Quick answer: This is the classic, potluck-style tuna pasta salad — about 31 grams of protein and 460 calories per serving, ready in about 25 minutes. A little mayo and Greek yogurt together, plus peas, hard-boiled egg and a dusting of paprika — the version most people picture when they think “tuna pasta salad.” Serves 4. Sodium is comparatively low, about 325 mg per serving.
This site already has two other tuna pasta salads with a specific angle each — High Protein Tuna Pasta Salad built on cottage cheese, and Tuna Pasta Salad Without Mayo built on a Mediterranean vinaigrette. This one is neither — it’s the classic potluck version, mayo included.
Why This Recipe Has About 31 Grams of Protein
| Source | Per serving |
| Canned tuna, drained (82.5 g) | 16.0 g |
| Whole wheat pasta, dry (57 g) | 7.4 g |
| Egg, ½ large (25 g) | 3.1 g |
| Frozen peas (50 g) | 2.5 g |
| Plain Greek yogurt (20 g) | 2.0 g |
| Total | 31.0 g |
Five smaller contributions instead of two or three large ones — closer to a traditional recipe’s ingredient spread.
A Note on Sodium
About 325 mg per serving, roughly 14% of the WHO’s 2,300 mg daily limit — the lowest-sodium pasta salad in the collection, since there’s no cheese, olives or capers here.
What You Need
Makes 4 servings
- 3 cans (5 oz / 142 g each) light tuna in water, drained (about 330 g drained total)
- 8 oz (227 g) elbow pasta, dry
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup (80 g) plain Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
- 1 cup (200 g) frozen peas, thawed
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- ½ tsp paprika, plus more to serve
How to Make It
- Cook the pasta until al dente, drain, rinse briefly, and cool.
- Boil the eggs 9-10 minutes, cool, peel and chop.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, yogurt and paprika together.
- Combine the cooled pasta, tuna, peas, celery and chopped egg with the dressing.
- Chill at least 15 minutes and dust with extra paprika before serving.
Tips
Cool the pasta fully before dressing it. Warm pasta thins the mayo-yogurt dressing more than intended.
This is the recipe to bring to a potluck — it holds up well at room temperature for a couple of hours, better than the dairy-heavy versions.
Substitutions
Peas: diced carrots or corn work the same way. Pasta: any short shape holds the dressing similarly.
Storage
Up to 3 days refrigerated, sealed.
Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the pasta, drain, rinse, and cool.
- Boil the eggs, peel and chop.
- Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt and paprika.
- Combine pasta, tuna, peas, celery and egg with the dressing.
- Chill and dust with paprika before serving.
Notes
- Lowest-sodium pasta salad in the collection.
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated.
Nutrition
Per serving (recipe makes 4):
| Calories | 460 |
| Protein | 31 g |
| Sodium | 325 mg |
Preliminary calculation from USDA FoodData Central reference values, not yet verified against a finished Tuna nutrition workbook.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from the other tuna pasta salads on the site?
This is the classic, mayo-included version — no cottage cheese, no Mediterranean vinaigrette, just the traditional potluck combination.
Can I make this ahead for a potluck?
Yes, and it holds up at room temperature better than the cottage-cheese-based version, though refrigeration is still recommended for food safety beyond a couple of hours.
Can I leave out the egg?
Yes, though it lowers the protein total slightly.
Why is the sodium so much lower here?
There’s no cheese, olives or capers in this version — the main sodium sources in the other tuna pasta salads on the site.
More High Protein Tuna Recipes
Part of the 🥗 Tuna Salads collection, alongside High Protein Tuna Pasta Salad and Tuna Pasta Salad Without Mayo.
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