Tuna Pesto Pasta (Easy 4 Ingredient Recipe)
This easy tuna pesto pasta is made from simple pantry ingredients and can be on the table in 15 minutes! Make this quick, flavorful pasta on busy nights or for a quick lunch.
I love making this easy tuna pesto pasta for a quick weeknight meal or easy lunch for the family. It only needs 4 ingredients and comes together in about 15 minutes.
Make this entirely from pantry ingredients, or use some homemade pesto from your freezer. If you love pesto, you’ll love this easy pasta!
Ingredients
1 pound of dried pasta. My favorite for this recipe is spaghetti. You can use angel hair, penne, fusilli, or rotini. Make sure to cook the pasta in salted water.
You need to reserve some of the pasta cooking water to make the sauce. And don’t rinse the cooked noodles!
Canned tuna in olive oil. Use good quality white albacore tuna that is packed in olive oil. Don’t drain the oil.
Prepared pesto– I usually have a jar of homemade pesto in the freezer. You can use homemade or store-bought pesto for this pasta.
Cannellini beans, aka Italian white beans, aka white kidney beans. Or substitute navy beans. Rinse and drain the canned beans before adding them to the pasta.
Instructions
Pro-tip: Fill the pot with the hottest water from the sink and cover it while you wait for it to boil. This will make that water boil faster! Last, don’t overfill the pot.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Then, cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Don’t throw away the cooking water. You need some of it for the sauce!
While the pasta is cooking, add the tuna, and pesto to a very large bowl. Then, add 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and stir to combine.
Add the rinsed and drained white beans. Then, use tongs to transfer the noodles directly from the pot. Don’t rinse the pasta!
Use the tongs to toss to combine the pasta with the tuna pesto sauce.
Serve immediately.
So easy and so tasty!
Yum!
Serving Tips
Make this tuna pesto pasta on busy weeknights or for a quick lunch. Pair it with a glass of white wine to unwind after a busy day.
Personalize it with toppings. Sprinkle it with parmesan cheese, chili flakes, or lemon zest. It’s also yummy with diced tomatoes, olives, or baby spinach! Try adding a few torn leaves of fresh basil to bring out the flavor of the pesto.
It makes a tasty 4 ingredient dinner on its own. You can add bread, veggies, or a salad to make it a heartier meal. Try pairing it with garlic bread or breadsticks. It goes well with simple arugula salad or roasted broccoli florets.
I love eating the leftovers cold like a pasta salad!
More Easy Pasta Recipes
PrintTuna Pesto Pasta
This easy, 4 ingredient tuna pesto pasta with white beans is fast and flavorful! Use pantry ingredients to make a nutritious 15-minute dinner.
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of salt for the pasta water
- 16-ounce box of dried spaghetti
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 cup prepared pesto
- 2 5–ounce cans of wild-caught tuna packed in oil
- 1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.
- While the spaghetti is cooking, add the pesto and tuna to a very large mixing bowl. When the pasta is done, add 1 cup of the pasta cooking water to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Then, add the rinsed and drained beans.
- Then, use tongs to transfer the spaghetti noodles directly into the mixing bowl. Do not rinse!
- Use the tongs to toss the spaghetti in the tuna pesto sauce until coated.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
You can use fusilli, rotini, or angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti noodles.
Optional toppings for serving
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Red pepper flakes
- Lemon wedges or lemon zest
- Fresh basil
- Diced tomatoes
- Baby Spinach
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8th of recipe
- Calories: 444
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 535.7 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.6 g
- Fiber: 4.2 g
- Protein: 20.6 g
- Cholesterol: 11 mg
