Why This Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe Is a Favorite
It’s such a simple salad, yet even now my heart skips a beat when I stop by my parents’ house and find out that’s what we’re having for dinner. I think it’s my favorite macaroni salad, and also my favorite tuna salad, of all time. In the whole world. Period.
Classic Ingredients for Tuna Macaroni Salad
Macaroni pasta with the creamy canned tuna and mayo, along with the crunch of bell peppers, celery, and lettuce? A little squirt of lemon juice for some tang? So good! This salad is also one of my go-to dishes to prepare for a midweek meal. It’s easy to make, filling, and budget friendly.
The Best Canned Tuna for Tuna Macaroni Salad
Tuna packed in olive oil is more flavorful than tuna packed in water. If you can find it packed in olive oil, use it but don’t drain it. If you have tuna packed in water, drain it, and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. We like Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna packed in extra virgin olive oil and Genova Yellowfin Tuna packed in olive oil.
How to Make Tuna Macaroni Salad Ahead of Time
The saddest thing about this salad is that the lettuce will get wilty and even soggy if stored for more than a few hours in the fridge. (We’ll eat up the leftovers anyway, we love it that much.) So, if you want to make it a day or two ahead, do everything in the recipe except for adding the sliced iceberg lettuce. Add the lettuce when it’s time to serve.
Here Are 5 More Ways to Love Tuna
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1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni 1 quart water 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the salad:
1/2 cup chopped green onion, including green onion greens 1 cup chopped red, orange, or yellow bell pepper 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna, packed in olive oil (if it’s packed in water, drain and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil) 2 ribs celery, chopped (about 1 cup) 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 cup mayonnaise (more to taste) 1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika Freshly ground black pepper 1/4 to 1/3 head lettuce (preferably iceberg lettuce), sliced first and roughly chopped into 2-inch-long strips
Remove from heat, drain, and rinse with cold water.
