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Lemon Vinaigrette Tuna Pasta Salad
This Lemon Vinaigrette Tuna Pasta Salad is an incredibly light & fresh yet filling pasta salad made with canned tuna, chopped herbs, and a simple lemon olive oil dressing. Easy to make ahead and enjoy for lunches or your next potluck!
- Total Time25 minutes
- Yield4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces dry pasta, bowtie or rotini
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons), plus zest from 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 (5-ounce) cans chunk tuna packed in water, well-drained
- 3/4 cup fresh herbs (a mix of tarragon, dill and parsley is delicious), finely chopped
- 1/4 red onion, very finely diced
Instructions
- Boil the pasta: Heat about 4 quarts of water in a large stockpot over high heat. Once boiling, add at least 1 tablespoon salt to season the water. Cook pasta (8 ounces) to al dente, or the minimum time on the package directions (10 minutes for my pasta). Drain well and rinse pasta with cold water to stop the cooking and bring to room temperature. Set aside to cool while you prep the remaining ingredients.
- Make the dressing: In a mason jar with lid, combine the lemon juice (4 tablespoons), extra virgin olive oil (4 tablespoons), Dijon mustard (1 tablespoon), red wine vinegar (1 tablespoon), lemon zest (from 1 lemon), salt (1/2 teaspoon), and pepper (1/2 teaspoon). Put the lid on and shake vigorously until the dressing appears well combined (about 20 seconds).
- Assemble the salad: After the pasta has cooled for a few minutes, combine all pasta salad ingredients in a large bowl, including the cooked pasta, drained tuna (2 5-ounce cans), fresh herbs (3/4 cup, finely chopped), and red onion (1/4, very finely diced). Pour the lemon dressing over the top. Mix it up until everything is coated with dressing and taste to see if it needs any additional salt or pepper.
- Serve & store: Serve immediately or transfer to a serving dish and top with additional chopped fresh herbs. For meal prep, divide into four containers with lids. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 days. Serve cold – if pasta seems dry, drizzle with additional olive oil and a spritz of lemon juice if you have any leftover.
Notes
Herbs: For an herb heavy pasta salad, I used a small bundle of flat-leaf parsley, as well as one 14g container of dill and one 14g container of tarragon.
Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop & No
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 437
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Protein: 28g