Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Tuna

Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Tuna is a vibrant no mayo pasta salad with tons of protein and Italian inspired ingredients ~ straight from your pantry!

Mediterranean pasta salad with tuna, from the pantry!

I know, it’s the end of a long day and you’re starving. So yes, open that can of tuna, but don’t eat it over the sink! This is not only a quick meal, it’s also a no-shop, straight-from-the-pantry meal, meaning everything you need should be right in your kitchen. If you have to run out for something, you’re not making it right!

what you’ll need for pasta salad with tuna

This is one of our favorite transition meals made to span that no man’s land between late summer into fall. We’re not quite ready for meatloaf, but we’re still hungry at the end of the day. The good news is that no ingredient in this go-to meal is sacrosanct ~ everything is replaceable, from the pasta to the herbs, so mix and match with what you have.

• pasta ~ I used bowtie, but of course other shapes will work. Try shells, fusilli, or penne.
• marinated artichoke hearts and peppers ~ the combination of marinated and fresh veggies is key to this salad.
• tuna ~ use what you love, I prefer albacore.
• cucumber
• cherry tomatoes
• radicchio 
• black and green olives
• red onion
• white beans ~ canned.
• hard cooked eggs
• fresh basil and thyme leaves
• salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Italian pasta salad with an antipasto flair

I use high flavor pantry staples like olives and marinated veggies, they’re a great vivid counterpoint to the comforting but bland bowties and beans (and Italian antipasto flavors are a natural fit with tuna.)  If I know I’m going to make this ahead of time, I like to visit the olive bar at my supermarket and fill a small container with various olives and marinated peppers, etc. That way I can buy just what I need, with no leftover cans or jars to store in the fridge.

pasta salad with tuna tips and faqs

canned tuna is a weeknight hero

I love canned tuna. It’s one of the few proteins that you can stock in the pantry, and that makes it super helpful for quick meals, just be sure to buy the good stuff (i.e. packed in oil, sustainable, etc.)  Here are a few more of my favorite canned tuna recipes ~

Spicy Tuna Wonton Cups 

Sheet PanTuna Melts

Pasta with Tuna and Peppers

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3.85 from 39 votes

Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Tuna

Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Tuna is one of our quick go to dinners, it's got everything we crave when we're super hungry ~ carbs, protein, and lots of crunchy veggies. It's ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

Course Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Yield 8 servings

Calories 272kcal

Author Sue Moran

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Ingredients

• 1/2 lb bow tie pasta
• 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts chopped
• 1/2 cup marinated peppers
• 1/2 cup cucumber cut in small dice
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
• 1/2 cup radicchio cut in shreds
• 1/4 cup black olives
• 1/4 cup green olives
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 14 ounce can white beans drained and rinsed
• 6 ounce can of albacore tuna drained
• 2 hard cooked eggs cut in quarters
• handful of fresh basil and thyme leaves
• salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

dressing

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Tbsp more or less to taste red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Cook the pasta just to the al dente stage, drain.
• Whisk the dressing together while the pasta cooks, then toss the hot pasta with some of the dressing.
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl with the pasta and toss with more of the dressing. Note: if you'd like to serve this as a 'composed salad' like you see in some of my photos, you can arrange the ingredients in groups over the pasta, and toss with the dressing tableside.
• Serve garnished with more fresh herbs.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 355mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 278IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg

The nutritional information for recipes on this site is provided as a courtesy and although theviewfromgreatisland.com tries to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.