Greek Tuna Pasta Salad turns one can of tuna and a box of pasta into the freshest dinner on a hot night. Every bite has salty kalamata olives, cool cucumber, creamy feta, and a lemon garlic dressing that soaks right into the warm noodles. No mayo, no oven, it’s ready in 30 minutes!
Ellen’s Notes
Ten minutes of chopping and one pot of boiling water, this Greek Tuna Pasta Salad is what I make when it is too hot to think about dinner. Nothing goes in the oven, and it feeds six out of one bowl.
I skip the mayo completely here and let olive oil and lemon do the work. The feta softens into the warm pasta and gives you creaminess without anything heavy. If your family really misses that creamy texture, whisk a couple spoonfuls of plain Greek yogurt into the dressing.
Keep in mind that this one does not need to sit and marry the way most pasta salads do. It is at its best the minute it is tossed, while the noodles still hold a little warmth!
Key Ingredient Notes
- Pasta: I like to use Radiatori pasta, because the grooves hold the sauce so well and also look cute. Small shells, rotini, farfalle, ditalini, or any small pasta will work.
- Tuna: Tuna packed in olive oil stays moist and flakes into big meaty pieces, while water packed is leaner and lets the lemon come through more clearly. Either works, just make sure to drain it well!
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: These come two ways, dry packed and oil packed. If using the oil packed, drain off the excess oil before adding them into the bowl.
- English Cucumber: This is the right pick because the skin is thin and the seeds are small. If you only have a regular cucumber, peel it and scrape out the seed center so it does not water down the salad.
How To Make Greek Tuna Pasta Salad
See the recipe card for full ingredient list and directions below.
Boil the pasta. Salt the water well and cook to al dente. Drain and quickly rinse under cold water so it stops cooking.
Shake the dressing. Add olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper to a jar. Shake until it looks cloudy and thick.
Toss the salad. Add the pasta, tuna, tomatoes, capers, cucumber, olives, peppers, and spinach to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat, then scatter the feta on top.
Serve right away. This tuna pasta salad is at its best the minute it is tossed, while the noodles still hold a little warmth. It does not need to sit and marry in the refrigerator the way most pasta salads do.
📌 Ellen’s Recipe Tips
- Salt the pasta water, not the dressing. Capers, olives, feta, and sun dried tomatoes are all salty on their own, so the dressing needs very little. Season the water hard and then taste the finished salad before you add any more.
- Rinse the pasta under cold water. This is one of the few times rinsing actually helps, because it stops the cooking and washes off the surface starch. Sticky pasta grabs the dressing unevenly and clumps in the bowl.
- Add the spinach last. Fold it in right before the dressing so the leaves stay perky. Mix it in early and it wilts down into dark ribbons.
Storing Leftovers
Greek Tuna Pasta Salad is at its best the moment you make it, while the noodles still hold a little warmth from the pot and the dressing has just gone on.
However, leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. The pasta drinks up the dressing as it sits, so stir in a little olive oil and a fresh squeeze of lemon before you eat it.
Can I Make It Ahead?
To get ahead for a party, build the whole salad but do not add the dressing and feta yet.
Toss the cooked pasta, tuna, sun dried tomatoes, capers, cucumber, olives, red onion, peppers, and spinach together and keep the bowl covered in the refrigerator. The dressing waits in its jar and the feta stays in its container until right before you are ready to serve it.
Greek Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta, I use radiatori, but any small pasta noodle will work
- 1 (12 oz) can tuna, drained
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 3.5 oz capers, drained
- 1 English cucumber, sliced and halved
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- ½ cup roasted red peppers, diced, or 1/2 of a bell pepper
- 2 cups baby spinach, or arugula
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Dressing:
- ¾ cup olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon, more for serving
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
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Instructions
- Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package instructions in well salted water. Drain and lightly rinse with cold water.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the dressing. In a jar or small bowl mix the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, gently toss together the cooked pasta, tuna, tomatoes, capers, cucumbers, olives, red onion, roasted red peppers, and spinach.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat. Top with feta cheese and serve immediately. Keep in mind that the pasta will absorb the olive oil as the salad sits, so it's best served fresh.
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Nutrition
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