The Best No Mayo Lemon Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
The Best No Mayo Lemon Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe is creamy, fresh, and packed with tuna, crunchy vegetables, and bright lemon flavor.
This recipe is made with Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, it’s an easy make-ahead pasta salad that’s perfect for lunch, picnics, potlucks, or a simple summer meal. But if you’re a huge mayo fan, use mayo!
Do you remember Charlie?
Charlie is the famous StarKist tuna mascot, the tuna who wore a hat and glasses and was always trying to prove he had good taste.
The whole joke was that StarKist wasn’t looking for tuna with good taste, they were looking for tuna that tasted good.
Sorry, Charlie!
Well, whenever I think about Charlie, I think about tuna pasta salad.
I’ve been making this version for years, and it’s one of those simple recipes that I keep coming back to. It’s creamy, crunchy, fresh, and has plenty of lemon flavor.
Instead of making the typical tuna pasta salad with mayonnaise, I use plain Greek yogurt and fresh lemon juice. The yogurt makes it creamy, while the lemon keeps it tasting light and fresh.
I add grated carrots, celery, and a little red onion for crunch, along with a can of tuna and small pasta. I like ditalini because all those little pieces make it easy to get a little bit of everything in each bite.
It’s an easy make-ahead lunch, a great side dish for a summer meal, and perfect for taking to a picnic or potluck. And honestly, I think it tastes even better after it’s had some time to chill and let all those flavors come together.
Let’s get started making this No Mayo Lemon Tuna Pasta Salad :
Boil the pasta, rinse it with cold water, until the pasta is fully cold. Then drain it well.
While you are boiling the pasta, chop the carrot, onion, and celery.
Add the vegetables and yogurt, tuna, Â celery salt , and pepper. Along with the juice of two lemons.
Stir all together and serve. The lemon gives it a great fresh taste!
If you love pasta salads, you might also like my
But when you’re looking for something creamy, fresh, and easy, this Lemon Tuna Pasta Salad is a good one to have in your recipe box.
And yes, Charlie, this one definitely tastes good!
Lemon Tuna Pasta Salad with no mayo
Ingredients
- 1 lb small pasta I used Barilla Ditalini
- 1 12 oz can Starkist tuna drained
- 3 medium carrots, grated
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 cup Plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 lemons, juiced
Instructions
- Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.
- While you are boiling the pasta, chop the carrot, onion, and celery.
- Rinse the pasta in cold water until completely cooled, soak it for a few minutes if needed. Drain well.
- Add the vegetables and yogurt, tuna, celery salt, and pepper.
- Along with the juice of two lemons.
- Stir all together and place in fridge or serve.
This is what I am making today! You and Charlie made me smile!
Every time I see a tuna post I get a little jealous. My husband won’t eat tuna “from a can.” — Pretty pic of you — You make Charlie look like the Big Ta-huna 🙂
You are so funny, my hubby very rarely eats it also. He did eat this, and even had it more than once 🙂
I’m just loving those delicious recipes you came up with. I’m also a lover of all kinds of pasta salads, especially the pasta salad recipes that save us a ton of calories. When it gets really hot I like to the prepare food early in the day, chill it well, and get out of the kitchen. Their is nothing better than delicious food made at home.
You are the sweetest!
I’m really loving your non-mayo recipes. How fun that you got to meet Charlie….can’t believe he’s 50….now I feel older than all get out 🙂
you had me at pasta!Thinking of you and leaving some ♥ on your wonderful blog. Have a happy weekend!
I use yogurt in my tuna and chicken salads, too! I have not tried these combinations, but I am excited to diversify for a change (kids get so tired of the same old tuna salad – spoiled brats:)
I certainly know who Charlie is, though I haven’t seen him for awhile:) All of these salads look SO good, Diane, that I don’t know which one to try first!
looks great! i love this tiny pasta cut you used. so cute and perfect with tuna. 🙂