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Tuna Pasta Salad
Published May 31, 2025
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This refreshing Mediterranean style Tuna Pasta Salad is made with tender curly rotini pasta, an abundance of fresh veggies, and a creamy lemon-dill dressing with a bright zip. It’s a nutritious recipe with flavor in every bite!
This tuna pasta salad can be served as a cool summer lunch, a cook out side dish, or even passes a dinner entree since it also includes a filling protein of nutritious tuna.
It’s brimming with layers of flavor thanks to the lemony dressing, its duo of herbs, the rich tuna in oil, and the various blend of veggies which are a blend of fresh, roasted and marinated.
This is also a great dish to make ahead of time. So if you have a busy day the following day you can prep the day before and have it in the fridge ready to go for serving guests or an on the go meal prep.
Canned tuna got a major upgrade thanks to this recipe!
Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Greek yogurt: Use plain unsweetened yogurt, and be sure it’s “Greek” variety as this is thicker.
- Extra virgin olive oil: This is the least refined olive oil and has the most flavor. If you only have standard refined olive oil on hand that will work as well, though I don’t recommend “light olive oil” as this lacks flavor for this recipe.
- Lemon: You’ll use both the juice and zest of the lemon so don’t forget to zest it with a rasp grater before slicing and juicing it.
- Dill: Fresh or dried dill can be used in this recipe. If using fresh you’ll use a greater quantity than dried.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic will be best.
- Rotini pasta: See notes below for other options of pasta to use.
- Canned tuna in oil: Tuna in oil is richer and more flavorful and recommended here instead of tuna in water. If you’d like you can use some of the oil from the can in place of the extra virgin olive oil.
- Grape tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes work well too. I like to use a variety of colors but just red is great too.
- Bell pepper: Red, orange or yellow bell pepper work well in this recipe. It can be roasted over a flame of a gas stove, or it can also be broiled in the oven to achieve that light blackened char.
- English cucumber: A regular garden cucumber will work as well, just peel it first since the peel is thicker and waxy. English cucumbers don’t need to be peeled.
- Kalamata olives: These are a marinated, robustly flavored Greek variety of olives that you can usually find by the other olives at the grocery store in glass bottles.
- Red onion: You can rinse the onion first to remove the harsh bite if preferred.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley is best here, it adds lots of fresh herby flavor to the pasta salad and a nice pop of green.
How to Make Tuna Pasta Salad
- Make pasta salad dressing: In a medium mixing bowl whisk together Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to fridge.
- Cook pasta: Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions in salted water. Before draining reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Cool pasta: Drain and spread out to cool on a greased baking sheet or parchment paper.
- Toss pasta salad ingredients and dressing: In a large salad bowl toss together pasta, tuna, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, olives, red onion and parsley with the dressing.
- Thin pasta salad: Add splashes of pasta water to thin as needed (note that it will thicken as it rests since the pasta will absorb more moisture). Taste for more salt and pepper as needed.
Possible Recipe Variations
Veggies: You can swap out some of the veggies included here for others you may like such as marinated artichokes, thin sliced carrots, black olives, arugula or spinach.
Protein: Another option is to swap the tuna with salmon (I recommend leftover cooked salmon rather than canned, canned salmon is terrible in my opinion).
Pasta: There are many types of pasta you can use here including bow ties, campanelle, orzo, penne, macaroni, orrechiette or fusilli to name a few. Another type of grain pasta will work here as well such as whole wheat, farro, gluten free, or quinoa based pasta.
Helpful Tips for the Best Tuna Pasta Salad
Let marinate: If time allows let the pasta salad rest in the fridge for 1 hour for flavors to blend.
Use fresh ingredients: This salad greatly benefits from using fresh lemon juice instead of bottled and fresh roasted bell pepper instead of bottled. Also fresh parsley is a must and it’s an inexpensive herb.
Don’t rinse pasta: It’s best to spread the pasta on parchment to cool rather than rinsing under cold water as is called for in some pasta salad recipes. If rinsed the dressing doesn’t cling as well to the pasta.
Thin pasta salad as needed: As pasta salad rests in the fridge for an extended period of time it will soak up the dressing, so add splashes of water or olive oil to thin (or a little of both).
How to store: Tuna pasta salad will keep well in the fridge for about 3 days an an airtight container. Freezing is not recommend for best quality.
Wondering what to serve with tuna pasta salad? I recommend something light like a simple tomato soup, or another protein such as grilled Greek lemon chicken.
More Refreshing Pasta Salad Recipes to Try
Easy Pasta Salad
Greek Pasta Salad
Italian Pasta Salad
Macaroni Salad
Pesto Pasta Salad
