with reserved celery leaves

Step by step photos of making tuna pasta salad, starting with adding all of your ingredients to a large clear bowl, the tuna pasta salad is mixed up, a dollop of greek yogurt and light mayonnaise on top, and finally all of the ingredients mixed together.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

For freshness and best flavor, store in an airtight container and eat within 3-4 days. I love these glass pyrex bowls that have lids, you can do all your mixing in the bowl and just top it with a lid!

This tuna pasta salad has the best flavor on the second day when it’s had a bit of time to meld in the fridge. If you find the pasta soaking up some of the moisture, you can always add a dollop of mayonnaise.

I have made this ahead to serve at gatherings and it works out great. Keep your celery leaves on the side to garnish when you serve.

A white bowl sitting on a marble counter with diced carrots, celery, red onion, peppers, tuna, elbow noodles, and sauce with a blue fork hanging off the bowl.

Tuna Pasta Salad

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Author: Aimee Iorio

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Description

Creamy tuna pasta salad filled with fresh, crunchy vegetables and packed with protein.

Ingredients

Scale

8 oz elbow pasta, or short cut pasta of choice
¾ cup celery, diced (about 2 stalks), plus celery leaves for garnish
½ cup carrots, diced (about 1 large carrot)
½ cup chopped pepperoncini peppers
½ cup red onion, diced
5 oz tuna in water (not oil)
½ cup light mayonnaise
½ cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons pepperonicini juice
½ teaspoon celery salt
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh, cracked black pepper

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Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl. Refrigerate until fully cooled.
Meanwhile, dice the vegetables: ¾ cup celery (reserving the leaves for garnish), ½ cup carrots, ½ cup pepperoncini peppers, and ½ cup red onion.
Once the pasta has cooled, add the diced vegetables and 5 oz of drained tuna to the bowl. Gently toss to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together ½ cup light mayonnaise, ½ cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons pepperoncini juice, ½ teaspoon celery salt, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and fresh, cracked black pepper to taste.
Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and stir until fully coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to develop. Garnish with celery leaves and serve!

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do if the pasta absorbs some of the dressing?

Add an extra dollop of light mayo until you get your desired consistency, pasta naturally tends to absorb most dressings once placed in the fridge.

Can I add more tuna?

Absolutely, but you may need to increase the greek yogurt and light mayo.

Can I add lemon juice for brightness?

I enjoy adding a squeeze of lemon juice, but it’s not everyone’s favorite – so I leave it out for my classic recipe.

What can I serve with Tuna Pasta Salad?

This recipe is fantastic for lunch/meal prep – it’s filling enough on its own. For dinner, I like to serve it as a side dish to freshen up a meal. It goes great alongside your classic grill foods – kebabs, ribs, burgers.

Can I replace the mayo with all greek yogurt?

You sure can – just keep in mind the tangy flavor greek yogurt adds. Mayo helps mute the flavor and add creaminess.