Comfortable tuna pesto pasta with canned tuna, pesto, capers, and pine nuts. This quick meal for busy weeknights is made with pantry ingredients and is ready in about 15 minutes.
What can be more comforting and satisfying than a bowl of pasta? This simple recipe for tuna pesto pasta will make your day. Your whole family will love a delicious, simple dinner with a fancy twist.
The recipe is so easy and quick that you will probably make it every other week or so. Thisย Lemon Pepper Pasta Recipeย is another great option for an easy weeknight meal; it's quick and full of fresh flavor. You can also try Tahini Pasta, made with only four ingredients, or this simple and delicious Penne Caprese Recipe.
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Why will you love this recipe?
Pantry staples: I always have the ingredients in the fridge and pantry, so I can cook this dish on short notice.
Quick: The process only takes as long as the water and the pasta cook. Start with hot water from the tap or boiled water from a kettle to speed up the process.
Simple yet with a fancy twist,ย this dish is worth trying. The fried capers and pine nuts bring this dish to a new level, and the twist makes the pasta with tuna and pesto suitable for serving guests.
Kid-friendly: Both my kids adore this tuna pesto pasta recipe.
Recipe ingredients
Penne or any other pasta shape you like. I prefer short shapes like penne or bow ties for this dish, but if all you have is spaghetti, you will be fine.
Tuna canned in oil. Tuna in oil makes the dish richer, while tuna in water cuts down on calories. Both versions are great, but oil tuna has more flavor and is less dry.
Pesto: I tend to use whatever I happen to have in the fridge at the moment. For instance, mint, wild garlic, parsley, lemon balm pestoโฆ I've tried them all. You can use store-bought (classic basil pesto) or any homemade pesto. Red pesto is also a great choice; the dish will have a different yet delicious flavor.
Capers, pine nuts, garlic, and lemon zest (from an organic unwaxed lemon) for the crispy topping.
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese from a wedge.
Other ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, dried oregano, fine sea salt or Kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
Pasta water: I list it as an ingredient, so you remember to save some before draining the noodles.
Additions
This is a versatile dish, so there are plenty of things you could add.
How about some veggies? I love adding frozen peas or small broccoli florets to the pasta pot during the last 2 minutes of cooking time, as well as a small handful of halved cherry tomatoes or baby spinach before serving.
Chopped kalamata olives, chopped artichoke hearts from a jar, or sun-dried tomatoes in oil are also great.
How to make tuna pesto pasta?
- According to package directions, cook pasta al denteย in a large pot of salted water. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
- Preparations: In the meantime, grate the garlic cloves and zest the lemon. Place the capers on a paper towel and pat them dry. Drain the tuna.
- Make topping: Heat the oil in a small pan. Add the capers and the pine nuts and stir fry them for about 30 seconds. Add garlic, lemon zest, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir for another 30 to 60 seconds until the pine nuts are golden brown and the garlic lightly golden. Immediately transfer to a plate.
- Combine: Return the cooked pasta to the pot. Add the pesto and 2-3 tablespoons of the cooking water, and stir well. If necessary, add a little pasta water so that the pesto sauce coats the penne nicely.
- Add flaked tuna, Parmesan, and one tablespoon of lemon juice to the pot and stir it again.
- Adjust the taste with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
- Serve the pesto tuna pasta immediately, generously sprinkled with the crispy topping and a bit more Parmesan.
Tips
To speed up the cooking process, start with hot water from the tap or boiling water from a kettle. If you start with cold water, it will probably take twice as long for the water to begin cooking.
Reserve some cooking water for the sauce; the starchy salty water helps bind the sauce and the noodles together and slightly thickens the sauce.
Pat the capers dry with kitchen paper; hot oil will cause the water to splash all over your stovetop.
Serve and store
Serve immediately with a fresh green salad with vinaigrette, with Cucumber Apple Salad, or Beet Apple Salad.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can reheat the dish in the microwave or on the stovetop, but it's not really necessary; you will also love it as a cold pasta salad.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
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๐ Recipe
Quick Tuna Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Small pan
Ingredients
Tuna pasta:
- 1 lb penne 450 g Note 1
- 2 cans tuna in oil about 10-12 oz
- 1 cup pesto 100 g Note 2
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan loosely packed Note 3
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
Topping:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon capers heaped
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest freshly grated and loosely packed Note 4
- 2 garlic cloves
- ยฝ teaspoon oregano
- fine sea salt or Kosher
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt generously and cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions. Reserve about 1 cup of cooking water before draining.
- Preparations: In the meantime, grate the garlic cloves and Parmesan. Zest the lemon. Place the capers on a paper towel and pat them dry. Drain and flake the tuna.
Topping:
- Heat the oil in a small pan. Add the capers and the pine nuts and stir fry them for about 30 seconds. Add garlic, lemon zest, oregano, a little salt, and pepper. Stir for another 30 to 60 seconds until the pine nuts are golden brown and the garlic lightly golden. Immediately transfer to a plate.
Tuna pesto pasta:
- Combine: Return the drained pasta to the pot. Add pesto, 2-3 tablespoons of the cooking water, and stir well. Add more cooking water if necessary, so the pasta is coated smoothly with the sauce.
- Add tuna, Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the pot and stir again.
- Adjust the taste with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
- Serve the tuna pesto pasta immediately, generously sprinkled with the crispy topping.
Notes
- Or another pasta shape.
- Homemade or bought pesto of choice.
- Preferably freshly grated, not pre-grated. Pre-grated is grainy, and it won't melt nicely in the sauce.
- Use an unwaxed, preferably organic lemon.
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