Tuna Pesto Pasta is a fabulous easy dinner that comes together in 20 minutes. It’s made with basic pantry staples, such as canned tuna and jarred pesto, and finished with juicy cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. If you need a fast and delicious family-friendly dinner idea that doesn’t require much prep or a trip to the grocery store, you’ve found yourself a winner!
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WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- You only need one pot to make it
- Kid and family-friendly dish
- Delicious hot or cold – leftovers are perfect for lunch
- It’s budget-friendly dinner made with easily accessible pantry staples
- Make it gluten-free, low-carb or dairy-free with easy adjustments (see Substitutions and Special Diets below)
- Try my Greek Chickpea Pasta Bake for another healthy pasta dinner idea
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Canned Tuna: I used Genova’s tuna packed in olive oil. Good quality tuna packed in water will also work.
- Pasta: I like using rigatoni for this recipe but shells, penne or any other pasta type will work.
- Basil Pesto: to save time I opted for store bought pesto from Rao’s
- Cherry Tomatoes: for some color and extra veggies
- Fresh Basil Leaves: as garnish
PESTO: HOMEMADE OR STORE BOUGHT?
What I love about this pasta recipe is that you can have dinner ready in under 20 minutes and there is only one pot to clean. For that reason I prefer using good quality store bought pesto over homemade.
My favorite brands of basil pesto are:
- Rao’s (I love all Rao’s products)
- Kirkland (available at Costo)
- Rustichella d’Abruzzo (pricey but superior quality)
- Barilla Rustic Pesto Sauce (best budget friendly option)
HOW TO MAKE TUNA PESTO PASTA
Step 1: Cook the pasta according to package instructions in plenty of salted water. I like my pasta al dente (slightly undercooked) for this recipe.
Step 2: Reserve some starchy pasta water. This step is very important because you’ll need it to properly thin out and blend pesto sauce with pasta.
Expert tip: it’s VERY easy to forget about reserving starchy water before draining pasta. To help me remember, I will usually place a small bowl and a ladle right next to the stove near the pot of boiling pasta. It usually works!
Step 3: Drain the pasta and return to the pot.
Step 4: Mix in pesto. Add the pesto and ¼ cup reserved water and mix everything together until the pasta is evenly coated with delicious pesto sauce. If the sauce still seems too thick and is not blending well, add a splash more of reserved water.
Step 4: Add tuna and cherry tomatoes. If your tuna looks densely packed in the can, transfer it to a small bowl and flake with a fork before adding to the pasta. Mix gently with a spatula. You should have nice even pieces of tuna throughout the dish.
Step 5: Garnish and serve. Transfer Pesto Tuna Pasta onto a platter (or not, if you don’t want another thing to wash), decorate with fresh basil leaves and more cherry tomato halves, if desired, and dig in!
STORAGE AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS
I like serving this pesto pasta on its own, sprinkled with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. If you have a hungry crowd, offer a simple side salad with lemony vinaigrette and some crusty bread.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This dish is perfect for meal prep and can be enjoyed cold or warm. To reheat, place in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Pesto pasta can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months but it tastes best freshly made. Thaw completely before eating. Reheat if desired.
VARIATIONS AND ADD INS
If you want to spruce up this simple dish to make it more nutritious, here’s what you can add:
- Baby arugula or spinach – just fold in with hot pasta when you’re adding pesto
- Any leftover roasted vegetables, such as zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, onions, butternut squash, Brussel sprouts or asparagus
- Artichoke hearts
- Pine nuts or chopped walnuts on top
- Sautéed mushrooms
SUBSTITUTIONS AND SPECIAL DIETS
- If you want, you can use whole grain pasta for extra fiber. I actually really like this dish with whole wheat pasta because of the firmer texture but it's up to you!
- To make this pasta dish gluten-free, use your favorite brand of gluten free pasta.
- For a dairy-free version, use homemade dairy-free pesto made without no cheese.
- Make it low carb by swapping pasta for zucchini noodles (spiralized zucchini) or spaghetti squash.
- To add some more protein, try chickpea pasta or red lentil pasta. Both are excellent and a great way to sneak in some extra legumes to your diet.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Any type of pasta will work but my preference is to use smaller pasta with ridges such as rigatoni, penne or shells.
These are all different tuna species commonly used in canned tuna products. Albacore tuna is fleshier and firmer than other kinds of tuna with a relatively mild taste. It's often referred to as "white" tuna. Yellowfin and skipjack, or "light" tuna, are softer, darker in color and have a more intense flavor. I personally like yellowfin and skipjack better than albacore tuna in this dish but if you prefer less "fishy" flavor, stick to albacore.
I highly recommend investing in good quality canned tuna as it makes a huge difference in texture and flavor. My favorite brands on tuna packed in olive oil are:
Ortiz Bonito Del Norte Tuna in Olive Oil
Wild Planet Skipjack Solid Light Wild Tuna In Pure Olive Oil
Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Pure Olive Oil
Rio Mare Tuna Canned With Olive Oil
Just reserve some pasta cooking water! It will help thin out the sauce and blend it with pasta.
MORE EASY FAMILY MEAL IDEAS
- Low-Carb Tuna Melt Zucchini Boats
- Creamy Green Chicken Chili (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot)
- Loaded Mini Pepper Nachos
- Oven Baked Meatballs and Cabbage {Unstuffed Polish Cabbage Rolls}
- Greek Chickpea Pasta Bake
If you make this Tuna Pesto Pasta, be sure to leave me a comment and give this recipe a rating. Or better yet, send me a photo! I would love to hear from you and see how it turned out for you! You can also share and tag me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Tuna Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz dry pasta I used Rigatoni
- ⅓ cup basil pesto
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 5 ounce can tuna or water
- ¼ cup pasta cooking water (or more if needed)
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water before draining.
- Drain the pasta, return to the pot or Dutch oven and add pesto. Pour in ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water and mix with a silicone spatula.
- If the pesto isn’t blending well, add a splash more cooking water.
- Add canned tuna and cherry tomato halves. Stir gently to fold.
- Transfer to a platter, if desired and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
- Serve immediately or cold the next day.
Notes
To make it dairy-free use pesto made without cheese.
Olive oil packed canned tuna is best but good quality water packed tuna will also work.
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
Keri
Great recipe, and loved the tip about using the reserved pasta water. It worked really well!
Agnieszka
Yay! Glad to hear that, Keri.
Nora
What a wonderful pasta salad! I am always looking for delicious meals that are prepared in a short time! An absolute hit!
Kirby
I absolutely love tuna with pasta. This recipe was SO good! I used my favorite Italian canned tuna and my family absolutely loved it. Such an easy weeknight meal.
Agnieszka
I love Italian canned tuna! It's the best!
Nancy
I love tuna and this easy recipe is up my alley. Tasty and saved for later
Emily
So tasty and easy to make with items I had on hand! It was delicious for lunch the next day too!