Festive Tuna Pasta Salad
This tuna pasta salad recipe is a colourful, make-ahead option for Christmas lunch when the weather calls for something cool. Chunky tuna, sweetcorn and crisp vegetables turn everyday pasta into a generous sharing dish.
A lemon-and-chive dressing keeps things creamy without weighing the salad down, while chopped gherkins add little bursts of tang. Spoon it into a chilled serving bowl just before everyone gathers.
Why it works on a South African Christmas table
It uses familiar supermarket ingredients, leaves the oven free and stretches easily across a family spread. Serve it alongside a festive braai, or let it be the main event for a light Boxing Day lunch.
Ingredients
For the dressing
Instructions
- 1Cook the shells in a generous pot of boiling salted water for the time stated on the packet, approximately 10 minutes. Taste a shell before draining: it should be tender throughout but not soft enough to collapse.
- 2Tip the pasta into a colander and run cold water through it to stop the cooking. Shake out the excess water, then spread the shells over a clean shallow tray for 5 minutes so they drain and cool evenly.
- 3Whisk the mayonnaise, yoghurt, lemon juice, zest and mustard together in a small bowl. Stir in the chives and pepper, then taste and add salt only if needed.
- 4Place the sweetcorn, yellow pepper, cucumber, spring onions and gherkins in a large bowl. Add the cold pasta and about three-quarters of the dressing, then mix until the shells are evenly coated.
- 5Separate the drained tuna into bite-sized pieces and fold it through the salad with a broad spoon, taking care not to mash it into the dressing.
- 6Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 45 minutes; this chilling time is additional to the preparation and cooking times. Refrigerate the remaining dressing separately in a sealed container.
- 7Before serving, stir through the remaining dressing and check the seasoning. Transfer to a chilled bowl and serve promptly, keeping any extra salad refrigerated.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 521 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 52.6 g
- Protein
- 26.5 g
- Fat
- 22.4 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.7 g
- Sugar
- 6.2 g
- Fibre
- 3.6 g
- Sodium
- 596 mg
- Cholesterol
- 44 mg
Estimated values based on the ingredients used.
Notes
Christmas tips
- For a colourful festive finish, scatter a few extra snipped chives and finely diced red pepper over the serving bowl.
- Prepare the salad up to 24 hours ahead, but keep the cucumber separate and add it with the final portion of dressing for better crunch.
- For a braai away from home, transport the salad in a cooler box packed with ice bricks and keep it cold until serving.
- Serve small batches and refrigerate the rest at 5°C or below. Discard salad left out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when the temperature exceeds 32°C.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use tuna in oil instead?
Yes. Drain it thoroughly and use roughly 240 g of drained tuna. Taste the finished salad before adding extra salt or lemon juice.
Which pasta shapes can replace the shells?
Short twists or small macaroni work well. Use the same dry weight and follow the packet cooking time, checking that the pasta is tender but still holds its shape.
How long will leftovers keep?
Refrigerate promptly in a sealed container and eat within 2 days of making. Only keep leftovers that stayed safely chilled or were served briefly; freezing is not recommended because the dressing and cucumber lose their texture.
