Cold Waldorf Tuna Pasta Salad with Apples and Pecans
This cold waldorf tuna pasta salad with pasta and mayonnaise embraces the tuna,while crisp apples and hearty pecans add a delightful twist reminiscent of the beloved Waldorf salad.
Servings: 3
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
Make Ahead and Storage: Salad can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
Variations: Swap out tarragon for dill and green and apples for green peas. Read the variations sectiona above.