Canned Tuna Pesto Pasta Salad
This Tuna Pesto Pasta Salad is fresh, hearty, and satisfying. And with it being so affordable, easy, and abundant, it will be your new go-to family meal!
Equipment
- Food Processor * or *
Ingredients
- 16 ounces short pasta, like rotini
- 12 ounces albacore tuna in water 12 oz usually = 3 cans
- ½ cup mayonnaise full fat, light, olive oil, or vegan
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves and stems, tightly packed
- 2 cups arugula tightly packed
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice 3 tbsp is roughly the juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until al dente according to the directions on the box. Drain water and transfer to a glass bowl. Stick the pasta in the freezer, allowing it to cool completely, tossing a couple of times periodically to make sure the noodles don't stick to each other too much.16 ounces short pasta, like rotini
- Drain water from cans and transfer tuna to a medium mixing bowl. Use a fork to break tuna into smaller pieces. Add mayonnaise and stir well.12 ounces albacore tuna in water, ½ cup mayonnaise
- Add basil, arugula, garlic, olive oil, black pepper, and salt to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth to make your pesto.1 cup fresh basil leaves and stems, tightly packed, 2 cups arugula, 2 cloves garlic, ⅓ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add pesto to tuna and stir well. Then, add the tuna and pesto mixture to your cooled pasta, and stir until the pasta is coated.
- Option to squeeze fresh lemon juice on top for some extra freshness. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature.3 tablespoons lemon juice
Video
Notes
- Make your pasta first so it has time to cool before adding your pesto and tuna mixture.
- Toss the pasta a couple of times while it's cooling so the noodles don't stick to one another.
- For even more pesto, check out my best recipes using pesto.