Macaroni Salad with Tuna

Perfectly creamy and wonderfully nostalgic, this simple macaroni salad with tuna delivers big deli-style flavor with humble pantry ingredients and minimal effort. This classic with a glow-up combines tender elbow macaroni, savory tuna fish, sweet peas, crunchy veggies, and a light, yet creamy-dreamy dressing that hits all the right notes. Perfect for busy weeknights, backyard cookouts, or easy meal prep lunches, this tuna mac salad is guaranteed to become a staple in your recipe collection.

📝 Ingredients

• 8 ounces Dry Small Pasta (– (1/2 pound or about 2 cups dry pasta) (SEE NOTES))
• 2 (5 ounce) Cans Albacore White Tuna (– drained (SEE NOTE))
• 2 large ribs Celery (– finely sliced (about 3/4 cup))
• 3 medium Green Onions (dark & light green parts only) (– thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup))
• 1 1/4 cup Frozen Peas (– thawed (SEE NOTES))
• 1/2 small Red Onion (– finely chopped (about scant 1/2 cup))
• 2 TBS EACH: Chopped Fresh Dill & Chopped Flat-leaf Parsley (– plus more for garnish (SEE NOTES))
• 2 TBS Freshly Grated Parmesan (– plus more for garnish)
• as needed Coarse Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper
• 2/3 cup Greek Yogurt OR Sour Cream ((I used nonfat Greek Yogurt))
• 1/3 cup Good-quality Mayonnaise ((SEE NOTES))
• 1 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 tsp Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Celery Seed
• 1/4 tsp Sweet Paprika (– plus more for garnish)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Boil Macaroni Pasta: Add 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) of water to a large pot and bring water to a boil. Season water with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook for 1 minute PAST al dente according to package instructions. Drain pasta and rinse it with cold water to stop the pasta from cooking. Drain again and allow the pasta to cool. (SEE NOTES)
2. 2Mix Salad Dressing: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Season with 1 teaspoon of sea salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Whisk well to thoroughly combine.
3. 3Mix Macaroni and Tuna Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the cooked and cooled pasta, tuna, celery, green onions, peas, red onion, dill, parsley and parmesan. Toss to combine.
4. 4Add Salad Dressing; Toss: Add Salad Dressing: Pour HALF of the dressing over the pasta mixture. Toss well to evenly coat. Taste the pasta salad and adjust for seasoning.
5. 5Chill Tuna Mac Salad: Refrigerate: Cover the pasta salad and the remaining dressing. Place both in the refrigerator and allow to chill for 2-3 hours, or until cold. (SEE NOTES)
6. 6Serve Macaroni Salad with Tuna: Remove the salad from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes to remove the chill. Just before serving, stir in the remaining dressing. Garnish with fresh dill, paprika and a sprinkle of parmesan. Serve immediately and enjoy!