Tuna Pasta Salad • Kath Eats

This tuna pasta salad is a scrumptious mixture of crimson bell pepper, capers, and a creamy yogurt dressing, brightened with recent herbs and lemon.

Before I found our Cook Once, Eat Twice meal plan, I used to eat plenty of leftovers for lunches. But then we realized that leftovers had been higher repurposed for dinner, which means we solely needed to prepare dinner half of the nights of the week. Once the leftovers shifted again to the night meal, I needed to get extra inventive with my lunches! 

This was a straightforward downside to resolve, nonetheless, I as a result of I feel that lunches are a lot simpler to toss collectively than dinners are to organize, at the least in our home. 

Make-ahead salads clear up the lunch conundrum 

While I’m not an enormous prep day particular person, I do like to make one massive recipe that may carry my lunches by means of the week. I’ve accomplished prep day kale salads and grain salads like this citrus curry farro salad. And this season I’ve been on a kick of pasta salad recipes (see additionally dill pickle pasta salad and taco pasta salad!) 

Pasta salads aren’t all the time excessive on the protein chart, which is why I added some tuna. Canned salmon would work completely right here too! Think tuna noodle casserole meets creamy tuna salad! Plus herbs, crimson peppers, capers, and plenty of lemon. 

Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe

This tuna pasta salad recipe is SO straightforward to toss collectively and might be made principally from elements within the fridge and pantry. I used elbow macaroni as a nod to casseroles, and two cans of flaked albacore tuna. The tuna packs within the protein! I all the time search for sustainably caught tuna – the MSC seal is an effective indicator. Wild Planet model and Whole Foods model are each sustainably caught. 

The hardest a part of this recipe is boiling water.

And since a watched pot by no means boils, you possibly can prep your veggies whilst you warmth the water. Drain the pasta, make the dressing, and toss all of it collectively. Easy peasy. 

Ingredients

Lemon zest is vital to the dish’s brilliant taste, and I additionally used a handful of herbs from our herb backyard: parsley, dill, and basil. Use no matter mixture of herbs you may have, or simply decide your favourite and go all in. I used a crimson bell pepper as a result of we all the time have one available, however frozen peas or corn – or recent summer season corn minimize off the cob – could be nice. Chopped celery and even crimson onion (!) would add crunch. You can even add in some shredded or diced sharp cheddar cheese or crumbled feta. Olives could be a pleasant Mediterranean addition to go along with the capers, too! 

• Elbow macaroni – or you should use any pasta form you want
• Albacore tuna – or swap in salmon or chunk mild tuna for those who favor
• Red bell pepper – or the equal quantity of veggies of your selection
• Herbs – any combine you want. I used parsley, basil, and dill. Baby spinach works too! 
• Capers – love them! Leave them out for those who don’t, or swap in chopped olives. 

For the dressing

• Full-fat Greek yogurt – my go-to in pasta salads to maintain the saturated fats at bay and protein excessive with plenty of creamy texture
• Duke’s mayonnaise – in line with my husband, no different mayonnaise is actual
• Lemon – zested and juiced
• Salt and pepper – naturally

How To Make This Tuna Pasta Salad

Cook the pasta

Heat a big pot of salted water to boiling. Cook the pasta till al dente in line with the package deal directions. Drain and rinse with chilly water. Return pasta to pot or a big mixing bowl.

Prep the elements

Meanwhile, chop the bell pepper and herbs. Drain the capers. Zest and juice lemon. I like lemon zest and use it every time I take advantage of a lemon! I then flip over my microplane and use it to catch the lemon seeds whereas squeezing out the juice. My lemon yielded about 1.5 tbsp zest and three tbsp juice.

Prep the tuna

Drain tuna and flake with a fork.

Make the dressing

Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to mix.

Mix pasta salad collectively

Add chopped pepper, herbs, and capers to the cooked pasta. Then add the tuna. Stir to combine.

Stir within the dressing

Add 3/4 of the dressing to the pasta and stir till mixed. Add remainder of dressing, if desired.

Serve

Serve as a facet dish at a picnic or as a principal course for lunch or a lighter dinner. 

Store

Store within the fridge in an hermetic container for a couple of days. You might need to freshen it up with a squeeze of lemon juice or additional yogurt dressing because the pasta will steadily soak up the dressing. 

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