Either dish is sure to be a hit with the bacon lovers at your house. Another delicious option is bacon ranch pasta salad. Yes! Bacon is always a good choice! If you would like bacon to be the star of the recipe, try BLT pasta salad. For a light dressing that uses fresh basil as the main ingredient, check out pesto pasta salad. If you would like a zesty, mayo-free meal, try pasta salad with Italian dressing. If you prefer chicken pasta salad, it’s easy to substitute the main ingredient and it tastes just as good! If you’d like to use different seafood, try shrimp pasta salad. This tuna pasta salad recipe is versatile and can be made with any of your favorite proteins. What Other Proteins Can I Try For This Recipe? An herb-infused vinegar or a spicy chili oil adds a whole new dimension to tuna pasta salad. The only issue I have with this great tasting mayo is that it’s significantly more expensive than regular mayo.Īnother option is to use a combination of flavored vinegar and oils to create your own dressing. I buy mine on Amazon Prime for about $8.14 for a 16 (not 30-like Best Foods) ounce jar. The Vegan mayo I use when I make this for my Paleo loving daughter is Sir Kensington’s Avocado Oil Mayonnaise. There are several options available at your market, or you can try making it yourself. Vegan mayo is simple and uses only a handful of ingredients. This tuna pasta salad can easily be made with a vegan, egg-free mayo substitute. Can I Make This Tuna Pasta Salad No Mayo Added? Swap out ingredients to make a meal that your hungry family is sure to devour. One of the best things about pasta salad is that it’s so simple to customize it. Remember to keep it cold and well-covered when you’re not nibbling on the tuna pasta salad. Once the tuna is removed from its can (or pouch), it will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Don’t worry though, this recipe is so good, you probably won’t have leftovers! How Long Can You Keep This? The pasta and celery tend to get soggy if frozen, and the mayo doesn’t stand up to the freezer well either. Many of the ingredients in the tuna pasta salad don’t do well when frozen. Can You Freeze This Best Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe In The World? Try not to leave your pasta salad out on the counter too long, and any leftovers you have will be perfect for a snack later. Tuna stays fresh longer when it is kept as cold as possible in the fridge. The noodles should still be a bit firm when you bite into them. This will return the dressing to its perfect, smooth consistency.Ĭooking your pasta to al dente, or slightly undercooked, ensures that the noodles don’t get soggy when they soak up all that delicious dressing. If you find that the dressing has gotten a bit too thick, toss with 1 tablespoon at a time of milk or water. This is a great make-ahead meal because the flavor improves with time. Scallions are also a great substitute here.ĭressing: Tuna pasta salad gets better when the noodles have time to absorb the dressing. If you have a different type of onion at home, that will work well too. Onion: Red onion adds a nice kick to this creamy dish. It will add an extra layer of flavor to an already tasty meal. Tuna: If your family has a favorite seasoning for tuna (maybe lemon pepper) you can use that in your tuna pasta salad too. Then let the tomato pieces drain in a colander for about 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. If you’re using a different type of tomato and it has lots of liquid, dice it and put a little sprinkle of salt on it. Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes tend to have very firm flesh which is why we like them in this dish. Elbows are a great choice here because the dressing flavors each hollow noodle from the inside out. You want to be sure every noodle is coated in the yummy dressing. If you use additional noodles, be sure to make a little more dressing. Pasta: This recipe is written for 12 ounces of dry pasta. Here are a few suggestions to help make this pasta salad one of your family’s favorites. This tuna pasta salad recipe uses ingredients that are easy to find and budget-friendly as well. On your phone? Check out my web story here.