• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Summer Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Sweets
  • About
  • How To's

Where Is My Spoon

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Sweets
  • About
  • How To's
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Summer Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Sweets
    • About
    • How To's
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ร—
    Where Is My Spoon > Recipes > Pasta and Rice

    Tuna Pesto Pasta

    Last modified: Jun 15, 2024 ยท Published by Adina, Jun 29, 2022 ยท 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe
    pesto tuna pasta in a white bowl on the table serve with parmesan

    This creamy tuna pesto pasta dish is made with pantry ingredients, and it's ready in less than 15 minutes. Such a delicious and easy weeknight meal!

    bowl of pesto pasta with tuna with parmesan grater and jar of pesto in the back

    Really! This tuna pesto pasta dish is a lifesaver! No time to shop or cook but still want something healthy and thoroughly delicious? Try this recipe! All you have to do is boil the noodles and mix a few ingredients in the meantime. And dinner is served. A quick meal that will make your whole family happy.

    Pesto pasta dishes are my go-to whenever I need a super quick dinner solution. I always have pesto in the fridge and freezer, so I use it a lot.

    Unless we want to eat a pure pesto noodle dish (which happens often enough), I add canned tuna, sometimes vegetables, sometimes anchovies, leftover chicken or ham, and so on. Another great option for busy weeknight dinners is this Vegetable Pesto Pasta.

    Jump to recipe
    • Why should you cook this simple pasta dish?
    • Recipe ingredients
    • How to make tuna pesto pasta?
    • Possible additions
    • Helpful tips
    • How to store tuna pesto pasta?
    • What to serve with it?
    • Recipe
    • Tuna Pesto Pasta

    Why should you cook this simple pasta dish?

    Quick: This pesto tuna pasta dish is perfect for any busy weeknight dinner; cooking only takes as long as the pasta needs.

    Pantry staples: You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry and your fridge.

    Versatile dish: You can add lots of other things you like.

    Recipe ingredients

    Pasta: Whatever pasta shape you happen to have. Spaghetti or linguine are often recommended for pesto dishes, but fusilli, bow ties, or macaroni are perfect; the sauce will cling to them perfectly.

    Tuna: Two cans of tuna. When it comes to taste, I prefer tuna in oil; the oil makes the dish slightly milder and creamier. But tuna in water is the healthier alternative and tastes delicious. You decide; both versions are great!

    What kind of pesto to use? Anything you like. I usually use basil or wild garlic pesto. Homemade is always best, but a good-quality pesto jar is also great. Just make sure you buy a good brand. Try any of these homemade recipes: wild garlic pesto, lemon balm pesto, or basil mint pesto.

    Other ingredients: cream cheese, a little lemon juice, salt, and pepper to adjust the taste, and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    small saucepan with pasta with pesto and tuna fish on the table

    How to make tuna pesto pasta?

    • Cook pasta al dente in a large pot of salted water according to the package instructions. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
    canned tuna, pesto, cream cheese in a saucepan and the resulting sauce
    • Sauce: In a small saucepan, mix fresh pesto, cream cheese, drained tuna, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
    • Combine: Add a bit of cooking water to the sauce ingredients in the saucepan. Heat gently for 1-2 minutes while stirring all the time. Add more cooking water to thin the pesto sauce as desired.
    • Mix with the pasta. Adjust the taste with lemon, salt, and black pepper, and serve immediately with Parmesan.

    Possible additions

    • Spices: Chili flakes, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, or lemon zest.
    • Vegetables: Cooked broccoli florets, frozen peas (add them to the pasta pot during the last 2 minutes of the cooking time, finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, chopped kalamata olive, baby spinach, or chopped artichoke hearts from a jar.
    • Beans: Drained cannellini beans from a can of chickpeas.
    • Crumbled feta instead of Parmesan or another cheese you like.
    • Roasted pine nuts, almonds, or other nuts and seeds.

    Helpful tips

    Use hot water from the tap or boiling water from a kettle to start cooking the pasta; it just goes faster. If you start with cold water, it will take much longer.

    The salty and starchy pasta water helps the sauce stick to the noodles and slightly thickens the sauce.

    How to store tuna pesto pasta?

    Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can reheat the dish in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a little milk when reheating to loosen the sauce a bit. ย 

    close up green tuna pasta sprinkled with parmesan and topped with basil leaves

    What to serve with it?

    • jar with greek yogurt dressing, lemon slices and herbs around it.
      Yogurt Dressing (Low-Fat, Healthy)
    • roast beetroot salad with crispy chickpeas on a plate.
      Beetroot Salad with Yogurt
    • mozzarella tricolore salad with slices of tomato, avocado, and mozzarella on a platter.
      Mozzarella Tricolore Salad
    • garlic bread baguette three slices.
      The Best Garlic Bread Baguette

    Do you like this recipe?

    Please leave a good rating in the recipe card below. Stay in touch through social media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Donโ€™t forget to tag #whereismyspoon when you try a recipe!

    Recipe

    close up green tuna pasta sprinkled with parmesan and topped with basil leaves

    Tuna Pesto Pasta

    Creamy tuna pesto pasta made with cupboard ingredients, ready in less than 15 minutes. And so delicious!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Share GrowSaved! Rate
    Course: Pasta and Rice
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 621kcal
    Author: Adina
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients 

    • 400 g pasta 14 oz, Note 1
    • 6 tablespoons basil pesto Note 2
    • 5 tablespoons cream cheese
    • 2 cans tuna in oil 195 g/ 7 oz each (Note 3)
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice more to taste
    • fine sea salt and black pepper
    • 2-3 tablespoons Parmesan

    Instructions

    • Cook the pasta according to the packet's instructions. Drain the pasta reserving about 250 ml/ 1 cup of the cooking water.
    • Sauce: In the meantime, place the pesto, cream cheese, and drained tuna in a small saucepan. Add about 125 ml/ ยฝ cup of the water to the sauce and heat gently while stirring all the time.
    • Mix the sauce and the cooked pasta. Add a little more pasta water if necessary, the sauce should coat the pasta.
    • Adjust the taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
    • Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.

    Notes

    1. I used some kind of longer macaroni, but spaghetti, fusilli, or any other pasta you like is fine.
    2. Homemade or bought. I often use homemade basil or wild garlic pesto.
    3. Tuna in brine can be used instead, but oil tuna has more flavor.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 401mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!

    More Time-Saving Pasta & Rice Dishes

    • chicken orzo bake in a round dutch oven.
      Chicken Orzo Bake
    • creamy tomato orzo topped with basil leaves in a bowl with a spoon in it.
      Creamy Tomato Orzo
    • a dish full of pasta with calamari.
      Pasta with Calamari
    • truffle pasta served on a small white plate with shavings on top.
      Truffle Pasta Recipe

    Sharing is caring!

    72 shares
    • Share
    • Reddit
    • X

    web banner representing all the websites logos that featured our food blog.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. mjskitchen says

      August 23, 2020 at 10:16 pm

      Love pasta salads and tuna salads so this combination is perfect. Great salad!

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





    Primary Sidebar

    Hello! Where Is My Spoon is a blog where you will find delicious and family friendly recipes, all made from scratch. From simple healthy soups to sumptuous cakes for special occasions, all our recipes have been tried and loved by our family and our friends.

    More about me โ†’

    Elderflower Recipes

    • elderflower jelly with apple juice in a small jar.
      Elderflower Jelly (or Jam) Recipe
    • a small bottle of elderflower syrup, half a lemon and a bunch of elderflowers in a vase.
      Elderflower Syrup Recipe
    • elderflower gin cocktail in a long glass, lemon and flowers around it.
      Elderflower Gin Cocktail
    • elderflower champagne in a glass with lemon slices and flowers around it.
      Non-Alcoholic Elderflower Champagne (Elderflower Juice)

    Popular Recipes

    • air fryer frozen chicken breast after cooking, one whole and one sliced piece.
      Frozen Chicken Breast in the Air Fryer
    • juicy, golden brown brats cooked on the stove in a skillet.
      How to Cook Brats on the Stove
    • lifting one piece of baked chicken breast with a spoon.
      How to Bake Frozen Chicken Breast
    • stapled sliced pork belly slices sprinkled with parsley, pool of fat in the back.
      How to Cook Pork Belly Strips

    Footer

    โ†‘ back to top

    Info

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Contact

    If you have any questions or want to work with me, please email me @ contact@whereismyspoon.co

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright ยฉ 2025 - Where Is My Spoon. All rights reserved.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.