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–+ servings
Easy Tuna Pasta Salad

Easy Tuna Pasta Salad

Easy tuna pasta salad is high in protein and packed full of flavor! It’s a healthy, filling meal that’s easy to make and easy on your wallet!
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dry protein pasta
  • 2 5-ounce cans albacore tuna in water
  • 1 15.5-ounce can of white kidney beans, drained
  • 4 large hard-boiled eggs
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup whole milk cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (we use Duke's)
  • 2-4 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

For The Sauce
  • Add the cottage cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and seasonings to a small food processor or blender.
  • Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
  • Transfer the sauce into a big bowl. 
For The Pasta
  • Cook the pasta according to the package directions (see tip below). While the pasta cooks, you can move on to the other things.
For The Salad
  • Add both cans of tuna to the bowl with the sauce, making sure to add the juice.
  • Break up any big chunks of tuna with a fork.
  • Rinse the peas under hot water, drain well, and add them to the bowl.
  • Rinse and drain the beans and add them to the bowl.
  • Chop the hard-boiled eggs and add them to the bowl.
  • Add the scallions and mix well.
  • Once the pasta is fully cooked, rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking and drain well.
  • Gently stir everything together until well combined.
  • Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

Notes

I like a lot of red wine vinegar in mine. The acid helps cut through the richness of the dressing while adding a vinegary kick! If you don't love vinegar as much as I do, start with two tablespoons and add more to taste.
When cooking pasta for pasta salad, you don’t want it to be al dente. Have you ever eaten leftover cold pasta salad, and the pasta seemed a bit undercooked or hard? That’s probably because it was cooked al dente, and pasta will firm up as it cools. This is even more important if you make the pasta salad in advance or plan on chilling it before serving it!
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