Ingredients:

  • 1 lb (450 g) Elbow Macaroni or Ditalini pasta
  • 2 Tbsp (30 ml) Coarse Salt (for the boiling water)
  • 3 cans (5 oz / 142 g each) High-Quality Tuna, packed in water or olive oil, thoroughly drained and flaked
  • 2 large Celery Stalks, finely diced (about 1 cup / 120 g)
  • ½ cup (75 g) Finely Diced Red Onion
  • ½ cup (75 g) Finely Diced Red Bell Pepper
  • ¼ cup (35 g) Chopped Fresh Parsley (flat-leaf preferred)
  • 1½ cups (350 ml) Full-Fat Mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) Sweet Pickle Relish
  • 2 Tbsp (30 ml) Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) White Wine Vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Dijon Mustard
  • 1 tsp (5 g) Granulated Sugar
  • ½ tsp (2.5 g) Fine Sea Salt
  • ¼ tsp (1.2 g) Black Pepper

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rapid boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions, aiming for a proper al dente texture (usually 7-9 minutes).
  2. Immediately drain the pasta in a colander. Crucially, run cold water over the pasta until it is completely cooled. This stops the cooking process and removes excess starch, preventing the final salad from becoming gluey. Drain thoroughly.
  3. Dice all vegetables (celery, red onion, bell pepper) finely and uniformly. Ensure the canned tuna is pressed and drained thoroughly, then flake it lightly with a fork.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients listed under the dressing section (mayonnaise, relish, lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon, sugar, salt, pepper). Whisk until completely smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  5. Add the cooled, drained pasta, the diced vegetables, the parsley, and the flaked tuna to the dressing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold all the ingredients together gently until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated in the dressing. Avoid aggressive stirring.
  6. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, but ideally 6 to 24 hours. This chilling time is essential for the flavors to marry.
  7. Before serving, the pasta will have absorbed much of the dressing. If it is too thick, stir in 1-3 tablespoons (15-45 ml) of cold water or milk until the desired creamy consistency is achieved. Taste again and adjust salt and pepper one last time.