My Italian mother was a great cook and kept the family well fed. She was the type that made everything from scratch and stuck with the tried & true classic recipes. She kept everything simple, but yet delicious.

Mom’s Classic Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe

1/2 box uncooked Elbow Macaroni
1 can Tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 to 3/4 cup Frozen Peas, thawed
1 large Tomato, chopped
2 Hard-Boiled Eggs, Shells Removed and Chopped
1-2 Spring Onions, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. Yellow Mustard
1-2 Tbsp. Sour Cream
Salt and Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbsp. Parsley
1/2 to 1 cup Reduced Fat Mayonnaise

Cook the Elbow Macaroni and drain away the water. While it’s cooking I like to place the thawed peas in a little bit of water and microwave on high for a minute or two. This softens them up. Drain away the water and let the peas cool.

In a large bowl combine together the cooked macaroni, flaked tuna, peas, chopped tomato, chopped hard-boiled eggs, spring onions, mustard, sour cream salt & ground black pepper, parsley and mayonnaise. If you like it cream (pasta does soak up the mayonnaise), add additional mayonnaise. Stir until everything is combined together.

Cover the bowl and place into the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to chill and for the flavors to infuse. I like to check on it about 90 minutes after I place it into the refrigerator to see if I need to add any additional mayonnaise or sour cream. Some pastas soak up more of the sauce than others. Once it has been fully chilled it’s ready for serving.

Variations: You can add a second can of tuna if you like a heavier tuna fish taste. Canned chicken (flaked) and canned crabmeat work equally well in this recipe if you want to make a Chicken Pasta Salad or a Seafood Pasta Salad. I’m not fond of raw carrots, so I omit them, but you can add finely chopped carrots if desired.

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