Creamy Cold Tuna Noodle Casserole Salad with Peas

This Cold Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe turns a classic comfort food into a light and delicious pasta salad loaded with tuna, fresh dill, peas and cheddar cheese! Ready in about 15 minutes!

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Tasty and Light Cold Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe

This easy recipe takes a comforting family favorite of easy tuna noodle casserole out of the casserole dish for a light and summery twist on a classic. This cold tuna noodle casserole salad has all the great flavors of a classic tuna casserole, no cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup required!

With a flavorful dressing bursting with fresh dill and garlic flavors, large pasta shells, flakey albacore tuna, shredded cheddar, peas and crunchy veggies, this tasty rendition of tuna casserole is a light and tasty salad you can whip up any time of year, and makes a great meal prep option, too! (Its even better the next day!)

Take your tuna pasta salad to the next level with this tasty and simple recipe, with all the great flavors of classic tuna noodle casserole, in a tasty pasta salad! 

Ingredients

This easy Cold Tuna Noodle Casserole Pasta Salad is easy to make, with very little prep. Here's what you'll need to make it:

• 8 oz large shells pasta, or pasta of choice. Other great cooked pasta choices would be bowties, cavatappi, or elbow macaroni. I like to cook my pasta according to package instructions for al dente. After cooking, rinse the pasta in cold water to cool it down and stop the cooking before adding to the salad.
• One can of Albacore Tuna, drained. I love solid white albacore tuna fish for this recipe.
• Dijon mustard. 
• Fresh Dill, chopped.
• Onion powder, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and celery seed.
• Mayonnaise.
• Sour cream.
• One grated garlic clove.
• Apple Cider Vinegar.
• A couple stalks of celery, diced. I love to use the leaves as well!
• Frozen peas - thawed or blanched.
• A half a small red onion, diced.
• One block sharp cheddar cheese, shredded.

How to make the Cold Tuna Noodle Casserole Salad

This easy and delicious Tuna Pasta salad take only about 15 minutes to make from start to finish! Here's how to make it:

1. Blanch peas in boiling water for 30 seconds, and transfer to ice bath, then drain. (or optionally defrost fully and drain). 
2. Cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente, drain, and rinse well with cold water. 
3. Add mayonaise, sour cream, dijon mustard, chopped dill, salt, pepper, celery seed, garlic, and vinegar to a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
4. Add cooked noodles, diced onion, celery and peas to a large bowl. 
5. Add prepared dressing, and stir well to coat. 
6. Fold in cheese and drained tuna. 
7. Garnish with additional fresh dill if desired, and serve. 

Substitutions and Additions

This easy Cold Tuna Casserole Pasta Salad is easily adapted to work with your personal preference. Here are some great swaps and additions you can use to make this salad your own:

• Top the finished cold tuna noodle casserole recipe with crushed potato chips for a real casserole feel, and some extra crunch! You could also top with some butter toasted panko bread crumbs or Ritz Crackers  for an alternative crunchy topping. 
• Prefer a more flaky tuna? Use chunk light! 
• If you only have white onions, you can substitute those for the red onion. Green onions or shallot make a great substitute as well. 
• Add some blanced green beans for a bit more veg, and some extra crunch and fiber. Diced red peppers make a great addition as well. 
• Add some diced hard-boiled eggs to the mix!
• Try adding some parmesan cheese along with the cheddar. 
• Add multiple cans of tuna for more protein. 
• Try a splash of fresh lemon juice for a little extra zing. 
• Use greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. 
• If you have them, you could use fresh green peas, too! 
• Swap the fresh garlic for ½ teaspoon of garlic powder. 
• Try using cooked and drained tender egg noodles for a more casserole-ish feel! 

Storing leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

More great pasta salad recipes

If you love this Creamy Cold Tuna Noodle Casserole Salad with Peas, you'll love these tasty pasta salad recipes, too!

• Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad
• Caramelized Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
• Chickpea Feta Salad

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