Description
Tuna Macaroni Salad, also known as Tuna Pasta Salad, is a classic American lunch salad that combines tender elbow macaroni with creamy mayonnaise, tangy sweet pickle relish, and chunks of tuna. Enhanced with celery seed, lemon juice, hard-boiled eggs, shallots, and peas, this dish delivers a flavorful and satisfying meal perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a refreshing lunch. It’s easy to prepare, cooling in the fridge before serving to let the flavors meld beautifully.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 16 ounce box elbow macaroni
Dressing and Seasoning
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sweet pickle relish
- ½ Tablespoon celery seed (more or less, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Main Add-ins
- 3 (5 ounce) cans tuna packed in water, drained well
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni: Boil the elbow macaroni according to the directions on the package until tender. Then drain the pasta well and rinse it with cold water to cool and stop the cooking process.
- Prepare the dressing: In a separate mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, celery seed, salt, pepper, and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed to form a flavorful dressing.
- Add tuna to dressing: Stir the drained tuna into the mayonnaise mixture gently, ensuring the tuna flakes are evenly distributed without breaking up too much.
- Combine pasta and dressing: Pour the cooled macaroni into a large bowl and add the mayonnaise and tuna mixture. Stir carefully to coat all the pasta.
- Add eggs, shallots, and peas: Fold in the chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced shallot, and thawed peas. Mix well to combine all ingredients uniformly throughout the salad.
- Chill before serving: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld and the salad to become refreshingly cool, making it ready to serve.
Notes
- For best flavor, chill the salad for at least 2 hours before serving.
- You can adjust celery seed and seasoning to your taste preference.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best bright flavor in the dressing.
- Ensure tuna is well-drained to avoid watery salad.
- This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American