Drain canned tuna thoroughly — press firmly in a Colander or squeeze in a paper towel to remove as much liquid as possible. Excess moisture prevents browning. Mix drained tuna with mayo, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and any mix-ins like celery, pickles, or red onion. If making a sandwich melt, butter one side of each bread slice and set aside. Slice your cheese and have everything ready before the Skillet heats up — cook time moves fast.

Preheat a Skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Medium heat is key — too high burns the bread before the cheese melts, too low gives soggy results. For a tuna melt sandwich: Assemble with tuna on the unbuttered side of the bread, add tomato slices if using, then layer on two slices of cheese. Top with the second slice buttered side up. Place in the skillet cheese side down. Cook undisturbed 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until the second side is golden and cheese is fully melted. Total cook time is 4 to 8 minutes depending on pan, heat, and bread thickness. For loose tuna without bread: Add tuna mixture directly to the preheated skillet over medium heat. Stir and cook about 5 minutes until heated through and moisture has cooked off, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

While the 12 oz rotini or elbow pasta uncooked cooks, whisk together the ¾ cup mayonnaise, 3 tbsp sweet pickle relish, 2 tbsp yellow mustard, 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed, ½ tsp fine salt plus more, and ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground in a small Mixing Bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Add the drained 2 can tuna in water drained and flaked, sliced 3 stalks celery thinly sliced, diced 0.5 medium red onion finely diced, and thawed 1 cup frozen peas thawed to the Mixing Bowl with the cooled 12 oz rotini or elbow pasta uncooked. Pour the dressing over the top and toss everything together until evenly coated.