Chilled Hawaiian Pasta Salad with Tuna

Here is my favorite Hawaiian pasta salad with tuna, loaded with elbow pasta, sweet pineapple, crunchy carrots, and a creamy mayo dressing that’s perfectly balanced with a touch of apple cider vinegar and sugar.

This pasta salad is a go-to recipe in my house whenever we need something easy for potlucks or a quick weeknight dinner. The combination of tuna and pineapple might sound unusual, but trust me, it works so well together!

What Kind of Tuna Should I Use?

For this Hawaiian pasta salad, you can use either canned tuna in water or oil, depending on your preference. Tuna in water tends to be lighter and lets the other flavors shine through, while oil-packed tuna adds a bit more richness to the salad. I usually go with chunk light tuna because it’s budget-friendly and has a milder flavor, but if you want something a bit more premium, albacore (white tuna) works great too. Just make sure to drain your tuna really well before adding it to the pasta – nobody wants a watery pasta salad!

Options for Substitutions

This pasta salad is easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Elbow pasta: Any small pasta shape works great here – try shells, rotini, or bowtie pasta. They all hold the dressing nicely and give you that same satisfying bite.
• Apple cider vinegar: White vinegar or rice vinegar make good swaps if you’re out of apple cider vinegar. They’ll still give you that tangy kick the salad needs.
• Mayonnaise: You can use Greek yogurt for half the mayo to lighten things up, or go with a mayo-sour cream combo. Just keep the total amount the same (1 ¼ cups).
• Tuna: Canned chicken or salmon work well as alternatives. You could also use cooked shredded chicken if you prefer fresh protein over canned.
• Carrots: Shredded cabbage, diced celery, or bell peppers can replace or supplement the carrots for extra crunch and color.
• Sugar: Honey or a sugar substitute works fine here. Start with a bit less honey since it’s sweeter, then taste and adjust.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with pasta salad is undercooking the pasta – since it’s served cold, you actually want to cook it 1-2 minutes longer than the package directions so it stays tender after chilling instead of turning hard and chewy.

Don’t skip rinsing the pasta with cold water after draining, as this stops the cooking process and removes excess starch that can make your salad gummy and sticky.

A common error is adding all the dressing at once, which gets absorbed during chilling and leaves you with a dry salad – that’s why reserving some dressing to stir in right before serving keeps everything creamy and fresh.

Finally, make sure to drain your tuna really well by pressing it with a fork or paper towel, because extra liquid will water down your dressing and make the whole dish taste bland.

What to Serve With Hawaiian Pasta Salad?

This pasta salad is pretty filling on its own, but it’s perfect for bringing to potlucks, barbecues, or beach picnics alongside grilled chicken, burgers, or hot dogs. I love pairing it with simple grilled proteins like teriyaki chicken skewers or kalua pork to keep that Hawaiian theme going. It also works great as a side dish next to fresh fruit like pineapple chunks or watermelon slices, which add a nice refreshing contrast to the creamy pasta. If you’re making it for a casual lunch, just serve it with some crackers or chips and you’ve got yourself an easy, no-fuss meal.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your Hawaiian pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Since it has tuna and mayo, you’ll want to make sure it stays cold. It actually tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to hang out together!

Make Ahead: This is a great make-ahead dish for parties or meal prep. You can prepare it up to a day in advance, just give it a good stir before serving since the pasta tends to soak up some of the dressing as it sits. If it looks a bit dry, just mix in an extra tablespoon or two of mayo to freshen it up.

Serve: This pasta salad is meant to be enjoyed cold, so there’s no need to reheat. Just pull it straight from the fridge about 10 minutes before serving to take the chill off a bit. Give it a quick toss and adjust the seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper if needed.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1600-1800
• Protein: 48-56 g
• Fat: 110-120 g
• Carbohydrates: 115-130 g

Ingredients

For the pasta salad:

• 10 oz elbow pasta
• 1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup carrots (grated into thin shreds to blend with the dressing)
• 1/4 cup onion (finely minced into 1/8-inch pieces)
• 6 oz tuna (I prefer StarKist solid white albacore in water)
• 2 green onion
• 1/2 cup canned pineapple tidbits (drained)

For the dressing:

• 1.5 cups mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann’s for the creamiest consistency)
• 2.5 tbsp sugar
• 1.5 tbsp milk
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Step 1: Cook the Pasta Base

• 10 oz elbow pasta
• salt for pasta water

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the elbow pasta for 1-2 minutes longer than the package directions—this ensures the pasta is tender enough to absorb the creamy dressing without becoming mushy.

Drain the pasta thoroughly, then rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch.

Transfer the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Create the Dressing Base

• 1.5 cups mayonnaise
• 2.5 tbsp sugar
• 1.5 tbsp milk
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

While the pasta cools, prepare the creamy dressing in a separate bowl by whisking together the mayonnaise, sugar, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.

The sugar helps balance the richness of the mayo and adds subtle sweetness typical of Hawaiian-style salads.

Set aside 1/4 cup of this dressing in a small container to reserve for later—this fresh addition before serving will brighten the flavors and refresh the salad’s texture.

Step 3: Build Flavor Layers in the Pasta

• cooked pasta from Step 1
• 1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup carrots
• 1/4 cup onion

Add the apple cider vinegar, shredded carrots, and finely minced onion to the cooled pasta and toss everything together.

These ingredients introduce brightness and texture while the vinegar begins to season the pasta from the inside.

I like to add the vinegar early because it permeates the pasta and creates a more cohesive flavor throughout—without it, the salad can taste one-dimensional.

Refrigerate this mixture for 10-15 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Step 4: Combine the Tuna and Dressing

• pasta mixture from Step 3
• 6 oz tuna
• dressing mixture from Step 2
• 1/2 cup canned pineapple tidbits

Drain the tuna from the can, breaking it into bite-sized chunks as you add it to the pasta mixture.

Pour in the dressing from Step 2 (keeping the 1/4 cup reserved aside), and fold everything together gently but thoroughly until the pasta, tuna, and vegetables are evenly coated.

Stir in the drained pineapple tidbits, distributing them throughout.

I’ve found that folding rather than stirring vigorously keeps the tuna from breaking apart too much and maintains a better texture.

Step 5: Final Chill and Finish

• combined salad from Step 4
• reserved dressing from Step 2
• 2 green onions

Cover the salad bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to fully develop and the pasta to absorb the dressing.

Just before serving, stir in the reserved 1/4 cup dressing to refresh the salad’s creaminess, then top with the sliced green onions for color and a mild onion bite.

This technique of adding fresh dressing at the end ensures the salad doesn’t become dry or dense during refrigeration.

Chilled Hawaiian Pasta Salad with Tuna

Delicious Chilled Hawaiian Pasta Salad with Tuna recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 1700

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the pasta salad::

• 10 oz elbow pasta
• 1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup carrots (grated into thin shreds to blend with the dressing)
• 1/4 cup onion (finely minced into 1/8-inch pieces)
• 6 oz tuna (I prefer StarKist solid white albacore in water)
• 2 green onion
• 1/2 cup canned pineapple tidbits (drained)

For the dressing::

• 1.5 cups mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann's for the creamiest consistency)
• 2.5 tbsp sugar
• 1.5 tbsp milk
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Method

 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the elbow pasta for 1-2 minutes longer than the package directions—this ensures the pasta is tender enough to absorb the creamy dressing without becoming mushy. Drain the pasta thoroughly, then rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch. Transfer the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl.
2. While the pasta cools, prepare the creamy dressing in a separate bowl by whisking together the mayonnaise, sugar, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined. The sugar helps balance the richness of the mayo and adds subtle sweetness typical of Hawaiian-style salads. Set aside 1/4 cup of this dressing in a small container to reserve for later—this fresh addition before serving will brighten the flavors and refresh the salad's texture.
3. Add the apple cider vinegar, shredded carrots, and finely minced onion to the cooled pasta and toss everything together. These ingredients introduce brightness and texture while the vinegar begins to season the pasta from the inside. I like to add the vinegar early because it permeates the pasta and creates a more cohesive flavor throughout—without it, the salad can taste one-dimensional. Refrigerate this mixture for 10-15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
4. Drain the tuna from the can, breaking it into bite-sized chunks as you add it to the pasta mixture. Pour in the dressing from Step 2 (keeping the 1/4 cup reserved aside), and fold everything together gently but thoroughly until the pasta, tuna, and vegetables are evenly coated. Stir in the drained pineapple tidbits, distributing them throughout. I've found that folding rather than stirring vigorously keeps the tuna from breaking apart too much and maintains a better texture.
5. Cover the salad bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to fully develop and the pasta to absorb the dressing. Just before serving, stir in the reserved 1/4 cup dressing to refresh the salad's creaminess, then top with the sliced green onions for color and a mild onion bite. This technique of adding fresh dressing at the end ensures the salad doesn't become dry or dense during refrigeration.