Say goodbye to ho-hum lunches with our tantalizing cold waldorf tuna pasta salad with apples and pecans - primed for a picnic for two under the spring sun. It’s familiar and simple. The texture alliance of pasta and mayonnaise embraces the tuna, while crisp apples and hearty pecans add a delightful twist reminiscent of the beloved Waldorf salad.
Read on to find out how to elevate your alfresco experience with springtime flavors.
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Often, my lunch routine is stuck in a rut. I love tuna salad, and I really love making tuna salad melts – but I wanted to reimagine my tuna salad with springtime flavors. Enter cold tuna pasta salad with apples and pecans.
Starting with the careful preparation of our star ingredient – rinsing, draining and patting the tuna dry, prevents any liquid to affect the texture of our tuna pasta salad (like watered down mayonnaise).
Next, we will enlist the microwave to quickly cook some onions in oil and then stir the now-flavored oil together with some mayonnaise and tender pasta for texture, lemon juice for tang, and the tuna. The addition of apple, walnuts, and tarragon pays homage to the iconic Waldorf profile, ensuring each bite is a delightful exploration of taste and texture.
Let’s get started!
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What you'll need
When making a cold waldorf tuna pasta salad with apples and pecans, use tuna packed in water for the most control over the flavor of your salad. One can is the perfect amount when making this salad for two (with just enough leftover for another lunch).
Here’s what you’ll need:
- chopped onion and celery
- olive oil
- canned solid white tuna in water – I prefer to purchase Safe Catch tuna. Safe Catch tests each tuna for mercury to guarantee purity. It’s 100% sustainably-caught fish, slow-cooked to retain the natural flavors.
- apple and pecans – I like to use a sweet apple like fuji or pink lady. Feel free to swap in nuts like walnuts and almonds. Just make sure you toast them first.
- mayonnaise
- fresh tarragon
- lemon juice
- sugar, table salt and black pepper
- small shaped pasta like elbows, torchietti, bow tie, or small shells. I found a lemon flavored torchietti at Trader Joe’s, it infuses tangy citrus notes into each bite of pasta. Have fun experimenting with the pasta flavors and shapes.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make
Making a cold waldorf tuna pasta salad with apples and pecans is so simple, but here are a few tips to make sure your pasta salad isn’t too watery or bland.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a medium pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain Pasta, toss with a bit of oil to keep the pasta from sticking together.
- Meanwhile, In a fine mesh sieve, thoroughly drain chunk tuna and dry it with paper towels. Doing this prevents any liquid to affect the texture of our tuna pasta salad (like watered down mayonnaise). Using a fork, mash the tuna until it is finely flaked.
- Now, we will enlist the microwave to quickly cook the onions in oil, until softened. Let the onion cool for about 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, stir together the tuna, pasta, onions and onion-oil, plus the remaining salad ingredients.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. And that's it - simple right?
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Make Ahead and Storage:
Cold tuna pasta salad can be made ahead of time. Simply, put it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
How long is tuna salad good for? This Waldorf tuna pasta salad will begin to change in texture and taste after 24 hours – the pecans, pasta, and apples will begin to start to become too soft, almost mushy.
If the salad seems too dry after being chilled in the refrigerator add about 1 Tablespoon of mayonnaise at a time.
Variations
If you like this cold Waldorf tuna pasta salad consider switching it up by making a dill tuna pasta salad with peas.
For the dill tuna pasta salad with peas - simply follow this recipe for cooking pasta, preparing the tuna and enlisting the microwave to soften the onion. But then swap out the apples for green peas and tarragon for dill. You can decide whether to add pecans or leave them out - dealers' choice.
Common questions about this recipe
You've got questions... I've got answers! If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered below, feel free to leave it in the comments, and I'll jump in there to help you out.
24 hours. After that the pasta, apples and pecans become too soft and almost mushy.
I don't recommend that you freeze this tuna pasta salad as pretty much every ingredient, with the exception of the pasta and the onions cooked in oil will change in texture and taste
According to the American Century Cookbook, the first Waldorf salad was created in New York City in 1893, by Oscar Tschirky, the maître d'hôtel of the Waldorf Astoria. The original recipe consisted only of diced red-skinned apples, celery, and mayonnaise. Chopped walnuts were added later to this now American classic.
Related
Looking for other light lunches or picnic perfect foods for two? Try these:
Pairings
Are you wondering what to serve with cold waldorf tuna pasta salad with apples and pecans? Regardless if you are planning a picnic, eating al fresco style it is fun to offer your picnic guest a sampling of salads alongside the tuna pasta salad. A few of my favorites are chicken pesto salad, watermelon and strawberry salad and a chickpea, mint and feta salad (Jennifer Aniston's go-to salad)
Slices of French baguette with butter or a soft cheese like brie are also terrific pairings.
Cold Waldorf Tuna Pasta Salad with Apples and Pecans
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Ingredients
- ⅛ cup onion ,finely chopped
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 ounce canned solid white tuna in water
- ½ apple ,cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 celery rib ,minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon ,minced
- 1 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- 2.5 ounces cooked small shaped pasta, (about 1 cup) like bow tie, small shells or a fun option is Trader Joe’s lemon flavored torchietti,
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, toss in 1 Tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
- Combine onion and oil in small bowl and microwave until onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Let onion mixture cool for 5 minutes. Place tuna in fine-mesh strainer and press dry with paper towels. Transfer tuna to medium bowl and mash with fork until finely flaked.
- Stir pasta, apple, pecans, mayonnaise, celery, tarragon, lemon juice, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and onion mixture into tuna until well combined. Taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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