Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad (No Mayo)

Name: Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad (No Mayo)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 220 g ( 7.7 oz) canned tuna (2 tins); 300 g ( 10.5 oz) pasta (use gluten-free pasta if req.); 110 g ( 4oz ) cherry/baby tomatoes (halved ); 1 medium red onion (finely sliced); ½ medium cucumber (finely diced); 1 medium red bell pepper (finely diced); 8-10 basil leaves (torn); 10 g ( 0.4 oz) gherkins (finely chopped); 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; ¼ tsp sea salt (leave out if cooking for small children); 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice; black pepper (to taste)

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This Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad with no mayo is the perfect make-ahead dish for a summer BBQ, potluck or a nutritious packed lunch. Ready in just 15 minutes, this flavourful, crunchy salad is sure to be a new favourite!

A bowl of tuna pasta salad with a wooden spoon in it.

There is something wonderfully simple, yet so satisfying about pairing tuna with pasta. I decided to put together this healthy tuna pasta salad without mayo, as I had just cooked a tuna & sweetcorn pasta bake and wanted to create a cold pasta dish using canned tuna.

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To keep it allergy-friendly, I made a light and zesty lemon & mustard vinaigrette to coat the tuna and crunchy veggies instead of a classic mayonnaise dressing.

I've included baby tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, and red pepper, but feel free to get creative with whatever veggies you have on hand (or whatever the kids will happily munch on!). Scroll down for some tasty alternatives!

It’s such a quick & easy dish to make, simply prep the tuna, veggies and dressing whilst the pasta is cooking then toss everything together and serve!

For some more delicious pasta salad ideas check out this chorizo & red pepper pasta salad & orzo pasta salad with feta and lemon too.

⭐ If you are looking for more dairy-free dinner inspiration download my FREE 7 Dairy-Free Dinners E-Book! ⭐

Jump to:

🥘 Ingredients You Will Need & Substitutions
🤔 How Can I Make This Allergy Friendly?
✏️ How to Make - Step-By-Step Instructions
💡 Tips & Tricks
🍴 Serving Suggestions
💬 Recipe FAQs
📖 More Pasta Dishes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

🥘 Ingredients You Will Need & Substitutions

Here is a brief overview of the ingredients you will need to make this tuna pasta salad. To find out how to make it allergy-friendly, simply scroll down to the section below this one.

✋ Be sure to double check all packaging for allergens. ✋

🍝 For The Pasta

Ingredients laid out for tuna pasta salad.

Tuna - Canned or jarred tuna works best for this recipe. I have used tuna steaks in spring water, but you can also use tuna in brine or olive oil. Albacore tuna, often found in glass jars, is another popular choice.
Pasta - A short, tubular pasta is the best choice to go for as the tuna and dressing will cling to the ridges. Fusilli, penne, rigatoni, macaroni or farfelle are all good options. To up the fibre, use wholewheat pasta.
Veggies - I’ve included cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper & red onion as this is what the children will eat, but feel free to customise with alternatives like baby spinach, avocado, celery or sweetcorn.
Fresh Basil - Fresh is best in this case, as dried basil has a different flavour.
Gherkin - I have used gherkin instead of capers, but they have a similar flavour so feel free to use capers instead if this is all you have.

🍋 For The Dressing

Ingredients laid out for a lemon salad dressing.

Olive Oil - I like to use extra virgin olive oil as I love the strong flavour when used cold.
Salt & Pepper - This is used to season the dressing. You may want to leave out the salt if you are cooking for small children.
Dijon Mustard - Dijon mustard has a mild flavour, if you prefer things a bit spicer you can swap this for an English or wholegrain mustard, but you may need to use a little bit less as they have a stronger flavour.
Fresh Lemon Juice - As with the basil, fresh lemon juice is best. Any leftovers can be used in my vegan courgette cake with lemon glaze.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

🤔 How Can I Make This Allergy Friendly?

✔️ Fish-Free: Substitute the tuna for some smashed chickpeas, this will give a similar texture or use pre-cooked shredded chicken instead.
✔️ Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pasta in place of regular pasta.
✔️ Mustard-Free: You can add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a splash of sriracha sauce instead of the mustard for a bit of a kick.
✔️ Sulphite Free: Check the packaging on the gherkins, as a lot do contain sulphites. Biona organic gherkins are sulphite-free, but they do contain mustard.

✏️ How to Make - Step-By-Step Instructions

⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️

Step 1: Start by cooking the pasta, following the package instructions until it’s al dente. Once cooked, drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to cool it down.

a plate containing chopped red pepper, cucumber, red onion, basil and chopped tomatoes.

Step 2: While the pasta cooks, prepare the veggies: halve the baby tomatoes, thinly slice the red onion, dice the cucumber and red pepper, and finely chop the gherkin. Tear the fresh basil leaves into small pieces.

Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chopped vegetables, and torn basil leaves. Drain the canned or jarred tuna and add it to the bowl.

Tuna pasta salad in a large bowl being stirred with a wooden spoon.

Step 4: In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: olive oil, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and fresh lemon juice.

Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for a couple of hours to let the flavours meld together before serving.

A bowl of tuna pasta salad with a wooden spoon in it. There is a lemon and a cucumber in the background.

💡 Tips & Tricks

✔️ Cook The Pasta Al Dente: Nobody likes mushy pasta!
✔️ Rinse The Pasta: After cooking, rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent it from sticking together.
✔️ Meal Prep: This salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for a few days, making it perfect for meal prep, lunches or busy weeknights.
✔️ Mix It Up: Feel free to customise the salad with your favourite veggies, herbs, or alternative protein sources like grilled chicken or chickpeas for a vegetarian option.
✔️ Chill Before Serving: For the best flavour, refrigerate the salad for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavours to infuse together.

🍴 Serving Suggestions

I love serving this pasta salad as a light lunch meal in its own right. It is also a great make-ahead option for meal prepping or kids’ school lunch boxes.

It’s a great dish to bring along to a potluck or serve up at a summer BBQ alongside these air fryer pork belly strips, chicken skewers & dairy-free coleslaw.

There are lots more delicious ideas on what to serve with pasta salad here.

A plate containing tuna pasta salad and chicken wings.

💬 Recipe FAQs

How do I store tuna pasta salad?

Make ahead of time or place any leftover pasta salad in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can I freeze tuna pasta salad?

I wouldn’t recommend freezing the salad, as all the dressing will evaporate and the pasta will be quite dry.

My salad feels dry. How can I fix it?

Add a little more dressing or olive oil. It’s a good idea to do this if you have stored the pasta in the fridge previously.

Is it okay to use canned tuna, or should I opt for fresh tuna?

Canned tuna is commonly used in tuna pasta salad for its convenience and long shelf life. However, you can also use fresh tuna if preferred, just be sure to cook it before adding it to the salad.