🥗 Best Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad
This creamy tuna pasta salad is rich, flavorful, and very easy to make. It combines tender pasta, flaky tuna, crunchy vegetables, and a smooth creamy dressing. Perfect for lunch, picnics, potlucks, or a quick dinner.
📝 Ingredients
For the Salad
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12 oz (about 3 cups) pasta (macaroni, rotini, or shells)
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2 cans (5 oz each) tuna, drained
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½ cup celery, finely chopped
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½ cup red onion, finely chopped
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½ cup sweet peas (fresh or frozen, thawed)
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¼ cup sweet pickle relish
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2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
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2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, chopped
For the Creamy Dressing
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1 cup mayonnaise
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2 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt
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1 tablespoon lemon juice
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1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
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½ teaspoon garlic powder
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½ teaspoon salt
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¼ teaspoon black pepper
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Cook the pasta
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
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Cook pasta according to package instructions.
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Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
2. Make the creamy dressing
In a bowl whisk together:
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Mayonnaise
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Sour cream
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Lemon juice
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Dijon mustard
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Garlic powder
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Salt and pepper
Mix until smooth and creamy.
3. Combine the salad
In a large bowl add:
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Cooked pasta
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Tuna (flaked with a fork)
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Celery
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Onion
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Peas
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Pickle relish
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Eggs
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Fresh herbs
4. Mix everything
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Pour the dressing over the salad.
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Toss gently until all ingredients are coated.
5. Chill
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Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
This helps the flavors blend and makes the salad extra tasty.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve cold with:
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Garlic bread
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Green salad
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Sandwiches
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Grilled chicken or fish
✅ Prep Time: 15 minutes
🔥 Cook Time: 10 minutes
❄️ Chill Time: 1 hour
🥗 Servings: 6
💡 Chef Tips
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Add 1 tablespoon pickle juice to the dressing for extra flavor.
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Use solid white tuna for better texture.
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Sprinkle paprika or fresh dill on top before serving.
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If salad gets dry after chilling, mix in 1–2 tablespoons milk or mayo.
If you’d like, I can also give you:
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⭐ The famous deli-style tuna macaroni salad recipe (very creamy)
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🥗 10-minute quick tuna pasta salad
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👨🍳 Restaurant secret for ultra-creamy tuna salad.