This olive tapenade pasta salad with tuna is a high protein pasta salad recipe that's perfect for summer lunch prep! Using store bought olive tapenade means you don't have to make a dressing: the best pasta salad hack.
If you're an olive hater, you miiiight want to skip this one, because we're about to go all in on olives in this pasta salad. So many tuna pasta salads are mayo-based, but I actually prefer mine without mayo. It's briny, olive oil-y, and bright for me.
Which lead me to one of the best kitchen hacks: using store bought olive tapenade for pasta salad dressing. It already has olive oil and a bunch of briny goodness, so it adds a ton of a flavor and coats the pasta beautifully... in a very low effort way. Squeeze in some fresh lemon for brightness, and that's it! No dressing jars or blenders needed.
This olive tapenade pasta salad with canned tuna is one that I use this method on all the time. It's so simple for nourishing lunch prep for the week, and it's packed with summer produce (perfect for tomato season). As someone who trains hard and loves eating seasonally, this is a favorite for getting protein, carbs, and lots of veg.
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The Best Pasta to Use
A smaller pasta is best here, and ideally one that has some nice crevices for all the flavor to cling to. I used strozzapreti, but also love farfalle (bowties), casarecce, and penne.
As always, don't feel like you have to go buy a special kind if you already have some small pasta shapes in your pantry to use.
For the type of pasta, I've been really drawn to slow-dried Italian pastas. If you prefer a whole wheat, legume, or other gluten free option, definitely feel free to swap in your preference.
Substitutions for Olive Tapenade
I also use the Divina muffaletta mix if I can't find olive tapenade. If your grocery store has an olive bar with a fresh olive tapenade or some sort of briny, chopped olive salad, that'll work great here!
How to Make Olive Tapenade Pasta Salad with Tuna
Step 1
Salt some water in a pot until it tastes like the sea, then boil your pasta until al dente.
Step 2
While pasta cooks, chop the fresh parsley and cut cherry tomatoes in half.
Step 3
Once the pasta is drained and rinsed with cool water to stop the cooking, transfer to a large bowl. Add the parsley, tomatoes, tuna, olive tapenade, feta, and juice from a lemon.
Step 4
Stir everything together, taste, and add more tapenade or lemon juice if desired. Serve right away or chill in the fridge until you're ready to eat!
Make It Seasonal
If you're in the thick of summer, tomatoes and parsley will already be pretty seasonal. But if you have some other seasonal produce to use up, I encourage you to do so!
Pickled red onions or chopped roasted bell peppers would be excellent in this pasta salad.
I also love tossing it with spinach, arugula, or other chopped seasonal greens that I get at the farmers market or my in CSA box.
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Made this olive tapenade pasta salad with tuna? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave a ⭐️ rating and comment below, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and my newsletter for more everyday seasonal recipes.
📖 Recipe
Olive Tapenade and Tuna Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: ~8 cups
Description
This tuna pasta salad comes together with a simple shortcut: olive tapenade creates a bold, flavorful dressing in minutes. Tossed with tomatoes, feta, and fresh herbs, it's perfect for summer lunches and meal prep.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry small pasta (see notes)
- Salt, for pasta water
- 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes
- ¾ cup olive tapenade
- 2 5 oz. cans tuna, packed in olive oil
- ¾ cup feta, crumbled
- Juice of 1 lemon
- a few turns of freshly cracked pepper
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Make pasta. Fill a medium-large pot with water (enough for pasta to cook), and salt until it tastes like the sea. Cook pasta until al dente (see package recommendations for time), then drain and rinse under cool water.
- Prep veggies. While the pasta cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes and chop the parsley if you haven't already.
- Combine pasta salad ingredients. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl, then add parsley, tomatoes, olive tapenade, tuna, feta, and lemon juice. Toss gently to coat everything. Taste and add more lemon or olive tapenade. Top with freshly cracked black pepper, then serve immediately or chill in the fridge until you're ready to eat.
Notes
- Pasta. Use a smaller pasta shape, such as strozzapreti, casarecce, penne, or farfalle. If it has crevices that can hold flavor, it's perfect!
- Storage instructions. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
- Tuna. I personally think tuna packed in olive oil tastes wayyyy better, but feel free to use water-packed if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Pasta salads
- Method: Combine
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ~2 cups
- Calories: 551
- Sugar: 7.4 g
- Sodium: 626.9 mg
- Fat: 23.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.2 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 32.3 g
- Cholesterol: 47 mg
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