Tuna Pesto Pasta is a delicious and satisfying dinner that requires almost no effort. The ultimate quick weeknight meal. It’s ready in under 15 minutes using simple pantry staples. Add canned tuna, jarred basil pesto, and a splash of fresh lemon juice for a budget-friendly, customizable meal that tastes like you took the time to make it. Serve hot straight from the pot or chilled for meal prep as a tuna pesto pasta salad. This easy one-pot recipe may become a staple in your dinner rotation.
Would you like to save this recipe?
Please enter your email address. Send to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
This tuna pesto is my favorite when I don’t have anything for dinner and don’t want to go to the grocery store. It doesn’t take much time, but it’s delicious and satisfying. I love making homemade pesto like my parsley pesto recipe with walnuts or my sage walnut pesto. But I always keep a jar of my favorite store-bought pesto for when that’s not possible on a busy weeknight.
Jump to:
Here’s why you’ll love this recipe.
Just a few simple ingredients. This easy tuna pesto pasta recipe uses staples you probably already have in your pantry. Budget friendly. Economical canned tuna is a great source of protein to keep on hand. Canned tuna is great to have on hand for sandwiches, casseroles, or salads like my Tuna Potato Salad. It only takes 15 minutes. This delicious dinner comes together in under 15 minutes. (Varies depending on the cooking time of the pasta brand). Customizable. Add your favorite vegetables (see suggestions below). You can enjoy it hot or cold. This pesto tuna pasta can be served hot right away, or you can make it ahead and refrigerate it to enjoy as a cold pasta salad (this one-pot dinner is perfect for the next day’s meal prep lunch). It’s delicious either way.
Ingredient memo
Ingredient measurements and complete instructions are provided in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
pasta. For this recipe, I like short pasta shapes like penne or fusilli, but any pasta shape will work, including longer pasta shapes like spaghetti, linguine, and fettuccini. We use gluten-free pasta. I’ve tried many brands (maybe all), but my absolute favorite gluten-free pasta brand is Rummo. Tuna. I made this recipe with water-packed tuna, but for best results, olive oil-packed tuna is best. Tuna stuffed in oil has more flavor and is less dry than tuna stuffed in water. For the best texture, use lump or solid tuna rather than flaked tuna. I use albacore tuna, which is firm and light, but bonito will also work. pesto sauce. Fresh pesto is easy to make and doesn’t take long if you want to make your own pesto. My store-bought basil pesto sauce has pine nuts, olive oil, lots of garlic, and Parmesan cheese, so you don’t need to add any of these ingredients. capers. I love the unique salty, salty flavor these little sprouts give to this tuna pasta. lemon. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a bright citrus aroma that complements the flavor of the herbal pesto. Red chili pepper flakes. Just as a little spice. You can optionally omit this. fresh basil. Chopped fresh basil leaves are perfect for garnishing and enhancing flavor.
How to make, step by step
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside, then drain the pasta in a colander. Combine pesto, capers, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Add the tuna and boiled pasta and toss gently to coat with the sauce. If you need to thin the sauce, add the reserved pasta water a little at a time, stirring until the desired consistency is reached. Garnish with chopped fresh basil and garnish with lemon.
my top tip
Reserve some of the starchy pasta water. The water in which pasta is boiled contains a lot of starch. Great for thinning sauces without making them watery. So, don’t forget to scoop out the pasta water before draining. I’ve forgotten this step so many times in the past that I now set a timer for 1 minute before the pasta is done. Check the seasonings. Taste the pesto pasta before eating. Salt and black pepper are already included in pesto sauce, so I didn’t include them in this recipe. However, you can also add it after tasting. vegetables. I often add vegetables to this dish. My favorites are halved grape or cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, sliced black or green olives, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, or cooked cauliflower florets. You can also add spinach leaves or chopped kale. Storage. Leftover tuna pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Enjoy chilled as a tuna pasta salad, or reheat briefly in the microwave.
Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it turned out by leaving a rating in the comments section below. Have you made any changes? Please share. Feedback is important. Thank you for visiting our gourmet blog.
recipe
Would you like to save this recipe?
Please enter your email address. Send to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
tuna pesto pasta
This delicious one-pot meal is made with pantry essentials. Canned tuna, bottled pesto, and pasta. Dinner is ready within 15 minutes.
print
pin
rate
Saving recipes Recipe saved!
cooking modePrevent the screen from going dark
Quantity: 6 one person
calorie: 361kcal
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package directions.
Scoop 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta in a colander.
Combine pesto, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and capers in a saucepan.
Add the pasta and tuna and toss gently to coat with the pesto sauce. If necessary, use the reserved pasta water a little at a time to thin the sauce to your desired consistency.
Garnish with chopped basil and garnish with lemon.
Precautions
Reserve some of the starchy pasta water. The water in which pasta is boiled contains a lot of starch. Great for thinning sauces without making them watery. So, don’t forget to scoop out the pasta water before draining. I’ve forgotten this step so many times in the past that I now set a timer for 1 minute before the pasta is done. Check the seasonings. Taste the pesto pasta before eating. Salt and pepper are already in the pesto sauce, so I didn’t include them in this recipe. However, you can also add it after tasting. vegetables. I often add vegetables to this dish. My favorites are halved cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, sliced black or green olives, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, or cooked cauliflower florets. You can also add spinach leaves or chopped kale. Storage. Leftover tuna pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Enjoy chilled as a tuna pasta salad, or reheat briefly in the microwave.
nutrition
Provided by: 1waiter | calorie: 361kcal | carbohydrates: 46g | protein: 10g | fat: 15g | Saturated fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated fats: 0.4g | Monounsaturated fats: 0.1g | cholesterol: 3mg | sodium: 476mg | potassium: 154mg | fiber: 3g | sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1103IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | calcium: 83mg | iron: 1mg
