A quick and healthy tuna pasta salad recipe that’s ready to eat in just 15 minutes making it a tasty easy midweek dinner for summer.
How to make pasta salad healthy
Italian style food is always my go-to when trying to eat healthier.
Making pasta salad using wholegrain pasta or 50/50 pasta is healthier. Your body processes low GI food more slowly so it’ll keep you full for longer.
When dressing pasta salad try to steer clear of mayonnaise or creamy dressings as they add loads of fat and calories.
How to cool the pasta to make pasta salad
Once the pasta is cooked to your liking just drain as usual in a colander and then run the pasta under a cold tap.
Turning and tossing the pasta over in the colander under the cold water until it’s all cooled.
This is the quickest way to cool the pasta ready for salad without it turning sticky and stodgy.
How to make tuna pasta salad
Tuna pasta salad is such a simple healthy meal. Packed with protein from the tuna and loads of fresh veggies.
We use a simple lemon and olive oil dressing to keep in tasty but free from loads of additional saturated fat and calories.
Tuna & Avocado Pasta Salad Ingredients
- 100g dried 50/50 pasta – I use this from Napolina
- 145g tinned tuna
- 5cm piece of cucumber sliced into half moons
- 12 baby plum tomatoes – halved
- handful of pitted black olives
- 1 avocado – peeled, halved and sliced
- juice of a lemon
- small bunch of flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- olive oil to drizzle
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How to make the pasta salad
- Cook, drain and cool your pasta.
- Mix up the tuna with the juice of half the lemon.
- Peel, de-stone and slice the avocado – toss the avocado in the remaining lemon juice.
- Chop the cucumber, tomatoes, flat leaf parsley and olives.
- Toss all the ingredients together and drizzle with extra olive oil – season to taste.
How to make tuna pasta salad your way
- Use wholegrain or spelt pasta instead of 50/50
- Switch the tuna for salmon or prawns
- Make a pesto salad dressing.
Love quick and convenient meals? Get our tinned tuna recipes here
How to serve Tuna and Avocado Pasta Salad
- Perfect as a quick and easy healthy dinner.
- Pack into lunch boxes and take to work.
- Lovely spring/summer laid back lunch.
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- Easy Pasta Pesto – quick and easy midweek dinner – sorted!
- Spicy Prawn & Spinach Spaghetti – quick midweek dinner with flavoursome prawns and a kick of chilli.
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Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad
Super easy tasty pasta salad
Ingredients
- 100g dried wholegrain pasta
- 145g can tuna
- 5cm piece cucumber sliced into half moons
- 12 baby plum tomatoes - halved
- Handful of pitted black olives
- 1 avocado - peeled, halved and sliced
- Juice of a lemon
- Small bunch flat leaf parsley - finely chopped
- 1 tbs olive oil to serve
Instructions
- Put the pasta into a large pan of boiling salted water - add just a swirl of olive oil to stop it sticking - bring the pan back to the boil then reduce the heat and cook for around 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water to cool the pasta fast.
- Whilst the pasta cooks get on with the preparing the rest of the salad ingredients.
- Use half the lemon juice to mix into the tuna and the other half to pour over the avocado to stop it from discolouring.
- Toss the cold pasta together with the tuna, cucumber, tomatoes, olive and avocado.
- Divide between two plates, scatter over the chopped parsley and drizzle with oil to suit your taste.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 498Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 509mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 13gSugar: 11gProtein: 26g
Nutritional content will vary depending on the exact ingredients you use and how careful you are with measuring - this nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate - you should always calculate your own nutritional information especially if you have specific dietary requirements.
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