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Sunday, December 22, 2024

Tuna Pasta Salad – WellPlated.com


If “gentle,” “vivid,” and “I want a second serving to, please!” don’t come to thoughts if you consider canned tuna, it’s since you haven’t made this pleasant Tuna Pasta Salad but. It’s the proper mix of recent veggies, tuna, pasta, and a creamy, herby Greek yogurt dressing.

Tuna Pasta Salad – WellPlated.com

Why You’ll Love This Chilly Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe

  • Really Scrumptious Tuna Pasta Salad. I’ve had sufficient bland, goopy, and ho-hum piles of mayo-slicked pastas at potlucks to final me the remainder of this life and into the subsequent. Nevertheless, I’ll cheer for this Mediterranean tuna pasta salad (and this Shrimp Pasta Salad) to be part of each summer time cookout. It’s filled with veggies and recent herbs, all tossed in a lemony Greek yogurt dressing.
  • Versatile. This tuna pasta salad is a superb make-ahead pasta salad for events and cookouts, nevertheless it’s additionally a pleasant alternative for gentle dinners and meal-prep lunches.
  • Simple and Finances-Pleasant. In case you are nonetheless hesitant about canned tuna, please give this recipe (and this reader favourite Chickpea Tuna Salad) a strive. Paired with daring, citrusy, and briny components, canned tuna can truly style good. It’s budget-friendly, quick, and a lot simpler than cooking your individual tuna!
Creamy tuna pasta salad in a bowl

5 Star Evaluate

“Can’t recover from how good that is. Shall be a go-to lunch for me now!”

— Danielle —

Methods to Make Tuna Pasta Salad

The Elements

  • Pasta. Use shapes that seize the dressing (like shells or penne). You may simply make this recipe gluten-free by swapping the entire wheat pasta for a gluten-free pasta.
  • Tuna. I desire to make use of wild-caught albacore tuna, because it has a firmer texture and milder taste. You too can use recent tuna on this recipe. Prepare dinner and flake it, then use it on this recipe as directed. (For an additional seafood-based salad with recent fish, don’t miss Salmon Salad.)
  • Purple Onion. Provides a nice chunk to the salad.
  • Tomatoes, 2 Methods. A mixture of cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes creates the best Mediterranean-inspired mixture. The juicy cherry tomatoes burst with sweetness, and the sun-dried tomatoes add wealthy, concentrated taste.
  • Purple Bell Pepper. For a crisp, recent ingredient.
  • Capers. Whereas elective, I extremely advocate including capers to your tuna salad. They bring about simply the correct quantity of salty, briny taste to the opposite tuna pasta salad components.
  • Recent Parsley. What’s a Mediterranean tuna salad with out recent herbs? You should utilize recent parsley, basil, or dill.
  • Greek Yogurt Dressing. This salad makes use of a light-weight and vivid Greek yogurt dressing with lemon, honey, mustard, and spices. No mayo right here!

The Instructions

Pasta noodles in a glass bowlPasta noodles in a glass bowl
  1. Make the Pasta. Prepare dinner the pasta in a big pot, then drain and rinse.
Lemon zest being whisked into a bowl of dressingLemon zest being whisked into a bowl of dressing
  1. Prep the Dressing. Whisk the creamy dressing components collectively.
Vegetables and herbs in a bowlVegetables and herbs in a bowl
  1. Mix the Add-Ins. Add the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, capers, and parsley to a big bowl.
Dressing being added to a bowl of noodlesDressing being added to a bowl of noodles
  1. Add the Pasta and Dressing. Stir within the cooked pasta and dressing.
Healthy tuna pasta salad in a glass bowlHealthy tuna pasta salad in a glass bowl
  1. End. Flake the tuna into the bowl, tossing to mix. Refrigerate for at the least 1 hour. ENJOY!

Recipe Variations

This creamy tuna pasta salad recipe is versatile:

  • Add Veggies. Stir in different recent veggies, comparable to finely chopped broccoli or cauliflower, or diced celery.
  • Add Eggs. I don’t put eggs in tuna salad, however you could possibly add diced hard-boiled eggs when you like.
  • Add Peas. It is a tuna pasta salad with out peas, as I felt they distracted from the opposite Mediterranean components. That mentioned, be happy to take a observe from this Italian Farro Salad and toss frozen peas in when you like.
The best tuna pasta salad in a white bowlThe best tuna pasta salad in a white bowl

What to Serve with Tuna Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad Dos and Don’ts

  • DO Rinse the Pasta. Chilly water will cease the pasta’s cooking so it stays good and al dente. It additionally removes a number of the starch, so the pasta noodles don’t clump collectively.
  • DON’T Overcook the Pasta. Nobody likes mushy pasta!
  • DON’T Overdo the Dressing. When you add an excessive amount of dressing, your pasta salad will likely be gloopy. You may at all times add extra dressing, however when you placed on an excessive amount of, you possibly can’t return.
  • DO Let the Pasta Salad Relaxation. Whilst you can serve it immediately, pasta salad tastes even higher after being refrigerated for at the least an hour to permit the flavors to marry.
  • DO Style for Seasoning. If the pasta has been refrigerated, give it a stir and style to verify it doesn’t want an additional pinch of salt.
  • DON’T Depart Your Pasta Salad Out Too Lengthy. 2 hours is the utmost period of time your pasta salad ought to sit out, much less if it’s within the solar.
A white bowl of easy tuna pasta saladA white bowl of easy tuna pasta salad

FOR THE TUNA AND PASTA:

  • 8 ounces raw entire wheat pasta comparable to shells, rotini, or elbow macaroni
  • 1/2 cup finely diced pink onion about 1 small
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes*
  • 1 pink bell pepper cored and reduce into 1/4-inch cube
  • 3 tablespoons capers rinsed and drained (elective)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped recent parsley or 1/4 cup chopped recent basil
  • 3 (4-ounce) cans wild caught albacore tuna

  • Prepare dinner the pasta in well-salted water to al dente in accordance with the bundle directions. Drain in a colander, then rinse with chilly water to cease the cooking. Shake off as a lot water as potential. Let the colander with the pasta sit within the sink or on a towel to proceed draining when you put together the remainder of the salad.

  • Place the pink onion in a small bowl and canopy with chilly water. Let sit at the least 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

  • In a small bowl or giant measuring cup, whisk collectively the dressing components: Greek yogurt, lemon zest (zest it proper into the bowl), lemon juice, honey, Dijon, salt, oregano, and pepper.

  • In a big serving bowl, place the cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, capers, and parsley.

  • Shake the pasta as soon as extra, then add it to the bowl.

  • High with the dressing and stir gently to mix.

  • Flake the tuna into the bowl in large items, then toss gently to mix. Style and alter the seasoning as desired (relying upon your tuna, you might want a couple of further good pinches of salt).

  • For the most effective style, refrigerate at the least 1 hour earlier than serving to permit the flavors to marry and develop. Take pleasure in straight from the fridge or at room temperature.

  • *You should utilize both dry-packed or oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. For dry-packed, rehydrate them by protecting them with extremely popular water and letting soak for five minutes, then drain and pat dry. For oil-packed, use a paper towel to blot of extra oil first.
  • TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover pasta salad in an hermetic storage container for as much as 2 days. 

Serving: 1(of 6)Energy: 275kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 23gFats: 3gSaturated Fats: 1gPolyunsaturated Fats: 1gMonounsaturated Fats: 1gTrans Fats: 1gLdl cholesterol: 25mgPotassium: 734mgFiber: 6gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1278IUVitamin C: 51mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 2mg

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