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This easy Tuna Pasta Salad is creamy, crunchy, and packed with protein, tossing tender fusilli with flaky tuna, sweet corn, crisp veggies, and a tangy dill dressing. It is my summer lifesaver, the dish I throw together on a hot July afternoon when nobody wants to turn on the stove. If you love an easy make ahead salad, you will also want our Italian pasta salad.
It comes together in 15 minutes, gets better as it chills, and travels perfectly to every potluck and barbecue.
Tuna Pasta Salad Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 45 minutes (with chilling)
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 347kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Creamy and tangy with flaky tuna, sweet corn, and fresh dill
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our orzo pasta salad
Quick Answer
Whisk mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, dijon, garlic powder, paprika, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a creamy dressing. Toss it with cooked and cooled fusilli, drained tuna, sweet corn, diced bell pepper, red onion, and fresh dill, then chill for 30 minutes. This easy tuna pasta salad is creamy, protein packed, and perfect for potlucks, lunches, and barbecues.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Greek yogurt lightens the dressing. Swapping half the mayo for plain yogurt keeps the dressing creamy while adding tang and a protein boost.
- Cooling the pasta first prevents sogginess. Tossing cooled, well drained pasta with the dressing keeps the salad crisp instead of mushy.
- Fresh dill makes it taste deli fresh. A generous amount of fresh dill gives the salad that bright, herby flavor you cannot get from dried.
- Corn and bell pepper add crunch and color. Sweet corn and diced red bell pepper bring pops of sweetness and a satisfying crunch in every bite.
- Chilling melds the flavors. A short rest in the fridge lets the dressing soak in so the salad tastes even better after 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It comes together in just 15 minutes with no cooking beyond boiling the pasta, perfect for hot summer days.
- It is a protein packed make ahead dish that travels beautifully, just like our classic potato salad.
- It is endlessly customizable and a great way to use pantry staples like canned tuna and corn.
Key Ingredients
Simple pantry and produce ingredients come together into a creamy, satisfying salad. Here is what matters most.
- Fusilli pasta: The spiral shape grabs the creamy dressing in every twist. Rotini or shells work too. Cook it just to al dente.
- Canned tuna: Use tuna packed in water and drain it well. Chunk light or albacore both work for this protein packed salad.
- Mayonnaise and Greek yogurt: The combo keeps the dressing creamy but lighter and tangier than all mayo.
- Sweet corn and bell pepper: These add crunch, color, and little bursts of sweetness throughout.
- Fresh dill: The signature herb here, bright and fresh. It is the same flavor that shines in our tuna salad sandwiches.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This tuna pasta salad is a great base for swaps. Try one of these.
- Add crunch: Stir in diced celery, cucumber, or shredded carrot for extra texture.
- Make it tangy: Fold in chopped dill pickles or a spoonful of relish for a briny kick.
- Swap the protein: Use canned salmon or shredded rotisserie chicken in place of the tuna.
- Add cheese: Toss in cubed cheddar or a handful of peas for a heartier salad.
- Go Mediterranean: Add olives, feta, and cherry tomatoes for a spin on our Greek pasta salad.
How to Make Tuna Pasta Salad
- Make the creamy dressing: whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, dijon mustard, garlic powder, paprika, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Whisk until the dressing is completely smooth and creamy.
- Add the cooked and cooled fusilli, drained tuna, sweet corn, diced bell pepper, red onion, and fresh dill to a large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss to coat, then cover and chill 30 minutes. Garnish with extra dill before serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Drain everything well. Excess water from the tuna, corn, or pasta thins the dressing, so drain each one thoroughly.
- Cool the pasta completely. Warm pasta soaks up too much dressing and turns gummy, so let it cool first.
- Reserve some dressing. Pasta absorbs dressing as it sits, so save a few spoonfuls to refresh the salad before serving.
- Salt the pasta water. Well seasoned pasta is the foundation of a flavorful salad.
- Use fresh dill if you can. It makes a big difference, but in a pinch use 1 teaspoon dried dill instead.
- Chill before serving. Thirty minutes in the fridge lets the flavors meld and the salad firm up.
- Taste before serving. Cold dulls seasoning, so taste and add a pinch more salt or a squeeze of lemon right before serving.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Tuna pasta salad is a complete meal on its own for an easy lunch, but it also makes a star side dish. Pile it onto a bed of lettuce, scoop it into a wrap, or stuff it into a tomato for a pretty summer plate. It is hearty enough to satisfy yet light enough for a hot day.
Bring it to your next cookout alongside other crowd favorites. We love rounding out a spread with our classic potato salad, a colorful five bean salad, and a batch of avocado tuna salad for the tuna lovers.
Make it ahead and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give it a good stir and add a splash of the reserved dressing or a squeeze of lemon to freshen it up before serving. For another easy pasta salad, try our orzo pasta salad with feta next.
Tuna Pasta Salad FAQs
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, tuna pasta salad lasts up to 3 days. Give it a stir and refresh it with a little reserved dressing or lemon juice before serving, since the pasta absorbs the dressing as it sits.
Yes, it is a perfect make ahead dish. In fact, the flavors improve after chilling. Make it up to a day in advance, then stir and adjust the dressing and seasoning right before serving.
Short, sturdy shapes with ridges or curves work best because they hold the creamy dressing. Fusilli, rotini, shells, and elbow macaroni are all great choices. Cook the pasta just to al dente so it stays firm.
Absolutely. Use all Greek yogurt for a lighter, tangier dressing, or swap in a creamy avocado or olive oil based dressing. The salad will still be creamy and delicious.
Yes, tuna pasta salad is best served cold or chilled. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the flavors meld and the salad firms up before serving.
Freezing is not recommended. The creamy dressing separates and the pasta and vegetables turn watery and mushy once thawed. This salad is best made fresh and stored in the fridge.
Need more potluck ideas? Our Italian pasta salad is another make ahead crowd pleaser.
Easy Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Salad:
- 8 ounces fussili pasta cooked and drained well
- 8 ounces tuna in water drained
- ½ medium red bell pepper medium diced
- 1 cup canned sweet corn drained
- ½ medium red onion small-diced
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill plus more for garnish
Creamy Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup plain yogurt , ½ teaspoon dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Add all of the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl.8 ounces fussili pasta, 8 ounces tuna in water, ½ medium red bell pepper, 1 cup canned sweet corn, ½ medium red onion, 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
- Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
- Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed.
- Place a plastic wrap on top and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Garnish with more fresh dill and serce
Notes
- Use your favorite smaller pasta for this recipe, see some options above.
- We use tuna in water but you can use it in vegetable oil as well. Just make sure you drain it very well.
- Switch up your vegetables in this to cater to your flavor preference.
- Any plain yogurt will work including greek.
- Sour cream can be swapped for the yogurt.
- Easily double this recipe to serve a larger crowd.
Nutrition
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