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Tuna Pasta Salad

Chilled tuna pasta salad with celery, peas, and a creamy lemon dressing. Potluck staple and easy make-ahead lunch.

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Tuna Pasta Salad dish plated

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Tuna Pasta Salad

Yield6
Prep15 min
Cook12 min
Total27 min

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Ingredients

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Step by step

Method

4 steps

  1. 1

    Cook 12 oz short pasta (shells or rotini) in well-salted water until al dente. Drain and let cool 5–10 minutes so it doesn't melt the mayo into a greasy soup.

  2. 2

    In a large bowl, whisk ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper until smooth and pale.

  3. 3

    Flake in 2 cans (5 oz each) drained tuna. Add the pasta, 1 cup thawed frozen peas, 2 diced celery stalks, ¼ cup diced red onion, and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Toss gently so the tuna stays in nice chunks.

  4. 4

    Chill at least 30 minutes. Taste and add salt, lemon, or a spoon of mayo if it tightened up in the fridge. You want creamy, lemony pasta with flaky tuna and crisp celery — not a dry mayo clump or a watery, broken dressing.

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