This healthy tuna pasta salad recipe is the ultimate make-ahead meal! It features fresh tomatoes, baby spinach, olives and pine nuts, with a vibrant Dijon dill dressing. [Don't miss the VIDEO below!]
If you're looking for the perfect summertime (or anytime) meal, this tuna pasta salad recipe is where it's at. Forget about those gloppy mayonnaise-heavy tuna pasta salads, this no-mayo healthy tuna pasta salad gets dressed with a vibrant Dijon, dill and olive oil dressing.
Ingredients and swaps:
- Pasta: You can use any shape you like, such as rotini, fusilli or bow tie, regular or gluten free.
- Tuna: Use a good quality canned tuna (see the FAQs below).
- Grape tomatoes: Tomatoes lend a pop of sweetness. You can swap them out for jarred roasted red peppers (diced).
- Baby spinach: Baby spinach lends color and nutrition. You can swap it out for arugula, watercress or baby chard.
- Toasted pine nuts: Pine nuts give the salad a nutty crunch, but you could go for toasted walnuts instead.
- Dijon Dill Dressing: A zippy homemade dill vinaigrette ties everything together in this no mayo tuna pasta salad. The sharp dressing cuts through the richness of the tuna and brightens everything up.
Dijon dill dressing
The dressing is is easy to make with lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, garlic, shallots and dill. It can be whipped up several days in advance, making quick work of the pasta salad. It’s also delicious on grain salads and vegetable salads.
How to make healthy tuna pasta salad:
- Make the Dijon dill dressing.
- Cook your favorite shaped pasta (I use a gluten free pasta) according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, rinse it quickly in warm water, then toss it with half of the dressing. Tossing the cooked pasta with some of the dressing while it's still hot helps it to soak up the flavors, making for a much more delicious salad.
- Let the noodles cool, then pile the remaining ingredients over top. If you’re not eating the pasta salad right away, cover the bowl and refrigerate it until you’re ready to eat.
- Once you’re ready to eat, drizzle the salad with the remaining dressing and toss everything together to coat.
FAQs
Yes! Once the salad is assembled with half of the dressing it can be refrigerated for up to 6 hours. After you finish the salad (with the remaining dressing) it can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours (making it perfect for picnics!).
Leftover tuna pasta salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It makes for a delicious lunch!
A shaped pasta such as rotini, fusilli or bow tie works best in this salad. You can use regular pasta or gluten free!
I recommend using line-caught canned wild albacore tuna, such as American tuna or Wild Planet brands. Pole caught tuna is much more sustainable than regular tuna, is often lower in mercury, and has a cleaner, meatier flavor than other canned tunas. Another good choice would be a good quality jarred tuna in olive oil, such as Ortiz or Tonnino.
Ingredient swaps & tips:
- You can swap out the canned tuna for cooked fresh swordfish or tuna (check out my foolproof method for slow cooking swordfish in my book, Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker!).
- Tossing the pasta with half of the dressing while it's still warm allows it to soak up the flavors, giving you a much more flavorful pasta salad.
- Put that canned tuna to use in the Tuna Nicoise Bowls from my book, Build-a-Bowl!
*This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links to products I use and love (from which I earn income, at no cost to you). Thank you for supporting From Scratch Fast!
Other pasta recipes to try:
- Thai Peanut Noodles Salad
- Fresh Tomato Pesto Pasta
- Cold Rice Noodle Salad with Garlicky Shrimp Kebabs
- Spaghetti with Corn and Bacon
Healthy, easy meals:
- Avocado Chicken Salad
- Spicy Salmon Sushi Wraps
- Paleo Canned Salmon Cakes
- Savory Chickpea Waffles (Vegan)
Watch the video!
Stay connected
I'd love to answer any of your questions and see what you're cooking!! Don't forget to give this recipe a star rating and leave a comment below. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube & Pinterest, and be sure to tag @nickisizemore so that I can share your creations!
Get the recipe!
Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad (Gluten Free Option)
Ingredients
Dijon Dill Dressing
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots or chives
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pasta salad
- 8 ounces shaped pasta, such as rotini, fusilli or bow tie (gluten free or regular)
- 1 5-6 ounce can tuna, drained and flaked (preferably pole caught wild albacore tuna)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced crosswise
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
Make the dressing
- In a bowl or jar, combine the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, shallot, garlic, dill and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk or shake to combine. Do Ahead: The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Cook the pasta and assemble the salad
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse in warm water, then transfer to a large bowl. Immediately pour half of the dressing over the warm pasta and toss to coat (this will allow the pasta to soak up lots of flavor). Season with salt and pepper, and let cool.
- Add the tuna, grape tomatoes, spinach, olives, pine nuts, and red pepper flakes (the pepper flakes are optional but add a lovely hint of heat). Do Ahead: At this point, you can cover the bowl and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve, up to 6 hours.
- Pour the rest of the dressing over the top of the salad, and toss everything together to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Give the salad a taste—if you think it could use a splash more oil or vinegar, then go for it! Serve the pasta salad immediately, or let it sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Garnish with fresh dill before serving, if you’re feeling fancy.
Notes
- If you don’t have spinach, try arugula, watercress or baby chard.
- You can use jarred roasted red peppers instead of the grape tomatoes.
- Swap out the pine nuts for toasted walnuts.
- Use a good quality canned or jarred tuna for this recipe. I recommend pole-caught wild albacore tuna, such as American Tuna or Wild Planet. Drain the tuna before adding it to the salad.
- You can swap out the canned tuna for cooked fresh swordfish or tuna (check out my foolproof method for slow cooking swordfish in my book, Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker!).
- Tossing the pasta with half of the dressing while it's still warm allows it to soak up the flavors, giving you a much more flavorful pasta salad.
- Put that canned tuna to use in the Tuna Nicoise Bowls from my book, Build-a-Bowl!
DavE M says
I loved this recipe. The dressing has a lot of zing and doesn't use as much oil as other recipes. I didn't even have any dill and it was delicious. Would love to see more dressing recipes!
Nicki Sizemore says
I'm so happy to hear you loved it! You can check out my healthy taco salad, my easy one-bowl green salad, my Mexican street corn salad, and my grilled panzanella salad recipes for other dressing ideas, and I'll make a note to work on more!