Oh, you just can’t beat that creamy, slightly tangy comfort food vibe, can you? I swear, a good cold salad just hits different, especially when you need something fast but totally satisfying. We’re not making anything fussy today, nope. We are diving into my absolute go-to: the best **Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives** you will ever whip up. I took this exact recipe to my cousin’s massive family reunion last summer, and I swear I had to fend off three different uncles trying to sneak the bowl for seconds before dinner was even served!
This isn’t some modern, deconstructed nonsense. This is the real deal—classic, creamy, and packed with that salty little punch that only the right olives can deliver. Seriously, if you’re looking for a quick lunch or the perfect potluck filler that everyone will actually ask you to bring again, stick around. This tastes even better the next day, which is my favorite kind of recipe magic.
Why This Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives is a Keeper
I’ve tried dozens of cold pasta recipes over the years, but I always come back to this version. Why? Because it hits every single check mark for a perfect side dish or easy lunch. It’s reliable, it tastes exactly like the comforting classic you remember, and it actually gets better as it sits in the fridge. Trust me, once you see how simple this **Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives** is, it’ll become your new staple.
- It’s lightning fast. I mean, truly quick—most of the time is just waiting for the pasta to cook!
- The flavor profile is perfectly balanced: creamy, a little sweet from the relish, and totally addicting.
- It makes amazing leftovers for lunch the next day.
- Those salty, briny pops from the pimiento stuffed olives are exactly what elevates this above plain tuna salad.
Quick Prep Time for Your Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives
If you’re stressed about getting a dish ready for a sudden BBQ or need a quick desk lunch, this is your hero. The actual hands-on work—chopping the celery and onion, mixing the dressing—takes about 15 minutes flat. Once your pasta is cooked (which only takes about 10 minutes if you use rotini!), you’re basically just stirring things together. No fancy cooking techniques required whatsoever for this fantastic **Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives**.
Essential Ingredients for Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives
Okay, let’s talk about what goes into this masterpiece because simplicity relies heavily on good starting materials. Don’t try to skip an ingredient here; every single one plays its part in making this the best **Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives** around. You’ll need 12 ounces of pasta—I stick to rotini because those little twists grab onto the mayo dressing perfectly, but elbow macaroni works too if that’s what you have.
Then come the stars: two standard cans of tuna, drained *really* well, because nobody wants a swimming dish. For the dressing base, you need about 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1/2 cup of celery for crunch, and 1/2 cup of red onion, finely chopped so it doesn’t overpower the mix. And let’s be honest, the reason this recipe shines is the 1/2 cup of pimiento stuffed green olives, sliced. Those little rings of salty goodness are non-negotiable!
We round it out with 2 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish, just a touch of tang from 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and seasoning heaven with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for This Classic Tuna Pasta Salad
Now, if you’re watching that fat content, a substitution is totally fine. If you want a lighter take instantly, swap out half that mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt. It adds a nice tang without losing creaminess. That’s my top tip if you’re making a huge batch for a summer picnic.
For the pasta, if you’ve run out of rotini or elbows, don’t panic! Small shells or even small rotini shapes work wonderfully because they hold the dressing. Also, make sure you drain your tuna like you mean it! Squeeze that lid on tight and press out all the excess water—that’s key for a creamy, not soupy, cold salad.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives
Alright, let’s get cooking! Making this **Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives** is more about careful assembly than actual cooking, but the order you do things in really matters for the final texture. Pay close attention to the chilling step—that’s where the real flavor develops!
- First things first: the pasta needs to be perfectly cooked but totally cold. Boil your pasta until it’s just al dente, following the package time. As soon as it’s done, drain it immediately and rinse it really well under cold water. You want to stop that cooking process cold! Dump it in a colander and let it sit there while you mix everything else.
- Now for the creamy goodness. Grab a big mixing bowl—the bigger, the better so you can stir without making a mess. In that bowl, combine your drained tuna, the mayo, that chopped celery, the finely diced red onion, those gorgeous sliced olives, the sweet pickle relish, and that teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Stir this whole dressing mixture until everything is just incorporated. Make sure that tuna is flaked nicely but not totally pulverized.
- Once your pasta is nice and cool, add it right into the bowl with the dressed tuna mixture. This is where you need a gentle hand! You’ll want to stir or fold everything together carefully until that pasta is evenly coated in that yummy dressing. Don’t overmix, or you’ll break the pasta and get that gummy texture nobody likes.
- Time for the finishing touches! Sprinkle in your salt and pepper. Give it one last gentle stir and then, this is important, taste it! Does it need a little more salt? Maybe another dash of mustard for tang? Adjust it now while you can still easily mix things in.
- This is the phase where patience pays off. Cover that bowl (I usually use plastic wrap pressed right onto the surface, though sometimes I use a nice tight glass lid—you can find great guide on keeping condensation out of cold beverages here) and pop it in the fridge. You absolutely must chill this for at least one full hour. If you can wait longer, honestly, two or three hours is even better because the flavors really meld together beautifully.
Expert Tips for Mixing Your Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives
The biggest mistake people make with any cold pasta salad is adding the dressing to hot pasta. If you skip rinsing the pasta until it’s thoroughly cold, the heat will melt and thin out your mayonnaise dressing, turning your salad into soup. That’s a disaster waiting to happen!
Also, remember I mentioned draining the tuna? Do it twice if you have to! I always open the cans, dump the tuna into a small fine-mesh sieve over the sink, and let it sit there for a minute or two while I chop the vegetables. The less water you introduce, the thicker and richer your homemade dressing will be. When you fold it all together, use a rubber spatula and work from the bottom up, lifting the heavy ingredients over the lighter ones. That keeps your pasta pieces whole and beautiful!
Making Ahead and Storing Your Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives
This is actually my favorite part about making the **Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives**: it’s a fantastic make-ahead dish! Like I mentioned before, you really need that minimum one-hour chill time for the Dijon and the olives to really sink into those noodles. If you have time, making it the night before is even better because the flavors just bloom overnight in the fridge. Seriously, don’t skip the chill!
When you store it, make sure it’s in an airtight container. Pasta salads tend to thicken up as that mayonnaise dressing chills and soaks in. If you pull it out the next day and it looks a little dry or stiff, don’t panic! Just stir in a spoonful or two of extra mayonnaise or even a splash of milk or water until it loosens back up to that perfect creamy consistency. It should stay great in the fridge for a good three to four days. Perfect for lunch prep!
Serving Suggestions for This Delicious Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives
So, you’ve got this giant, glorious bowl of creamy, tangy goodness. What now? The possibilities for serving this **Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives** are endless, which is why I love it! Yes, it’s incredible scooped mountain-high on a plate at a neighborhood picnic as a side to grilled chicken, but don’t stop there.
For a solid, no-fuss lunch, pile it right into the center of a crisp lettuce leaf—maybe romaine or butter lettuce—so it feels fresh. I also love taking hollowed-out halves of Roma tomatoes or even bell peppers and stuffing them completely full of this cold salad. It looks fancy, but—shhh—it’s still that 20-minute recipe we just made!
If you’re looking for something light to serve alongside it, keep the sides simple so your stellar tuna salad can shine. A basket of fresh, crusty bread is all you need, or maybe a simple green salad—you know, something light like that cucumber and feta salad I shared last month. Keep the sides fresh, and this tuna pasta salad will be the star of every meal!
Variations on the Classic Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives
Honestly, while I think mine is perfect as written, I totally get wanting to tweak things based on what’s in your fridge or what mood you’re in! This recipe for **Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives** is so sturdy that it handles additions really well. My biggest suggestion for adding texture, especially if you need to bulk it up a bit, is throwing in some chopped hard-boiled eggs. They mix in beautifully with the mayo and add a great creamy bite right alongside the crunch of the celery.
If you’re craving more of that bright, sharp flavor—maybe your olives weren’t super briny—you can totally boost the tang factor. A teaspoon of white vinegar added during the seasoning step works wonders. It cuts through the richness of the mayonnaise just perfectly. These little changes keep the recipe interesting without messing up the core comfort factor of great tuna pasta salad!
Frequently Asked Questions About Tuna Pasta Salad
I know you might have a few questions, especially if you’re making a huge batch for a party or trying to swap ingredients. That’s totally normal! I’ve learned a few tricks over the years of making this specific style of cold salad. Here are the questions I get asked the most when people taste my creamy mix!
If you’re looking for something super fast, you should totally check out my recipe for chickpea salad—it’s equally great as a quick lunch alternative!
Can I use different types of tuna in this Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives?
That’s a great question about this **Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives**! The recipe calls for tuna packed in water, which I prefer because it’s lighter and doesn’t add extra oiliness to an already creamy dish. If you use tuna packed in oil, you MUST drain it really, really well—maybe even let it sit over paper towels for a bit. The oil is flavorful, but too much will make your dressing separate and feel greasy rather than creamy. Always go for good quality tuna, whatever type you pick!
How do I prevent my cold salad from becoming watery?
This is the number one fear when making a big batch of cold salad! Wateriness usually comes from two places, and we tackle both. First, we talked about rinsing the cooked pasta really well with cold water and letting it drain so it stops cooking and cools down completely. The second, and maybe more important step, is draining your tuna. Don’t just tap the can! Press down hard on the lid with your fingers to squeeze out every last drop of water. If you skip that crucial step, that excess liquid ends up diluting your perfect mayonnaise dressing while it chills, and nobody wants that sad, thin liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Estimated Nutrition Facts for Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives
When you’re making a batch of this amazing **Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives**, I know sometimes you want to get a rough idea of what you’re digging into. We have to remember that since we’re using a full cup of mayo, these numbers are going to look pretty substantial—it’s comfort food, after all! But this information is based on standard serving sizes and the ingredients listed above, so take it with a grain of salt, okay?
For one generous serving cup, here’s what you can generally expect from this classic recipe:
- Calories: Around 380
- Total Fat: About 18 grams (Remember, that’s where the mayo is hanging out!)
- Protein: A solid 20 grams of protein thanks to all that tuna!
- Carbohydrates: Roughly 35 grams
- Sodium: Yep, it’s a bit high at 650mg, mostly coming from the olives and added salt, so be mindful if you’re watching that.
This is a hearty dish! It’s the creamy coating that brings everything together, and that satisfying richness is what makes this cold salad so perfect for a satisfying lunch or a picnic centerpiece. Don’t worry about the exact numbers too much; just focus on how delicious it is!
Share Your Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives Experience
Now it’s your turn! I’ve shared all my little secrets and tips for getting this cold salad absolutely perfect, from rinsing the pasta correctly to knowing when exactly to pull it out of the fridge. But the best part of sharing recipes is hearing how they turn out in *your* kitchens!
Did you make this for a game day spread? Did you sneak in hard-boiled eggs, like I suggested? Tell me everything! I live for reading your comments below. Seriously, don’t just make it and disappear—come back and let me know how your family liked the combination of creamy dressing and salty olives.
If you snapped a picture of your finished bowl—maybe it’s sitting next to some fantastic potato chips or ready for a summer picnic—I would absolutely love to see it! Tag me on social media if you can. It really makes my day to see my kitchen inspiration showing up on your tables. If you have any lingering questions that I didn’t cover in the FAQ, please pop those in the comments too. I try to answer every single one!
And hey, if this recipe hit all the right nostalgic notes for you, maybe consider giving it a quick rating at the top of the page. It helps other folks know they are clicking on a guaranteed winner. And if you’re ever looking for other tried-and-true favorites, I have a whole bunch ready to go. Feel free to send me a message through the contact page if you have a super specific baking dilemma, too!
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Tuna Pasta Salad With Pimiento Stuffed Olives
- Total Time: 25 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Low Fat
Description
A simple recipe for tuna pasta salad featuring pimiento stuffed green olives.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta (such as rotini or elbow macaroni)
- 2 cans (5 ounces each) tuna in water, drained
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pimiento stuffed green olives, sliced
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water to cool it down. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the drained tuna, mayonnaise, chopped celery, chopped red onion, sliced olives, pickle relish, and Dijon mustard. Mix well.
- Add the cooled pasta to the tuna mixture. Stir gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.
Notes
- For a lighter salad, substitute half of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
- You can add chopped hard-boiled eggs for extra protein.
- If you prefer a tangier flavor, add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to the dressing mixture.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 20
- Cholesterol: 45
Keywords: tuna pasta salad, pimiento stuffed olives, cold salad, mayonnaise dressing, quick lunch