This Tuna Pasta Salad is macro-friendly and so easy to make. Enjoy this healthy pasta salad for an easy lunch or a quick dinner.
About This Recipe
I love dinners that I can throw together quickly on busy nights. And this Tuna Pasta Salad fits the bill. It’s so easy to make and stores great in the fridge. You can even make it for dinner and pull it out for lunch the next day. Two meals for half the work? A total win!
This tuna pasta salad is super versatile. Not only does it hold its own as a light and fresh dinner, but it’s great for lunch or taken as a side to a potluck or party! It’s all about adding lots of tuna and vegetables. The protein and veggies help to round out this salad to make it feel hearty while still helping you meet your macros.
And while pasta salad can obviously be super carb-heavy, this one isn’t. Add some tuna and a good amount of veggies, and look what happens! A balanced, macro-friendly tuna pasta salad. Still carbs, but BALANCED.
If you’re looking for more easy meal prep salads, try my Healthy Tuna Salad, Buffalo Tuna, or Waldorf Chicken Salad.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pasta: I like to cook a whole box and save the leftovers for my kids. I’ve included both the cooked and dry weight. If you want to just cook enough for the recipe, you’ll need 125 grams of dry pasta, that will turn into 250 grams of pasta when cooked.
- Tuna: Albacore tuna works best for this salad because it’s firm, meaty, and not overly fishy. I recommend tuna packed in water for a lighter option, but olive oil–packed tuna will give you a richer flavor.
- Veggies: Cucumbers, jarred roasted red peppers, pepperoncini, red bell peppers, red onion, and arugula all bring crunch, color, and freshness. They also help make this salad more macro-friendly and not as carb heavy as traditional pasta salads.
- Fresh Herbs: Basil, dill, or parsley all brighten up the dish and add a fresh, herby finish. Use whatever you have on hand or a mix for the best flavor.
- Cheese: You can use crumbled feta, cubed or grated cheddar, gruyere, or colby jack cheese. Pick your favorite!
- Light Balsamic Vinegar: My favorite is a fruit-infused white balsamic like this Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic by Baker and Olive for that sweet kick! You’ll find it in my flagship shop for 15% off, no code needed. You can also mix things up and do half of a normal vinegar and half of the fruit-infused for balance if you want.
- Lite Mayo: Adds creaminess without being too heavy. You can also sub in plain Greek yogurt for a lighter, tangier swap.
- Lemon: Always use fresh lemon juice. It makes a big difference in flavor!
- Olive Oil: A drizzle of good-quality extra virgin olive oil brings richness and helps pull all the flavors together.
- Garlic: You can use frozen garlic cubes for convenience or fresh minced garlic if you prefer.
- Honey Mustard: Brings just the right balance of sweet and tangy to the dressing.
Dietary Adaptations
- Chicken: If you’re not a tuna fan, then you can swap it out for chicken. You can use 420 grams of chicken in place of the tuna; just note it will be a little higher in calories. And depending on whether you use grilled or rotisserie chicken, the nutrition will vary a little. Not a big deal.
- GF/DF: Make sure to use gluten-free pasta and dairy-free cheese. We love the dairy-free feta by Follow Your Heart.
How To Make
Cook the pasta. Begin by cooking 125 grams of pasta, if you want just enough for this recipe. I always tend to cook a whole package and use the rest for simple dinners for my boys later on in the week, or toss leftover pasta in green salads. Keep in mind that 125 grams will grow into 250 grams of pasta when you’re all done cooking. To strain the pasta, I love using this clip-on strainer – so handy!
Combine salad ingredients. Then, to a large bowl, add the cooked pasta along with the rest of the salad ingredients. Make sure to break up the tuna a bit so you don’t have any huge chunks.
Make the dressing. For the dressing, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, light mayo, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, honey mustard, kosher salt, and black pepper. Once mixed, pour it over the salad and toss well.
Season and dig in! Add additional salt and pepper to taste. If the salad is drier than you like, add a little juice from the pepperoncini jar or additional vinegar. Enjoy immediately. Or store it in the fridge for your meal prep!
More Delicious Meal Prep Recipes
- Healthy Tuna Salad Recipe
- Macro-Friendly Buffalo Tuna
- Creamy Tuna Veggie Lunch Skillet for One
- Cucumber Avocado Chicken Salad
- Quick and Easy Romesco Chicken Salad
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Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Tuna Pasta Salad
- 1 ½ cups cooked pasta 250g*
- 4 5-ounce cans albacore tuna (420g drained weight)
- ⅔ cup cucumbers diced (90g)
- ½ cup jarred roasted red peppers chopped (60g)
- ½ cup jarred pepperoncinis chopped (60g)
- ½ cup red bell peppers diced (75g)
- ¼ cup red onion diced (75g)
- ½ cup basil chopped (20g)
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill or parsley chopped (5g)
- 3 cups arugula roughly chopped (70g)
- 2 oz crumbled feta or cubed or grated cheddar, gruyere, or jack (56g)
Tuna Pasta Dressing
- 3 Tbsp light balsamic vinegar* (45g)
- 3 Tbsp lite mayo (45g)
- juice of 1 lemon (30g)
- ½ Tbsp olive oil (7g)
- 1 frozen garlic cube or minced garlic clove
- 2 tsp honey mustard (8g)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Cook 125g of pasta if you want just enough for this recipe. It will grow into 250g of pasta once fully cooked.
- To a large bowl, add cooked pasta along with the rest of the salad ingredients. Break up the tuna a bit so you don’t have any huge chunks.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the tuna pasta dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. If the salad is drier than you like, add a little juice from the pepperoncini jar or additional vinegar.
- Enjoy immediately. Or store in the fridge for your meal prep!
Notes
- Grilled chicken: 402 calories, 11 fat, 33 carbs, 36 protein, 2.2 fiber.
- Rotisserie chicken breast: 388 calories, 12 fat, 32 carbs, 34 protein, 2.2 fiber.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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I loved this. I made a few changes to use what I had on hand. I used jarred jalapeño in place of the pepperoncinis. I didn’t have the cucumbers or the roasted bell peppers. I also used peach balsamic vinegar. It was great!
This was delicious and so fresh tasting on a hot and humid day here. My husband who doesn’t like “fishy” things loved it because the tuna was super mild in the dish. I am happy for leftovers for lunch again tomorrow!
We’ve made this countless times and realized we owe you a review for this absolutely delicious recipe – so flavourful yet balanced super fresh tasting, it’s amazing for meal prep, we never get tired of it. Thanks so much for sharing!
I’d love to make this with a high fiber pasta. I’m a little new to macros, can you tell me how I would adjust?? Thank you!!
Beyond delicious! It’s light and refreshing while also filling! The best summer lunch!
Can I somehow use a different mayo and still make it work with the macros? Or so that it has less impact?I don’t like using mayo with inflammatory oils. The only mayo that doesn’t have inflammatory oils in it is pure avocado oil and it’s higher in fat and calories of course. Do you have any advice?
Sure! You can know that the 3 tablespoons of light mayo adds up to about 14 g of fat so I would just kind of fill that hole with your regular mayo which is maybe just one tablespoon? And then maybe do a couple of extra tablespoons of Greek yogurt. That would keep the Macros super super close.
This was incredible. Entire family loved it. A really unique combo of flavors that is now going to be on regular rotation!