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Creamy tuna macaroni salad in a bowl with elbow macaroni, flaked tuna, chopped hard-boiled egg, celery, sweet peas and pickle relish, garnished with smoked paprika and parsley on a blue checkered picnic cloth
Emma Collins

Creamy Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe

Cool, creamy, and nostalgic tuna macaroni salad made with tender elbow pasta, flaky albacore tuna, hard-boiled eggs, crisp celery, sweet peas, and a tangy Dijon-dill dressing. Ready in 25 minutes and makes 6 hearty servings!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings
Course: Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American Cuisine
Calories: 385
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 2 cans 5 oz each albacore tuna drained
  • 2 large hard-boiled eggs chopped
  • 1 cup frozen sweet peas
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 1 tbsp chopped dill
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Method
 

  1. Boil elbow macaroni in salted water for 8 minutes, adding frozen peas for the last 90 seconds.
  2. Drain in a colander, rinse briefly with cool water, and let cool for 10 minutes.
  3. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, sweet relish, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
  4. Fold in cooled macaroni, peas, drained tuna, chopped eggs, celery, and red onion.
  5. Chill for 30 minutes and garnish with smoked paprika before serving.

Notes

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):

Calories: 385 kcal | Protein: 24g | Carbohydrates: 31g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 540mg | Potassium: 290mg
★ Let the cooked macaroni cool completely before mixing — hot pasta soaks up the dressing and turns the salad dry.
★ Rinse the drained pasta briefly under cool water to stop the cooking and keep the noodles tender, not gummy.
★ Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors meld, then taste and add a squeeze of lemon to wake it up.
★ Stir in 1–2 tablespoons of mayonnaise or a splash of milk before serving leftovers, since the pasta keeps absorbing dressing in the fridge.