Cold Tuna Salad Pasta is the ultimate no-fuss meal that’s perfect for hot days, picnics, or quick lunches. It combines the creaminess of a traditional tuna salad with the satisfying bite of pasta, creating a dish that’s light, refreshing, and full of flavor. Whether you’re packing it for a lunchbox, serving it as a side dish, or enjoying it as a light dinner, this recipe is a true crowd-pleaser.
At its core, Cold Tuna Salad Pasta is all about simplicity. You start with al dente pasta, which is the perfect base for absorbing all the flavors. Add in canned tuna, which provides a savory, protein-packed element, and then toss everything together with crunchy vegetables like celery, onion, and bell peppers for texture and freshness.
The dressing is where the magic happens. A classic combination of mayonnaise, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a touch of mustard or olive oil creates a creamy yet tangy coating that binds everything together. If you prefer a lighter version, you can substitute Greek yogurt for mayonnaise for a tangier and healthier twist.
Feel free to get creative with your additions. Some might add hard-boiled eggs for extra protein, capers for a briny punch, or even fresh herbs like parsley or dill for brightness. The beauty of Cold Tuna Salad Pasta is its versatility, it’s easy to make it your own.
This dish can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge for several hours or even a day, allowing the flavors to meld and intensify. Serve it chilled, and you’ve got a meal that’s not only satisfying but also incredibly easy to prepare.
Whether it’s a quick weeknight meal or a potluck favorite, Cold Tuna Salad Pasta is a delicious, effortless option that’s perfect for any occasion.
This recipe is made by Lori A. Terkeurst.
Ingredients
- 1 can tuna
- Cheese shredded or cubed
- Miracle Whip
- Green onions sliced
- dill fresh or dried
- pasta of your choice – I like shells
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to directions on box.
- Drain in colander and rinse with cold water.
- This is a cold salad for a hot day, so you can even add some ice cubes to speed the cooling.
- Add tuna(drained) and mix well.
- Add green onions and cheese of your choice.
- Add Miracle Whip and then dill to your choice of flavor.
- Cool in refrigerator until time for dinner.
- I like to garnish with quartered Compari tomatoes and sliced hard boiled eggs.
- Great on a day that feels too hot to eat! I like to serve with lemonade or iced ginger ale. Enjoy!
- Keep leftovers in frig and add additional Miracle Whip to taste (if there are any leftovers!) Bon Appetit!
Tuna salad? I don’t like fish. But this looks nice.
I get it! Fish isn’t for everyone, but maybe you can try it without the tuna? Just the pasta and veggies sound good too!
Yuk! Can’t imagine eating that stuff. But I guess you can always change the tuna for chicken or something else?
Super easy, but I’m not a fan of Miracle Whip—tasted too sweet to me. Next time I’ll swap for regular mayo or Greek yogurt.
Totally fair—Miracle Whip can be pretty sweet. Greek yogurt or mayo both sound like great swaps; I’ll try that next time.
This tuna salad is so refreshing! Perfect for the summer days.
meh.
Lori, why do you add ice cubes? Sounds weird and not necessary.
I think the ice cubes are a good idea! It makes sense to chill the salad faster on a hot day. Plus, who doesn’t love cold food when it’s blazing outside?
This sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try it on a hot day.
Simple. Tasty.
Simple and honestly sounds perfect for a hot day—cold pasta + tuna + Miracle Whip is a combo I can get behind. I might toss in some diced celery too, but great idea with the ice cubes!
Is Miracle Whip really necessary? I feel like mayo or Greek yogurt would taste better… also cheese and tuna together seems a little weird, no offense. But hey if it works for you!
I don’t get it. Why would you put ice cubes in a salad? That sounds weird.
I added ice cubes like the recipe says and it cooled fast, but I swear the pasta got a bit weirdly firm. Maybe I used too much ice? Tasted good though.
Easy peasy to make! I added some cherry tomatoes and it was really good.
“Bon Appetit” but please, can we talk about the tuna? I drained mine really well or it got watery. Otherwise pretty good.
I made it exactly like the recipe, but added celery for some crunch. It was yum!
So simple! I never thought of adding dill to tuna salad. Gonna make it again!
I don’t understand the dill part. Why would you put that in tuna salad? It’s just fish!
This was super simple to make and perfect for a hot day! I added some celery for crunch. Yum!
Sounds delicious! I usually don’t like tuna but this might change my mind. Thanks for the tip on adding celery!
Ugh, tuna salad is gross. Miracle Whip? Really? Just use mayo like a normal person. 🤢
I’m not sure about adding ice cubes—won’t that water it down? I guess you’re supposed to use it briefly while cooling? Either way, tasty results.
Compari tomatoes?? Are you sure you don’t mean cherry tomatoes? I used what I had and it still turned out okay, but I was confused at that step.
This is super easy and refreshing! Perfect for summer.
I made this for a picnic last weekend and everyone loved it! So easy to prepare.
I don’t get why you would want to add ice cubes. Isn’t that kinda weird? But I guess to each their own.
I followed the recipe, but the pasta got all soggy. Not sure if I did somethin wrong.
Can u make it with leftover chicken instead of tuna? I hate tuna. 🤮
Tuna salad is good for summer! But where’s the pickles? 😂
I’m skeptical of tuna + pasta + mayo-ish stuff, but my kids devoured it. I added a little black pepper and it tasted way better than I expected.
Is it really a salad if it’s pasta? 🤔
Pasta salad is still a salad! It’s all about the ingredients! 🍝🥗
As a vegan, I couldn’t try this but it sounds delish!
My kids loved this! They usually don’t eat tuna but this was a hit!
I don’t like cooking, so this is perfect for me. Easy peasy!
Tuna salad? I dunno, tuna kinda smells weird, right? Maybe I’ll try it but I’m not super excited.
This sounds so easy! I usually avoid cooking, but this might be my go-to recipe now. Thanks!
I don’t know about the Miracle Whip. Can’t you just use mayo? Seems weird.
I think Miracle Whip gives it that nice tangy flavor that mayo just can’t match! It’s kinda the secret ingredient. 😄
This is a great recipe! Loved the addition of dill. Perfect for summer days!
Yummy! My kids even liked it, which is rare. Will make again!
Miracle Whip is my weakness. I know it’s not everyone’s vibe, but it works here. The rinse-cold-water step matters—mine wasn’t soggy at all.
I don’t like Miracle Whip, can I use mayo instead? 🤔
Yeah, mayo is great! Just don’t put too much or it’ll taste weird. 😅
I dunno, mayo just ain’t the same. Miracle Whip got its own flavor, you know? 🤷♂️
Really good idea using pasta, makes it filling! But I forgot the dill, my bad.
Made this for my picnic and everyone loved it! Will make again.
Not so sure about the Miracle Whip… I prefer mayo. 😬
I did hard-boiled eggs on top like suggested and that made it feel like a real meal, not just tuna salad. 10/10 for hot days.
Yes!! Hard-boiled eggs on top is such a game changer. Makes it feel way more filling—like actual dinner instead of “sad lunch” 😅 Great call for hot days too!
Hot day or not, tuna + mayo-y stuff just feels heavy to me. But the egg garnish sounds decent. Did you mix the Miracle Whip with the tuna, or just leave it as a topping?
Doesn’t sound filling enough. Where’s the meat?? 👀
I don’t understand why people like cold tuna salad? Fish chillin’ in the fridge just ain’t right.
Sounds good, but I don’t like tuna. Can I use chicken instead?
Sure, chicken would be fine! Just make sure it’s cooked. I think it’ll taste good too.
I didn’t have Compari tomatoes, so I used regular cherry ones and it was still great. Also, rinsing pasta with cold water helps a ton so it doesn’t clump.
Good to know about the cherry tomatoes— I always forget brands matter. And yeah, rinsing pasta with cold water is a game changer for clumps. 🍝❄️
Miracle Whip + tuna feels kinda too sweet to me… but if you say it’s great I’ll try it. Also I thought rinsing pasta was bad? lol
Delicious and easy! Just what I need for this heatwave.
Wow, easy recipe!!! My kids ate it all up, even the green onions!
Honestly this is great when you don’t wanna cook. Also the shells idea is good—held onto the sauce better than spaghetti would.
Why put ice cubes in salad? Sounds gross.
Yum! I added avocado instead of cheese. So good! 😋
My kids loved it! They even ate the green onions, which is a miracle in itself. Just a bit salty for my taste.
This was a hit at my potluck! Everyone wanted the recipe.
I don’t know about Miracle Whip… never tried it before. Can I just use mayo instead?
Yeah, you can use mayo instead of Miracle Whip! It’ll give it a different flavor but still be good. Just remember, mayo is creamier!
Yummy! Just made it for lunch and now I’m stuffed. The cheese make it creamy 😍.
Tuna salad? Really? I’ve never thought cheese goes with tuna. Sounds weird but maybe I’ll give it a try.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! The cheese really does add a nice touch. What’s your favorite kind of cheese to use?
Cold salad and hot day? Genius! Do you think it would taste good with shrimp too?
This is exactly the kind of no-fuss cold meal I need in summer. The ice-cubes tip is genius—definitely doing that next time.
Yum! But I think it’s too much Miracle Whip, ill use less next time.
The lemonade/iced ginger ale pairing is such a vibe. Like, I know it’s random but it works lol. Would absolutely serve again.
Seriously, that lemon + ginger ale combo sounds way better than “random” lol. I’m always trying to find something refreshing with tuna salad. Gonna try it next time.
Miracle Whip in tuna salad is kinda polarizing but I actually love it. Dill + green onions makes it feel way more “real” than plain mayo versions.
Made this for lunch today and it’s actually refreshing—nice quick protein without cooking anything else. I used dill and extra green onions and it really popped.
One can tuna is like… not enough tuna. Needs more tuna, period 😂
😂 I feel you. When a tuna salad says “1 can” I’m like… that’s not tuna, that’s tuna-flavored vibes. Next time I’m going 2 cans for sure.
Hmm, I dunno. If you add more tuna, wouldn’t it get dry? I usually just bump the Miracle Whip and green onions. But yeah maybe a bit more tuna… just a little lol.
I tried it with mayo instead of Miracle Whip and it turned out terrible. Stick to the recipe folks.
I’ve always used Miracle Whip, so I can’t imagine how mayo would make it bad. Maybe it just wasn’t for you? 🤷♀️
Why ice cubes? Sounds weird. Just chill in the fridge, right?
Ice cubes are great for cooling it down fast! Trust me, it helps. Fridge takes too long sometimes.
Okay but how much Miracle Whip is “to taste”? I eyeballed it and mine was a little too thick. Still ate it all though 😅
Cold salad?! Sounds weird but it’s actually kinda refreshing! My grandma made something similar.
This feels very “office potluck” to me. No offense! Also why add cheese and then more stuff? Still, it’s easy so I can’t complain.
Not gonna lie, I’m skeptical about the cheese… but if it’s cubed and not too much, it could work. I’d probably use a mild cheddar.
That’s fair—cheese can be hit or miss in tuna salad. I’ve found cubed mild cheddar works way better than shredded for not getting stringy. Love the idea of cooling it with a few ice cubes too!
Made this with shells like the recipe says. Came out creamy and filling. Added hard boiled eggs too—10/10 for a quick potluck salad.