Cook the pasta based on the package instructions to al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water. Then place in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Then stir in the chopped tuna.
Gently stir in the celery, onion, hard boiled eggs and peas into the large bowl with the pasta.
Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the pasta mixture and stir until all the ingredients are well coated with the dressing.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and then serve cold.
Notes
Recipe Tips
Cooking Pasta - Boil the noodles until they are al dente and according to package. We like to cook the pasta in salted water and a little olive oil. This prevents the pasta from sticking while it is cooking. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Prepare Ingredients - We recommend prepare the veggies ahead of time to save time when making this tuna mac salad.
Mayonnaise – Since mayonnaise is the main ingredient in the dressing recipe, we recommend using the Real mayonnaise. It will give you better flavor than whipped mayonnaise.
Chill Pasta Salad - Once the ingredients have combined, make sure to allow the pasta to chill in the fridge before serving.
Mixing Bowl – We recommend using a large mixing bowl to combine the pasta with the creamy dressing. This allows for the sauce to full cover the cooked pasta.
Substitutions and Additions
Seasoning - Feel free to change the seasoning or ingredients in this recipe. Fresh dill or fresh parsley is always a great addition. The taste is amazing when using fresh herbs. Sprinkle a teaspoon of paprika for color and taste.
Cheese - For delicious flavor, you can add in a tablespoon or two of cheddar cheese. The cheese gives it a pop of color and texture to the pasta salad.
Vegetables – This pasta salad would be delicious with added vegetables. We recommend adding in chopped cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, or cucumbers.
Relish - You can easily substitute the relish for Dijon mustard for delicious flavor.
Pasta - We like the size of the elbow macaroni noodles, but you can use small size of pasta for this recipe.
Greek Yogurt - For a light dressing, feel free to substitute the mayonnaise for Greek Yogurt.