A light and refreshingClassic Tuna Pasta Saladcomes together as the perfect summer side dish with white tuna, shell noodles, celery, peas, and a creamy dill sauce.

I recently saw a meme that said: “I want to live in the part of the country that adds mayo and noodles to a dish and calls it a salad.” I about fell over laughing because THAT is something I can absolutely get behind, too. Pasta “salads” are some of my favorite salads, to be totally honest.

Tuna pasta saladis the most perfect side for barbecues and pool parties. It pairs well withAir Fryer Hamburgers,Beef Short Ribs, or any of your BBQ favorites! Even if you’re not a “fish” person, I promise this one isn’t too overpowering or fishy. It’s the perfect balance, with the red onion and dill cream sauce binding it all together and adding some incredible dimension of flavor, while the tuna brings a nice, light protein.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

Perfect side dish
Delicious
Easy to make
Ingredients you already have, or are easy to find at the store

Ingredients:

Albacore Tuna– the main ingredient. It’s not toofishytasting, and light and refreshing.
Mayonaise-helps bring all the ingredients together
Sour Cream– Adds a creamy texture
Red Onion and Celery– Adds flavor and crunch to the salad
Peas– Adds a subtle flavor and bright color
Dried dill weed
Garlic Powder
Salt and pepper– flavor to taste preference
White vinegar

See recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities

How long will tuna pasta salad keep in the fridge?

You can store tuna past salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. None of the ingredients are “wilty” so it won’t lose its texture much, if at all, over a few days time.

How do you keep your pasta salad from drying out?

You may want o to toss your cooked noodles with a little olive oil so they don’t stick together or dry out as they cool before you construct the salad. Then, once you combine the ingredients with the mayo/sour cream sauce, it should stay nice and moist.

What goes with tuna salad?

I think any barbecue foods go super well with tuna pasta salad. Hot dogs, Beef Short Ribs , and Oven Pork Chops are just a few great options!

Can you make pasta salad ahead of time?

This is a great dish to make a day ahead if you have an event the following day. I wouldn’t make it more than one day beforehand because it will lose a bit of the creaminess as the ingredients absorb the sauce. You can always preserve a bit of the sauce and mix it in right before serving.