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Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
The ingredients for Tuna pasta Salad include pasta shells, canned tuna, crunchy celery, diced bell peppers, and a delicious creamy dill dressing. Almost everyone’s favorite childhood meal is tuna salad, which is also one of the top 10 casseroles in the country. You should attempt this recipe if you enjoy pasta and tuna.
In the 1800s, when people were extremely frugal with their food and attempted not to let anything go to waste, tuna salad first appeared as a sandwich. Any kind of extra meat, such as tuna, would be combined with mayonnaise and pickles and celery from previous relishes.
When canned tuna became available in 1904, people no longer had to worry about cooking whole fish in order to prepare tuna salad. It was merely combined with the condiment and mayo, spread on bread, and referred to as a tuna salad sandwich.
The greatest thing to ever happen to salad is tuna pasta salad! It is not only flavorful but also nutritious and loaded with ingredients like bell peppers, peas, celery, and cheddar cheese. Since tuna doesn’t require cooking, it can be added to almost any salad. Tuna is a great, healthy seafood. There are numerous variations of pasta dishes as well.
How to serve:
This easy creamy pasta salad recipe is ready in under an hour and can be made as a meal, side dish, or appetizer. Try one of these serving ideas or share one of your own in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
- Serve this dish on a bed of greens.
- Sprinkle with red pepper flakes for a spicy kick to your creamy tuna pasta salad.
- Stir in a tablespoon of Dijon mustard for extra flavor.
- You could also top this delicious tuna pasta salad with sour cream and red onion.
- Add leftover tuna pasta salad to your favorite casserole.
- In fact, you can add just about any topping to this salad for a heartier dish. Try some croutons, granola, mushrooms, tomatoes, or sunflower seeds.
- For some crunchiness in your salad, sprinkle on some chopped walnuts, pecans, or slivered almonds.
For more Pasta salads try our Southwest Ranch Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups small shells pasta (measured dry)
- 8 oz canned tuna (drained)
- 1/2 cup celery (finely diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- green bell pepper (diced)
- 1/4 cup green onions sliced
- 1/2 cup sweet peas (defrosted and drained of extra water)
- 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (diced into small cubes)
Dill pickle dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill (chopped)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place a large pot with about 8 cups of water over medium-high heat and boil.
- Season the water with salt, add a drizzle of olive oil, and cook pasta per package directions, aiming for al-dente.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to a colander and drain well. Let cool.
- Once the pasta has cooled to room temperature add it to a large bowl and the drained canned tuna.
- Add the rest of the veggies and cheese.
- Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl.
- Pour the dressing on top of the pasta, and stir gently to combine.
- Set it aside in the fridge to chill or serve immediately.
