This is the BEST Tuna Pasta Salad without mayo. It's creamy, packed with protein and made with budget-friendly staples.
Tuna pasta salad is one of my top recommendations for budget-friendly meals. We use affordable pantry staples like pasta, canned tuna, and local produce mixed in. This tuna pasta salad is also perfect for all my friends who hate mayo, because I know it's not for everyone! We use a homemade creamy dressing from Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, making this recipe packed with protein.
I love a tuna salad and I love a pasta salad, so this recipe truly feels like a happy marriage of the two. Add it to your meal prep rotation this week!
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Meal prep lunch. This tuna pasta salad stores really well in the fridge and can be serve cold for lunches on the go.
- Budget-friendly protein. Canned tuna and high protein pasta (or you can use regular) are awesome budget-friendly staples that are more affordable than meats.
- No mayo! I know not everyone loves mayo, so this recipe is great for my mayo haters.
Ingredients
Pasta. Any pasta will work great! You can use a higher protein option such as Catelli Protein+, chickpea pasta or a regular white pasta. I typically opt for shells as they fill with the dressing and create such a flavourful bite.
Canned tuna. Whenever I use tuna in a recipe, I always use albacore tuna stored in water. I find albacore has a more mild fish flavour than skipjack, so it's great if you don’t love a fish-forward flavour.
Celery and radishes. I feel like tuna, celery and radishes are a match made in heaven. The mild flavor and satisfying crunch create the perfect texture addition to a pasta salad.
Capers. This adds a tangy, salty flavour that's perfect in this Mediterranean inspired salad.
Lemon zest. I wanted to create a fresh and vibrant pasta salad perfect for light summer lunches and lemon zest is the perfect way to brighten up a salad.
Parmesan. Fresh Parmesan lemon pair perfectly. I like the freshly grated parm best, but pre-grated works too.
Spinach. The perfect leafy green to add to pasta salads because it's mild and doesn't get soggy. Spinach is also a source of vitamin K, fibre and antioxidants.
Fresh herbs. Dill and parsley add so much fresh flavour!
Dressing. We combine greek yogurt, cottage cheese, dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, honey, salt and black pepper for this creamy, protein-packed dressing.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Rinse with cold water and set aside to cool. (I recommend doing this in advance so the pasta is cool)
- Drain the tuna and add the contents of all 3 cans to a large bowl. Gently separate the tuna using a fork, breaking apart any large chunks.
- To make the dressing, blend together greek yogurt, cottage cheese, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, dijon, honey, salt and black pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust to desired preferences. Set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl add cooked pasta, tuna, celery, radishes, green onions, dill, parsley, and spinach.
- Add capers, lemon zest and parmesan cheese for flavour.
- Drizzle with the dressing and toss to combine.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: use a gluten-free pasta of choice (I like Catelli).
To make dairy-free: if you are looking for a dairy-free dressing, I recommend replacing the yogurt and cottage cheese with ¾ cup of plain non-dairy thick yogurt and ¼ cup of mayonnaise. The parmesan can be omitted.
To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut-free.
Looking for added fiber? Adding chickpeas or white beans into this recipe is an amazing way to boost the fiber content and add plant-based protein.
Looking for added protein? You can add ½ a cup of hemp hearts into the salad for a boost of protein and healthy fats.
Equipment
- Vegetable chopper (optional)
- Mixing bowl
- Blender
Storage
This tuna pasta salad is great for meal prep and can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Top Tips for Success
Dice the celery and chop the spinach and herbs nice and small. I always find cutting vegetables as small as possible helps create the BEST salads, because you get a bit of everything in each bite.
Greek yogurt can sometimes leave a bitter taste. I have counteracted that by using a blend of yogurt and cottage cheese, however if you prefer to use mayonnaise, you can.
Frequently Asked Questions
I like to add my oil and fat to meet my personal preferences. I find tuna stored in water is a great base for recipes, because it has such a mild flavour and will take on the flavours of any dressing you pair it with.
Absolutely! Canned salmon is a great addition for omega-3s. Just make sure you remove any bones.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
If you love pasta salad, try these recipes next:
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this tuna pasta salad, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Tuna Pasta Salad without Mayo
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups dry pasta shells
- 3 cans solid albacore tuna stored in water
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 1 cup radishes thinly sliced
- 3 green onions chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- ¼ cup capers
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese shredded
For the dressing:
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1-2 teaspoon honey your preference
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Rinse with cold water and set aside to cool. (I recommend doing this in advance so the pasta is cool)
- Drain the tuna and add the contents of all 3 cans to a large bowl. Gently separate the tuna using a fork, breaking apart any large chunks.
- To make the dressing: blend together greek yogurt, cottage cheese, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, dijon, honey, salt and black pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust to desired preferences. Set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl add cooked pasta, tuna, celery, radishes, green onions, dill, parsley, and spinach.
- Add capers, lemon zest and parmesan cheese for flavour.
- Drizzle with the dressing and toss to combine.
Laura says
I was leery of the dressing without the use of mayo, but this was amazing! Fresh flavors and excellent blend of ingredients. I will be making this one again!
Nicole Addison says
I've been eating this one non stop this summer!! I hope you love it as much as I do!