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Home » Recipes » Fourth of July Recipes

May 10, 2021

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with Tuna

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An overhead shot of a large platter of Italian Tuna Pasta salad with tomatoes, a glass of water, and a cup of cheese next to the platter. this Recipe
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This mayo-free Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with Tuna is healthy, easy-to-make, and chock-full of veggies, protein, and flavor!

Jump to Recipe

This recipe was originally published on July 14, 2020. It was updated on May 10, 2021.

Satisfy your whole crew with a recipe that's easy to make but big on flavor with this Zesty ItalianPasta Salad with Tuna. Don't be intimidated by the homemade dressing-- it really isn't that hard! Just measure out and whisk up your dressing ingredients and you're good to go.

Next, you'll mix in your pasta, veggies, and tuna, and dinner will be on the table! This salad is perfect for potlucks, barbecues, summer lunches, and makes delicious leftovers for meal prep!

A side up-close shot of a platter of Italian Tuna Pasta Salad

Who says tuna pasta salad has to have mayo?!

I mean, nothing against mayo -- I'm definitely a fan girl-- but sometimes we need a change of pace, or to feed our "no mayo" friends and family.

And even though we can find more healthy and processed ingredient-free mayos out there these days, sometimes I'm looking for something lighter and healthier.

Or, sometimes, I'm looking for a salad that is more veggie forward or will last for a longer period of time out of the refrigerator. And sometimes I'm looking for a healthier take on traditional Italian pasta salad.

A pinterst pin for Italian tuna pasta salad. On the picture is a side shot of a white bowl of the pasta salad.

Growing up northeast and Midwest states, Italian pasta salad was a staple. I mean, if you didn't see it at a summer barbecue or potluck, it would make you start to wonder if something was wrong.

The look was borderline iconic -- tri-color rotini pasta tossed in that golden bottled Italian dressing with sliced black olives, a few diced vegetables, cubed cheese, and -- if you were lucky -- diced up salami or pepperoni scattered throughout.

And though I'm not here to dethrone such a legendary dish, I am here to introduce another, just as tasty, but healthier take on Italian pasta salad.

An overhead shot of a bowl full of ingredients before being mixed for the salad.

With tuna in place of the salami, and a handful of shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese in place of the cubed cheese, we lower the saturated fat in this recipe. The tuna provides lean protein, healthy fats, and minerals (source), not to mention flavor. Oh, and all of those vegetables? They contribute crunch, fiber, and nutrients while making the salad more filling.

Most importantly, I want to encourage you to not be intimidated by the salad dressing. Really!! It's homemade, yes, but it uses all common pantry ingredients and whisks up in no time.

But, of course, if you really don't want to make your own, I won't judge. Primal Kitchen's Italian Dressing is quite good, too, and lacks any weird preservatives or other mystery ingredients!

Either way, you'll be doing good by both your taste buds and your health with this healthy and fresh salad. Make it up for yourself and enjoy it as meal prep throughout the week or be the star of your next barbecue or potluck by showing up with big bowl for your friends. After all, sharing is caring, eh?

An overhead shot of the corner of a large white bowl of Italian Tuna Pasta Salad.

Table of contents

  • This recipe is...
  • Recipe ingredients
  • Ingredient substitutions
  • What type of canned tuna is best for this salad?
  • How do you store tuna pasta salad?
  • Can you freeze this tuna pasta salad?
  • Can you halve, double, or triple this recipe?
  • Can you make this pasta salad gluten-free?
  • How do you make the best tasting pasta?
  • What do you serve with this Italian pasta salad?
  • Tools you need to make this salad:
  • How to make this Italian Tuna Macaroni Salad...
  • Other salad recipes to check out:
  • Other pasta recipes to check out:

This recipe is...

  • Light
  • Satisfying
  • Zesty
  • Crunchy
  • Chewy
  • Savory

This is my best Italian pasta salad recipe: it's just like a traditional Italian pasta salad, but with tuna added! It has flavor and crunch and the savory Italian dressing you love and some extra protein to add flavor and fill you up.

A large scoop of the Italian pasta salad in front of the rest of the pasta salad.

Recipe ingredients

This pasta salad is made with ingredients that are pretty easy to find year round in most major grocery store chains!

  • Pasta
  • Canned tuna
  • Olive oil
  • Distilled white vinegar
  • Dried basil and thyme
  • Garlic
  • Sweet onion
  • Cucumber
  • Sweet pepper
  • Baby tomatoes
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
An up-close shot of small jars of dried basil and dried thyme in front a jugs of olive oil and vinegar.

Ingredient substitutions:

  • Vinegar - don't have distilled white vinegar? You can also use white wine vinegar in its place.
  • Oil - avocado oil will also work in place of the olive oil
  • Sugar - this recipe has just a wee bit of sugar, but if you'd rather use a natural sweetener you can substitute honey. It will affect the flavor just a bit, but the overall experience should be pretty close to the same. 🙂
  • Herbs - you can substitute in fresh herbs in place of the dried if you have them on hand. Just use 3 times the amount of fresh ingredients as you would dry.
  • Tuna - flaked canned chicken or small cooked shrimp can substitute well for the tuna
A small blue plate with piles of minced garlic, dried basil, and dried thyme on it.

How to make this Italian tuna pasta salad with no mayo...

  1. Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta in a colander, rinse briefly with cool water, and let the pasta rest for 5 minutes.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
  3. Gently stir the pasta, vegetables, tuna, and shredded cheese into the dressing until the vegetables and pasta are evenly covered with the dressing.
  4. Let the salad cool for 1-2 hours covered in the fridge or serve right away. Enjoy!
An overhead shot of a bowl of tuna pasta salad before stirring.

Recipe pro-tips:

  1. Boil the pasta in heavily salted water - Salting the water that you boil the pasta in will give you the best-tasting pasta. To salt the water for the best flavor, add 1.5-2 tablespoons of salt for every 2 quarts of water you boil.
  2. Left the salad rest before serving - let the salad rest for at least a few hours before serving. This will let the pasta marinate in the flavors of the dressing, making the dish the most flavorful.
  3. Use your favorite pasta shape - many types of pasta (macaroni, rotini, orecchiette, bow-ties, etc.) work great in this recipe so just use your favorite shape.
A pinterest pin for Italian Tuna Pasta Salad. The top picture is an overhead shot of the salad. The bottom picture is a bowl of all the ingredients for the salad.

Recipe FAQs:

What type of canned tuna is best for this salad?

The best type of canned tuna for this salad is solid albacore tuna. It is a meatier type of tuna that has a cleaner flavor than chunk light or other types of tuna. If you don't have or can't find albacore tuna, however, chunk link tuna can work as a substitute.

Can you freeze leftover tuna pasta salad?

Unfortunately, this pasta salad does not freeze well.

Can you halve, double, or triple this recipe?

Yes, you can divide or multiply this recipe by whatever amount you would lik and follow the recipes as directed.

A side shot of a white ceramic bowl full of the Italian tuna pasta salad.

Storage directions:

You can store this leftover Italian pasta tuna salad covered in the refrigerator. It will last 4-5 days, though is best if eaten within the first 2-3 days.

Dietary adaptations:

  • Gluten-free: to make this pasta salad gluten-free, just substitute in gluten-free pasta in the place of traditional wheat pasta
  • Vegetarian: to make this recipe vegetarian, simply omit the tuna from the recipe.

Cold tuna pasta salad serving suggestions:

This healthy salad is delicious served on its own, but it's also super tasty served the following ways

  • On a bed of fresh greens or lettuce
  • Alongside burgers
  • With grilled chicken or salmon
  • With grilled veggie skewers
  • With a glass of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc

Yum!!

A side shot of a large plate of sliced tomatoes, cubed cucumber, and diced sweet peppers.

Tools you need to make this salad:

  • Dutch oven
  • Colander
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Cutting board
  • Chef's knife
  • Silicone Spatula

More Pasta Salad Recipes

  • Tuna Macaroni Salad
  • Balsamic Pasta Salad
  • Greek Penne Pasta Salad

More Tuna Recipes

  • Cheesy Tuna Rice Casserole
  • Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
  • Tuna Mac and Cheese
  • Tuna Stuffed Peppers (Keto + Low-Carb!)

If you make and like this recipe, please review and rate it 5 Stars at the top of the recipe card. This helps other people to find the recipes and helps this reader-supported publication, too!

Thank you so much for your feedback and support of Mae's Menu!

An overhead shot of a large platter of the Italian Pasta Salad. Next to the platter sits baby tomatoes, a dish of cheese, and a towel.

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with Tuna

Email Facebook
Chelsea | Mae's Menu 2023
Satisfy your whole crew with this Italian Tuna Pasta Salad.
It's easy to make but big on flavor. Don't be intimidated by the homemade dressing-- it really isn't that hard! Just measure out and whisk up your dressing ingredients and you're good to mix in the pasta, veggies, and tuna!
4.38 from 8 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine Italian
Servings 12 servings
Calories 261 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 16 oz. medium-sized pasta bow tie, rotini, macaroni, medium shells, etc.
  • ⅔ cup olive oil
  • ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
  • 1 ½ tablespoon granulated white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
  • ½ large sweet onion white or red, diced
  • 2 cups diced cucumber
  • 1 ¾ cups halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 sweet pepper diced
  • 1 cup black olives halved
  • 2, 7- ounce cans tuna preferably albacore, drained & flaked
  • 1 ½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large dutch oven full of heavily salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain in a colander, rinse briefly with cold water, and then let the pasta rest for 5 minutes.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, basil, thyme, cheese, and black pepper until well combined.
  • Gently stir the pasta, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, peppers, black olives, tuna, and mozzarella cheese into the dressing until all the pasta and vegetables are covered in the dressing.
  • Stir the pasta salad right away or cover the mixing bowl and let the salad cool in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Leftover pasta salad lasts covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. It does not freeze well.
2. This recipe can easily be halved, doubled or tripled -- just divide or multiply all the ingredients by the desired amount and follow the directions as listed.
3. White wine vinegar also works in place of the distilled white vinegar.
4. If you don't like cucumber seeds, just de-seed the cucumbers before dicing. Slice the cucumber down the center length-wise and then scrape the seeds out with a spoon.
5. To make this salad gluten-free, just use a gluten-free pasta!
6. If using a premade dressing for this recipe, use 1 heaping cup.
7. If using fresh thyme or basil in place of dry, use 4 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh basil and 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 261kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 10gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 558mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4g
Keyword best italian pasta salad recipe, cold tuna pasta salad, pasta tuna salad, tuna pasta salad, tuna pasta salad no mayo, tuna pasta salad recipe, tuna pasta salad with italian dressing, zesty italian pasta salad
Tried and Loved This Recipe?Mention @MaesMenu or tag #MaesMenu!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jule says

    July 16, 2020 at 1:09 pm

    Chelsea
    My husband really liked the recipe! You might want to indicate in the ingredients list what size tuna can. And I am wondering if there is a way to make this into a chicken version? What do you think?

    Also I messed up when I made it and forgot to put in the mozzarella, lol, adding it now.
    sending big hug from you Mom's freshman college roommate and later apt. mate....

    Reply
    • Mae's Menu says

      July 23, 2020 at 4:27 pm

      Hi, Jule!
      Thanks so much for trying out the recipe and letting me know how you liked it! And great catch with the tuna can size -- I went in and changed that!

      I'm wondering about the chicken version. My only doubt is the texture of canned chicken can be a bit different-- potentially mushier-- than canned tuna. Possibly with grilled and sliced chicken, though? If you try it, please let me know how it goes!

      And Mom talks about you often. 🙂 Thanks again for stopping by and your review!

      Reply
  2. Kylie says

    July 20, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    I made this quickly before a picnic at the reservoir the other evening and it was a crowdpleaser! I wasn’t sure about my toddler liking the tuna but all of the flavors were together so well I don’t think she even knew it was there. I was hoping we would have leftovers for lunches the next day but everyone loved it so much we ate the whole thing. Also it’s nice that the ingredients are common pantry items and that you can modify vegetables really easily. Definitely a recipe I will make again.

    Reply
    • Mae's Menu says

      July 23, 2020 at 4:14 pm

      Oh, I'm so glad to hear that, Kylie! Thanks so much for the feedback. 🙂

      Reply

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MEET CHELSEA MAE PLUMMER

Hi!  Join me in making quick and healthy recipes for active families!  Many of my recipes can be made gluten-free or lactose-free because life with food allergies doesn't have to lack flavor!
A bit about me: I'm a self-taught home cook of 20+ years, food lover, runner, and dog lover!

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