Tuna pasta salad with the Thermomix® goes straight from the mixing bowl into the serving bowl. No extra pot for the pasta, no separate steamer for the peas. Everything runs in parallel and it is ready in 20 minutes.
How to get it right straight away: Bring 1000 g water to 100°C for 8 minutes, then weigh in 1 tsp salt and 300 g pasta, and place 100 g frozen peas in the Varoma. Cook both in parallel at 95°C in reverse direction on the gentle stir setting according to the pasta packet instructions. Rinse, then combine with 1 red pepper, 3 pickled gherkins and a tin of tuna. Pour over a dressing made from onion, 100 g vegetable stock, oil, vinegar, mayonnaise and mustard. Done in 4 servings.
We make this salad several times a month, especially in summer. For barbecue evenings, as a midday meal for the children, to take along to an outdoor pool. The same method for years. It goes well with soft burger buns from the Thermomix® when you want a complete BBQ plate.
Tuna Pasta Salad, Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 16 ✓
- 1000 g water
- 1 tsp salt
- 300 g pasta penne or fusilli
- 100 g peas frozen
- 1 red pepper
- 3 pickled gherkins
- 1 tin tuna in spring water
- 1 onion
- 100 g vegetable stock
- 25 g sunflower oil
- 15 g vinegar
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions 0 / 8
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1
Boil the water.
Add water to the mixing bowl and heat for 8 min / 100°C / speed 1.
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2
Cook the peas and pasta.
Add salt, weigh in the pasta, place the Varoma on top, weigh in the peas and cook according to the pasta packet instructions at 95°C / reverse direction / gentle stir setting.
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3
Transfer the ingredients.
Transfer the peas to a salad bowl, tip the pasta into the Varoma to drain, rinse with cold water and transfer to the salad bowl.
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4
Chop the pepper and gherkins.
Wash the pepper, halve it, remove the seeds and stalk, dice it, slice the gherkins and add everything to the pasta.
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5
Add the tuna.
Drain the tuna and add it to the salad bowl.
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6
Chop the onion.
Peel the onion, halve it, place in the mixing bowl and chop for 6 sec / speed 5, then scrape down with the spatula.
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7
Blend the dressing.
Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix for 10 sec / speed 4.
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8
Serve.
Pour the dressing over the salad, stir through well with the spatula and serve.
Tip: If you serve the pasta salad straight away, it will still be slightly warm. It tastes even better once it has had time to rest, but it should be stored covered in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
Pasta and peas cook in parallel in the same bowl
This is the one point where the Thermomix® really makes a difference with this salad. We bring 1000 g water in the mixing bowl to 100°C for 8 minutes. Then we add 1 tsp salt and 300 g pasta to the mixing bowl, and the 100 g frozen peas go into the Varoma on top. Both cook in parallel at 95°C in reverse direction on the gentle stir setting, following the pasta packet instructions.
The reverse direction keeps the pasta moving without breaking it up. The gentle stir setting is the slowest speed, and combined with reverse direction it stirs rather than cuts. The peas steam in the rising vapour. Other Thermomix® recipes cook the pasta separately on the hob and fold it in at the end. Our parallel approach saves a pot and steams the peas for free while the water is already boiling.
After cooking, we tip the pasta through the Varoma to drain. The peas are already in there, and the pasta goes on top. Rinsing with cold water stops the cooking and brings everything down to a comfortable temperature. Then both go into the salad bowl. Important: always cook the pasta al dente, so aim for 1 minute less than the packet says. In a warm salad it will continue to soften and may become too soft otherwise.
Which pasta shapes work best in a tuna salad
The shape of the pasta determines whether the salad holds together or falls apart. We use penne or fusilli (spirals). Both have ridges and edges that hold the dressing, and they are easy to pick up with peas and tuna on a fork. Farfalle work equally well. Long pasta such as spaghetti is not suitable as it clumps together and does not take up the dressing evenly.
For 4 servings, 300 g of dried pasta is enough. After cooking that gives around 650 g of cooked pasta, and with the vegetables and tuna you end up with just over a kilo of salad. Plenty as a main course for four or as a BBQ side for six to eight.
Chop the vegetables, drain the tuna thoroughly
While the pasta cooks, we dice 1 red pepper and slice 3 pickled gherkins. Both go in with the rinsed pasta. We drain a tin of tuna in spring water thoroughly and add it to the bowl.
Tuna in spring water has less fat than the variety in oil. We need the oil in the dressing, not in the tuna itself. Draining well is the most important step to prevent a watery salad: we press the tuna in a sieve with a fork until no more liquid comes out. If the liquid goes into the bowl, it dilutes the dressing and the salad tastes flat.
Creamy dressing with onion, vegetable stock and mayonnaise
For the dressing, we halve 1 onion and chop it for 6 seconds at speed 5, then scrape down with the spatula. Next we add 100 g vegetable stock, 25 g sunflower oil, 15 g vinegar, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tbsp mustard, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp black pepper to the mixing bowl. 10 seconds at speed 4 is enough to bring it together.
The vegetable stock adds flavour without needing to prepare extra broth. The mayonnaise makes the dressing creamy, the mustard adds a little bite and helps emulsify, so the oil and stock come together into a smooth sauce. Speed 4 is enough; going higher would create foam rather than a mixed dressing. The half teaspoon of sugar balances the acidity of the vinegar and gherkins. It does not read as sweet, just rounded.
Mistakes that make the salad watery or bland
The salad turns watery
Three sources of liquid can build up: the tuna liquid, residual water on the pasta and the dressing itself. Our solution: squeeze the tuna in a sieve until properly dry, let the pasta drain well after rinsing and cook it al dente. Al dente pasta absorbs far less dressing than overcooked pasta.
The salad tastes dry the next day
The opposite happens just as often. The pasta absorbs all the dressing overnight and the salad seems dry. Our solution: if you make it a day ahead, multiply the dressing quantity by 1.5, or keep a little dressing back and stir it in just before serving. A quick mix is all it takes to make it creamy again.
The onion takes over
6 seconds at speed 5 chops the onion finely, but it stays raw and sharp. Our solution: if you are sensitive to raw onion, pour the hot vegetable stock over the chopped onion before adding the rest. That takes the edge off without needing to sweat it separately.
Variations on the pasta salad
With sweetcorn instead of peas: A drained tin of sweetcorn (about 140 g) replaces the peas or supplements them. Sweetcorn adds sweetness, so leave out the half teaspoon of sugar in the dressing.
Lighter with yoghurt instead of mayonnaise: 100 g natural yoghurt instead of the 2 tbsp mayonnaise makes the salad fresher and lower in calories. The dressing will be slightly thinner but less rich. A squeeze of lemon works well with this version.
With crème fraîche for extra creaminess: 100 g crème fraîche instead of mayonnaise and oil gives a smooth, mild dressing. This is the direction many Vorwerk community recipes take. We prefer it more savoury, but for children the milder version is often more popular.
Mediterranean with olives and capers: A handful of black olives and 1 tbsp capers turn it into a southern European version. Olive oil works better than sunflower oil in the dressing here.
What to serve with tuna pasta salad
As a BBQ side we serve it alongside grilled meat and soft burger buns from the Thermomix®. If you are putting together a full salad spread, it pairs well with a creamy coleslaw from the Thermomix® for a crunchy contrast. Anyone who prefers fresh homemade pasta in their salad can make it from our Thermomix® pasta dough, which takes just 5 minutes to knead.
Homemade pasta dough tastes noticeably better than dried pasta, but the time investment rises considerably as the pasta needs to be shaped and dried. For everyday meals and a quick packed lunch we use dried pasta. For special occasions the fresh dough is worth the extra effort.
Serve straight away or leave to rest
We pour the dressing over the salad and stir through with the spatula, not in the mixing bowl, as the pasta would get broken up. If you serve it straight away it will still be slightly warm. That tastes good, especially alongside freshly grilled food.
If you leave it to rest, the salad absorbs more dressing. After 2 to 3 hours in the fridge it tastes more intense, as the flavours of onion, gherkin and stock come together. Covered, it keeps for 2 days in the fridge. Freezing does not work: the cooked pasta and mayonnaise become mushy on thawing and the dressing splits. Give it a good stir before serving and add an extra spoonful of dressing if needed.
Frequently asked questions about tuna pasta salad
Also great with: bread rolls.
