Pasta Fredda (Italian Tuna Pasta Salad)

This pasta fredda (Italian tuna pasta salad) is so flavorful, fresh, and loaded with tomatoes, tuna, artichokes, and olives. The recipe is very easy to make and is perfect as a quick and light lunch, dinner, or a prep-ahead side dish for summer cookouts.

Pasta fredda is a traditional Italian dish that translates to “cold pasta” in English. There are many ways of preparing cold pasta in Italy but the most common is tossed with vegetables, cheese, cold meats, and tuna.

To prepare this pasta fredda recipe, pasta is boiled and then tossed with tuna, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, olives, and a dressing. The dressing is made with olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice.

Just like my insalata di riso (rice salad), this Italian tuna pasta salad is the perfect make-ahead dish for potlucks, casual parties, picnics, and weekly meal prep.

Ingredients

• PASTA: Get any short pasta shape you prefer, we’re using in this recipe chifferi.
• TUNA: I used canned tuna in olive oil. If you want to cut off calories, use water-canned tuna instead.
• CHEESE: Mozzarella is always the first option when it comes to Italian tuna pasta salad. I am using here mozzarelline (also known as pearl mozzarella or bocconcini). You can also cut a larger mozzarella into small bites or use another type of cheese, such as provola, scamorza, primo sale, or even Parmigiano flakes.
• TOMATOES: We use cherry tomatoes, but any kind works just fine. Cut them into quarters or small chunks, you can discard the seeds if you want.
• OLIVES: Black olives add a nice sweet touch to this Italian tuna pasta. If you want a different flavor, add another type of olive, such as Greek, stuffed, Kalamata, etc. Any type you prefer as long as they’re pitted.
• EXTRAS: This is optional because this pasta fredda is just delicious with few ingredients, but if you have any of the following items in your pantry, add them: Artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, bell peppers, or zucchini packed in olive oil, they’re called sott’olio or sottaceti in Italian, and they’re vegetables packed in olive oil and/or vinegar.
• DRESSING: A simple “Italian dressing” is made with just two basic, yet high-quality, ingredients, that’s it: Extra virgin olive oil and wine vinegar. Salt and pepper complete the dressing, and from here you can add a touch of your own preferences, such as lemon juice, sugar, chili flakes, and any herb you prefer. My favorite herbs for this Italian tuna pasta are parsley, basil, and dried oregano.

How To Make Pasta Freda

Start by preparing the dressing. Place extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, fresh herbs, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper in a jar.

Close the lid and shake it until everything is emulsified. Set aside.

In a large pot with salted water boil your pasta al dente following the instructions in the package. Drain it (do not rinse it!) and place it in a large bowl.

Pour half of the dressing and toss to coat well. Allow pasta to cool down before continuing with the recipe.

Top Tip: Mixing with the dressing will prevent the pasta from sticking and/or drying out, so don’t skip this step!

Cut cherry tomatoes into halves and quarters. If you are using regular tomatoes, cut them into small chunks and add them to the bowl.

Cut artichokes into chunks and also add them to the bowl.

Add mozzarelline and olives too, and pour over the remaining dressing (give it a good shake first) and toss very well to coat everything. Adjust seasonings to taste.

NOTE: If you using regular mozzarella or another type of cheese, cut it into small bites and add it to the bowl along with olives. I like to add whole olives, but if you want you can also cut them in half or slice them.

Add tuna and mix gently. Serve immediately or cover and store in the fridge until it’s time to serve.

This Italian tuna pasta salad can be eaten cold or at room temperature.

Notes & Tips

• Do not add the ingredients to the hot pasta, especially the cheese, or they might get cooked and make a mess. Always allow the pasta to cool down.
• Do not rinse the pasta, leaving a little bit of starch will make the other ingredients, like the dressing, stick better and make pasta fredda more flavorful!
• Italian tuna pasta salad can be easily made ahead so the flavors blend together, is perfect for a packed lunch or picnic.

You can use any shape of pasta you have available, but short pasta is the best when it comes to pasta fredda recipes. My favorite types are:

• PENNE: Means ‘quill’ or ‘pen’, a pasta shaped into a cylinder and cut at an angle that resembles its name.
• FUSILLI: This pasta is also known as rotini and is shaped into a corkscrew. It’s one of the most used pasta types for pasta fredda recipes.
• FARFALLE: It means “butterflies” because the shape resembles two wings. Is also known in other countries as bow-tie pasta. It comes in various sizes and takes the name accordingly (farfalline=little butterflies, farfallone=big butterflies, etc).
• MACARONI: In Italy, you’ll find them with many names, such as rigatoni, mezze maniche, chifferi, pipe rigate, lumaconi, etc. All of them are a type of pasta with a tubular shape.

How To Store Italian Tuna Pasta Salad

As we mentioned before, this pasta fredda is a marvelous make-ahead dish. If you want to take it for a potluck or have some leftovers, just make sure to store it in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of hours or in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can also prepare all ingredients 1 or 2 days ahead like vegetables, pasta, and the dressing. Coat pasta with a bit of oil to prevent it from drying out, then store everything in separate containers.

Later, just toss everything together and enjoy your Italian pasta salad!

Note: Always use your best judgment and consume this Italian tuna pasta salad within a reasonable time frame to ensure it is safe to eat. Take in mind that the shelf life of pasta fredda may vary depending on the ingredients used. Salads with perishable ingredients like meat or dairy products may have a shorter shelf life.

FAQ

More Italian Salad Recipes

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