15 Minute Tuna Pesto Pasta (Healthy and Easy)
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15 minute meals are always a godsend when I’m tired, busy or stressed. This tuna pesto pasta provides everything you need in a speedy balanced lunch or weeknight meal: flavour, nutrients, minimal mess and affordability.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Healthy: This tuna pesto pasta is high in protein, packed full of nutrients thanks to the array of fresh veggies and keeps you full throughout the day, thanks to the generous helping of fibre.
- Flavorful: Tuna is always an amazing shortcut to flavour town. It’s intensely seasoned thanks to the brine/oil that it’s kept in, making it a great ingredient to use when you want a satisfying meal.
- Fast: Tuna + pesto is the perfect combo to whip up a dish in under 15 minutes.
- Budget Friendly: You can buy a can of tuna for just 69p in the UK or … $ in the US, making it an amazingly affordable source of protein. The base is also really versatile so you can use any vegetables you have on hand to pair with the tuna pesto pasta to minimise waste and expenditure.
- Versatile: Can be served hot or cold, depending on preference or whether you’re on the go or having a night in.
Try these other yummy pasta recipes this week; Chicken and Mushroom Pasta, Spicy Chicken Pasta Recipe, Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
The main ingredients that make this tuna pesto pasta recipe fantastic are the following:
Oil packed tuna
For this recipe I wanted the tuna to feel smooth and indulgent, which is what you achieve when you buy oil packed tuna. If you want to reduce the calories slightly, then tuna in brine is also delicious.
Celery
This is often a staple in tuna mayo salads, but why not pair it with tuna pesto pasta? I love the fresh crunch and flavour it provides to this dish.
Parmesan
As this dish is healthy, I wanted to add a cheese with a strong flavour that you therefore don’t have to add too much. Enter…grated parm!
Fresh pesto
I prefer the flavour of fresh pesto far more so I like to splurge here, but if you want to cut costs you can go for jarred pesto.
Variations/ Adaptations
Different pasta: I used fusilli as I love the way that the flavours dive into the pasta shape, but feel free to use your favourite pasta shape of choice.
Different type of tuna: there’s an abundance of types of tunas, whether they’re packed with oil, spring water, brine or infused with ingredients like chilli, choose your favourite!
Different Nuts in pesto the pesto: I use a pine-nut based pesto but you could use one that uses cashews, pistachios, whatever you fancy!
Gluten Free: select your favourite brand of GF pasta for this pesto tuna pasta or use a low carb substitute such as courgettie/zucchini noodles.
How to make tuna pesto pasta
- First cook the noodles in heavily salted boiling water for the time mentioned on the package minus 1 minute (Image 1).
- Chop the celery and green beans. Then grate the parmesan cheese (Image 2).
3. After 3 minutes of cooking the pasta, add the green beans to the same pot of boiling water. Then for the final minute, add the chopped celery (Image 3).
4. Drain the pasta, green beans, and celery in a colander, reserving around a mug full of pasta water. Then add the pasta, green beans, celery, tuna, white wine vinegar, and pesto to a skillet (Image 4).
5. Add the parmesan and parsley to the mixture in the skillet (Image 5).
6. Mix the ingredients well and serve (Image 6).
Consider making these other delightful Tuna dishes during the week; Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad, Spicy Tuna with Crispy Rice (Budget Recipe), Creamy tuna pasta bake
Tips for the best result
- Al dente – pesto and tuna pasta is elevated when all of the ingredients are al-dente- ensure that you don’t overcook the pasta or veggies to keep the texture and freshness of the ingredients.
- Lemon juice- use as much lemon juice that you like as this is a matter of preference.
- Season the pasta water generously with salt.
- Finish with lots of black pepper for the best end result.
Serving Suggestions
This pesto pasta with tuna is already a balanced meal, so you don’t need to serve it with anything else but if you fancied making a whole spread, these dishes would work well together:
More protein:
More veggies/carbs:
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
Refrigerator- tuna and pesto pasta can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4- 5 days.
Freezer- you can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. I recommend individually portioning out the pesto pasta with tuna so you can grab a serving at a time as meal prep.
Reheat- reheat in the microwave for two minutes with 1 tbsp of boiling water to prevent the pesto tuna from drying out. To defrost, let the serving thaw in the fridge overnight.
FAQs
Yes! In this recipe I throw everything from the can into the tuna pesto pasta as the oil adds more flavour and a better texture to the dish.
You may have finished the dish over too high of a heat- this causes the moisture to be cooked off and will try out the ingredients. Add an extra splash of pasta water when finishing or/and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Definitely! Use whichever pesto you prefer.
Need something sweet for after? Try these recipes; Nutella Blended Baked Oats (Tiktok Inspired), Steamed Lemon Cake, Soft Flapjack Recipe (Gooey and Chewy!)
If you tried this Tuna Pesto Pasta Recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Quick Tuna Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 x 135g cans of oil packed tuna (£2)
- Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped (£0.60)
- 50 g parmesan, finely grated (£1.85)
- 180 g green beans, sliced (£0.93)
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced (£0.39)
- 6 tbsp fresh pesto (£2.75/2)
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced (£0.75)
- 400 g fusilli (£0.69)
Cupboard Essentials
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
Method
- Cook your pasta in heavily salted boiling water, setting a timer to the packet time minus 1 minute.
- Add the green beans after 3 minutes, and the celery stalks for the final minute.
- Reserve a mug of pasta water, then drain. Add back into the pan and add the garlic, pesto, fresh parsley and white wine vinegar. Stir to combine, then stir the parmesan into the pan.
- Season generously with black pepper and an additional sprinkle of parm if you fancy it.
Notes
- For the best results, cook the pasta and vegetables until they are al dente, avoiding overcooking to maintain their texture and freshness.
- Adjust the amount of lemon juice according to your personal taste preferences.
- Make sure to season the pasta water generously with salt for enhanced flavor.
- Add a generous amount of black pepper at the end for optimal flavor.
Nutrition
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