Peas are totally underrated. They’re inexpensive, easy to cook or add to recipes, and packed with both protein and fiber. So they’re an excellent item to keep on hand in your freezer to whip up quick and easy dinners, like this Creamy Tuna Pasta with Peas. You only need a few ingredients, about 20 minutes, and you’ll have this warm, comforting dinner that will be equally as good the next day for lunch!
Want more tuna recipes? Check out my tuna recipe archives!
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What Type of Canned Tuna Should I Use?
I’m going to admit that I sprung for the more expensive “solid” canned tuna for this recipe so that I could have some larger chunks of tuna meat throughout. You can use “chunk light” tuna, which tends to be more flaky and shredded, which should bring the cost of this recipe down a bit.
What Type of Parmesan is Best?
For some strange reason I couldn’t find basic grated Parmesan in the store today (seriously, where were they hiding it??) so I hand shredded a wedge of Parmesan that I had bought from Aldi a while back. Wedge Parmesan is more expensive and melts better than grated Parmesan, but grated Parmesan is totally doable in this recipe if that’s what is available to you. It may not melt as smoothly, but it will still be yuuuuumy!
Creamy Tuna Pasta with Peas
Servings 4 about 2 cups eachIngredients
- 8 oz. pasta ($0.67)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.26)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1 cup frozen peas ($0.38)
- 1 cup half and half* ($0.75)
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan ($0.95)
- 12 oz. can solid Albacore tuna, drained ($2.79)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add the pasta and continue to boil until the pasta is tender. Drain the pasta in a colander.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the dish. Add the butter and minced garlic to a large skillet. Sauté the garlic over medium heat for about one minute, or just until it is soft and fragrant, but not browned.
- Add the frozen peas and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for a couple minutes more, or until the peas are heated through.
- Add the half and half to the skillet and allow it to come up to a simmer, stirring frequently to keep a skin from forming on the surface or the bottom from scorching. Let the half and half simmer for about 3-5 minutes, or just until it reduces slightly.
- At this point the pasta should be finished and drained. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and stir to combine. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the pasta and stir to combine again. Allow the heat to melt the Parmesan as you stir. Once melted, turn the heat off. Taste the pasta and add a pinch of salt and pepper, if needed.
- Finally, add the drained tuna and fold it into the pasta. If you are using whole tuna chunks, break them up slightly as you stir. If you are using chunk light tuna that is already in small pieces, fold gently to avoid breaking the tuna up too much. Serve warm!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Tuna Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Begin cooking 8 oz. of pasta first, because you’ll be able to prepare the rest of the dish in the time it takes to cook the pasta. While your pasta is boiling, add 2 Tbsp butter and 2 cloves of garlic, minced, to a large skillet. Sauté the garlic over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until it is soft and fragrant, but not brown.
Add one cup of frozen peas and a pinch of salt and pepper to the skillet. Continue to sauté over medium for a few minutes, or just until the peas are heated through.
Add 1 cup half and half and allow it to come up to a simmer. Allow the half and half to simmer for a few minutes, stirring frequently, so that it reduces slightly. Make sure to stir as it simmers to prevent a skin from forming on top and to prevent the bottom from scorching.
At this point the pasta should be finished cooking. Once drained, add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to combine with the cream and peas.
Add the Parmesan and stir to combine. The heat from the pasta and cream will begin to melt the Parmesan. Keep stirring until it is fairly smooth, then turn the heat off. Give it a taste and add another pinch of salt and pepper, if desired.
Finally, add a drained 12 oz. can of tuna. Stir to combine. If your tuna is in whole pieces like mine, you can break it up a bit as you stir. If you’re using tuna that is closer to a shredded consistency, fold it in gently to make sure it doesn’t disintegrate and disappear into the pasta.
And that’s a wrap! You quick and easy Creamy Tuna Pasta with Peas and Parmesan is ready to eat!
Dinner doesn’t have to be difficult. :)
I also add spinach and lemon rind! Divine. My kids request this weekly!!!
Exactly what I was looking for. Lots of protein and macro friendly. I usually have these ingredients on hand so it makes it quick and easy. I sub-ed whole milk for half and half and it still turned out delicious. Thanks Beth!
Added red pepper flakes and fresh basil leaves before serving. Used baby zucchini slices instead of peas. Keeping everything al dente is the key to success
I think this is a good base recipe. It’s a recipe I do often because it’s quick, easy and inexpensive.
I tweak the spices a bit (in addition to salt and pepper, I put chili pepper flakes and fine herbs) and make some modifications depending on what I have on hand. This time, I used frozen spinach instead of frozen peas because I didn’t have any and mixed parmesan and peccorino together because I had wedges of both in my fridge.
Delicious!
The dish itself was alright, but there is not a single seasoning in this recipe, not even salt and pepper. It was so bland it just tasted like fishy mush. If this recipe is updated with some actual flavor added to it, I might try it again, but until then definitely not.
Please note that the instructions say to season with salt and pepper in 2 different steps. Also…nothing preventing you from seasoning to taste as you cook. 🙄
My favorite recipe on this site! The ultimate easy comfort food.
I love this recipe so much! I have some leftover cooked salmon and I’m gonna use that for this tonight!
That was delicious! My whole family loved it as well. Three of us don’t really care for fish. Two toddlers, a teenager, husband and wife approved! I sauted the butter, garlic and tuna in the beginning. And, added a squeeze of lemon to each bowl at the end. Perfectly yummy! Thank you for your recipe.
Is there anything that can replace the cream to make it dairy free?
Try replacing the cream with vegan cream or (sugar-free) coconut cream.
Loved the recipe, this is my new go to lunch. I made a few changes and added half the butter and used garlic powder since I didn’t have fresh garlic. I added a can of fire roasted tomatoes with chiles which gave it a nice kick.
Just made this tonight and it turned out amazing! I added a bit of extra garlic and some baby spinach.
Will definitely be making it again. Thanks!
It was exactly as I imagined it would taste- delicious. Thank you!
Made this tonight and it was a winner! We added added a tablespoon of ranch powder and it threw it over the top! Thank you again for another great recipe.
So delicious! I add snipped chives in the summer from my backyard pot.
This was fantastic! We have three adults in the house, so I doubled the recipe so there would be enough for lunch leftovers. I didn’t have half and half, subbed evaporated milk with a bit of heavy cream. Also no fresh garlic, subbed garlic powder. The parmesan adds such incredible flavor!
Just made this exactly as recipe was written. Absolutely absolutely delicious and we’ll make it again!!
This is the 2nd time I made it. Fantastic. A keeper and super simple. Since there’s just 2 of is, I cut the recipe in half but keep the sauce the same. My husband, it doesn’t matter what recipe I make, always likes more sauce. The 2nd time I made it I did not have peas so instead substituted tatsoi I had just picked from the garden. Delicious!
My kids don’t eat tuna, so thought I would give this a try (verdict still out until they get home!)
I’m in Australia so we don’t have half/half – I used just standard single cream but I think next time I would use milk and some corn-starch as it would have the same texture and I always have those ingredients to hand!
I added chopped (defrosted) frozen spinach whilst sautéing the peas (it’s so cheap here to buy and my kids can’t taste it so I figure it’s an extra veggie), and also added a couple of handful’s of grated cheese once the cream had heated up and stirred that through along with the tuna to hide the fishy-ness a little.
I’ve tasted it and think it is really delicious, hopefully the kids do too! :)
For anyone else that forgot to pick up half n half at the grocery store like me, I used 1 C of milk and thickened it with some cornstarch and it was just as tasty! I made this with half n half the last time I made this and I couldn’t tell the difference :)
Tasted good but my dish turned out a little dry and it needed more savory flavor. I added some basil pesto as another commenter suggested and that helped. I think adding some lemon juice or vinegar would help as well. It’s a good base recipe to expand on but it needs just a little extra in my opinion.
Pasta water works pretty good to make it add moisture.
I didn’t have a cup of half and half but was able to successfully replace it with half a can of Campbells Cheddar Cheese mixed with about a half cup of milk. I’m pretty sure this doesn’t taste as the author intended but it was really good!
One can also cook the tuna with the butter and garlic if you don’t wish for such a strong fishy taste.
Hey there, wondering if this is ok to be frozen?
Unfortunately, creamy sauces generally don’t do well with freezing. They tend to separate. :(
This was an amazing recipe! I kist started learni g to cook the recipe was simple to follow and came out so delicious i savored every bite. What would be a good way to reheat this dish?
I just use the microwave. With pasta dishes like this the pasta will absorb some of the sauce as it reheats so it will be a little more dry the second time around, but still delicious, IMHO! :)
Put together your easy to cook recipe and it came out just like you said delicious I love it thank you
So this looks absolutely incredible, I was wondering if/how long we could store it in the fridge? I’m trying to make enough for just about two days worth of dinner :)
For dishes like this I usually get about four days in the refrigerator, but it can depend on so many different factors, so your mileage may vary. :)
Super easy and delicious. I slightly modified this by doubling the recipe, making the sauce in a saucepan (everything cooked just fine), and adding 1/4 a cup of freshly chopped parsley to the sauce after cooking, but before adding to the pasta to make sure it blended well. The sauce seems very runny at first, but as you fold it into the pasta it thickens to the perfect consistency, so don’t be scared!
The great thing about this sauce is if you sub the half-and-half for heavy whipping cream, you have a perfect alfredo sauce for fettuccine.
Awesome recipe and a great base for a tuna pasta dinner. I made it as written first and it was absolutely delicious and very affordable. After I got a feel for the recipe I made some alterations to make it fit my tastes even more.
I’m not a huge fan of peas so I substituted chopped kale as I always have kale growing in the garden. Then I added about a tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes as I really like spice. Then, taking a note from one of the other recipes from Budgetbytes (creamy pesto pasta) I added a tablespoon or two of pesto for an extra oomph of flavor and color. I also did a penne pasta instead of the corkscrew, just as a preference (I always have penne pasta for the creamy pesto pasta). Put in a bowl, squeeze some fresh lime juice on top and it’s delicious! …. Alright, I know those are a lot of alterations but that just proves what a versatile base recipe this is!
Can I use canned peas
Yes :)
I used google to see if you had a tuna noodle casserole, and there are several pinterest/other site links to a Tuna Noodle Casserole with olives and spinach, but it seems to have gone 404. Is this intentional? Any chance you would restore it?
Yes, that was intentional (I occasionally remove recipes that I don’t think are high quality), but I will email you a pdf of the recipe to the email address you used to register this comment. :)
The tuna casserole recipe with the olives and spinach is what my older daughter refers to as the “good” tuna casserole. I have a printout of this one, but I wanted to let you know that this is a family favorite for us.
Can lite coconut milk be substituted for half & half?
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure how much it will affect the outcome.
I used the regular cheap cans of tuna in water from Aldi but it still stayed kind of chunky. I forgot to add the parmesan at first but think this dish would be fine without it as well.
My whole family loves this recipe! I love it also because it’s so simple and quick to make. I’ve made it 3 times so far, once with albacore, once using chunk lite & once using grated over shredded. I didn’t notice a difference between the cheese but I definitely like the albacore best. This is the perfect meal when you don’t want to spend the evening cooped up in the kitchen but want to serve your family a wholesome, hot and homemade dish. I definitely could sit down and eat the entire dish by myself! lol
I tried this and it came out soooo good! I’ve never made a creamy pasta before, but the instructions were simple and easy to follow for someone relatively new to cooking on their own. Im gonna go back for seconds!
For those trying to make this with milk instead of heavy cream:
I added 1 Tbsp of flour to the butter / garlic / pea mixture and let it bubble for about 2 minutes before adding the milk (2% worked for me); I then treated it just like a white sauce made from a roux and let it simmer for a few minutes until it thickened. I also increased the parmesan (I used grated because it’s what I had) to 3/4c. The sauce was actually thicker and clung better to the noodles than it did when I made it with the heavy cream!
I actually don’t like tuna very much so I was hesitant to try this one when it came up in my meal plan rotation. I’m so glad I didn’t chicken out (pun intended) and swap the tuna for canned chicken! I used solid white albacore tuna packed in water from Trader Joe’s; it’s about $2.50 per 5oz can so it’s a little more expensive, but I only use 10 oz instead of 12, and it’s worth it for something that doesn’t taste overly tuna-y to me. This dish is packed with protein and it keeps me full for a long time – perfect for an easy, relatively-cheap meal!
This was honestly not very good. :( I tried adding a lot more salt, pepper, and even some garlic powder, and it was still bland. I also added more parmesan on top of the dish afterwards and it was still super bland.
I’ve made sauces very similar to this, but this one just would not come together. (I used the same good cheese I use in my other sauces and it works fine.) Full points for a cheap meal that’s edible and filling. Only one star for flavor, though.
Absolutely delicious, added a bit of cayenne pepper because my husband NEEDS spice, and it was delicious!
This is delicious. The only thing I did was add a shallot and used shaved Parmesan cheese. This is a keeper. Thank you.
Tasty and filling comfort dish but mine ended up looking like a big sticky lump :(
Is there a way to use mayo and/or greek yogurt in place of the half and half? Lactose free half and half is really expensive
We haven’t tried that but you could certainly give it a shot!
I just made it with Greek yogurt and it’s delicious. I just didn’t cook it too long with the yogurt
Love it 😍
My kid was used to ragu+spaghetti/rigatoni+ tuna. Yep.. it taste good, and now a lot of ppl love my husband’s recipe.
Today we got Pasta Del Mare, organic artisan pasta and wanted to make something quick and yummy on this hot day, thank goodness I found this recipe. Love how it is explained.
My kid loves broccoli more than peas, so 🥦 it was. Yummy!!!!!!! Definitely a keeper. Thank you ☺️
This recipe is great. I’ve made it exactly as written several times. But just in case this might inspire someone, when I made it yesterday I stirred in an odd amount of leftover homemade pesto that I didn’t want to go bad, and that took this to the NEXT LEVEL! Absolutely delicious recipe that we’ll make again and again.
My kids are ravenous now that they’re home 24/7 & begged for lunch today an hour before I was ready to cook. After looking in the fridge & pantry, & seeing what I had ready to work with I googled “spaghetti & tuna” . This recipe was one of the first to pop up, I had all the ingredients so I figured why not? My kids couldn’t fathom the idea of tuna & spaghetti together & protested the entire time I was cooking. I had to swap out the peas for canned green beans, but it all came together in under 10 minutes & to everyone’s surprise was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be adding this one to rotation. Thank you!!!
CAN THIS BE SERVED CHILLED AS A SIDE FOR A BURGER OR SANDWICH?
I don’t see why not! Sounds delicious.
Can we substitute half and half for almond milk? My hubby is lactose intolerant
We haven’t tested it that way but almond milk isn’t quite as creamy. I’d recommend swapping with unsweetened canned coconut milk.
Our supermarket just started carrying Organic Valley lactose-free half-and-half, we use it all the time now.
Quick and simple to make. Made the mistake of adding the tuna to the cream sauce before the pasta and the tuna sucked up all the sauce :( Will attempt again and be sure to add the pasta before the tuna :)
I didnt have any half and half so I used 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup water mixed together and it worked great. Just fyi for anyone who doesnt have the half n half.
Awesome and fast! You’ve done it again. Will be using this as a higher-protein alternative when I crave mac and cheese for the second day in a row.
Wow this was soooo good! I was trying to use up some of my pantry staples so I did some substitutions but it still turned out really good! Ran out of half and half so I used (1/2) whipping cream and (1/2) almond milk. Also used chickpea pasta and added couscous (since I was short on the pasta)—just added the couscous to the cream and waited 5 minutes to cook, and skipped the peas!
Can I use milk instead of half and half if I do not have the latter? Trying to make this at my dorm room for me and my roommates!
Yes use what you’ve got! It may not be as creamy but it will still be good. :) Have you seen the round up we did for college students? You may find a few others you like!
I usually never comment here but love the site! I just wanted to say that I used whole milk, but mixed flour into the butter at the start, before adding the milk. I then saved some of the pasta water and mixed it in at the end, which made the sauce pretty creamy!
Made this recipe today for Ash Wednesday and it was great! We have enough left to have on Friday. Will be making this again.
I was looking to cook something with Canned Tuna and found your recipe. It is delicious!!! Thank you for sharing. I will definitely cook this again.
Another winner! Can’t go wrong with pasta, butter, cream and cheese, the addition of peas and tuna was just heaven.
Happy to hear it Cela!
Great me and the girl love it
Happy to hear it Michael!
Very tasty!
I was looking for something new to make with tuna and peas and I found your recipe! Thank you for sharing it.
Glad you enjoyed it Selma!
Just made this, added a little milk and feta cheese, it’s amazing! Super affordable, quick, & easy :) Thanks
Feta sounds like a great addition to add a bit more flavor.
Absolutely loved this recipe! I followed it exactly and it was easy, quick, comforting, and so very tasty. I will definitely be making this regularly for my meatless-Fridays.
What a great recipe! The garlic cream sauce is fabulous! Another family hit! Thank you!
This was really good and came together quickly. I used a pound of mushrooms instead of peas, and 3 5 oz cans of Italian tuna in olive oil. I also used more parm and pepper than the recipe calls for, plus a splash of sauvignon blanc while the mushrooms were cooking. Oh, and since I used so many mushrooms, I used 4 tablespoons of butter.
I wasn’t expecting such a bold flavor. So so very good my 3 and 2 year old absolutely loved it and they don’t like anything. So picky. Ok will be a a weekly go to meal. So cheap and easy
YES! I loved it…I will follow this recipe again and again… I didn’t have the 1/2 & 1/2 at the time I came across your recipe, so I used half cream and 1/2 skim milk…turned out great. thanks for sharing this recipe.
I came across this blog & this recipe quite by accident, while searching for something different to make with tuna. The combination of ingredients in this dish sounded tasty, and the dish seemed easy & quick to put together. I used what I normally have in my pantry….whole grain pasta, and I also took the liberty to add a few sliced Baby Bella (Crimini) mushrooms, just ’cause we love mushrooms. Since I wasn’t looking for a budget friendly recipe, I used my favorite Italian Tuna in olive oil, and the flavor of this dish turned out to be phenomenal! Thank you for the inspiration, and I plan to make this again & again.
Will try most of recipes.Looks very good and easy to cook
This was good and super, super easy. I happened to have most of the ingredients on hand too. Just finished off the leftovers for lunch :-) I’ll make it again. Nice change of pace from red sauce & meat.
I made this earlier tonight and it was amazing. I added broccoli as well because I had some I needed to use up and it was delicious. This will likely be a regular dish at my house now.
Why did your tuna noodle casserole with spinach and olives go away? I had to use the wayback machine to find it :(. Seriously, that is my go to tuna noodle casserole recipe. I use the same amount of noodles that you do but twice as much spinach and a bit more mushrooms and butter but I love it. I am sure this one is really nice too, but holy moly, the other is amazing and great for a crowd and leftovers :).
If you still need the pdf of the older recipe, we can send it to you for safe keeping. :) I cleaned out some older recipes that I don’t feel live up to my current standards.
Good to know – I was wondering where the turkey spinach pasta bake went!
My kids ask for “tuna cream pasta” almost weekly now. Budget friendly, quick, and beloved by everyone in our house? Yes, please!
Thanks for another winner!
This was so easy and delicious! My whole family loved it! I will definitely make it again! Thank you!
Fantastic, even for a non-fish eater! I don’t usually eat any fish or seafood but decided to trust Beth and try this. It was great! I used Trader Joe’s solid albacore tuna and it was very mild. Plus the salty Parmesan and the garlic with the peas made this recipe a great intro to fish. :) thanks for expanding my horizon!
As a college student, I always go to Budget Bytes when i’m looking for inexpensive recipe inspiration. This one was really good, my husband and I loved it. I doubled the recipe and added half a carton of sliced white mushrooms, about a teaspoon of crushed red pepper (one of those little packages that come with pizza, very budget friendly lol :)), and lots of Parmesan-Romano blend cheese. I doubled everything except the tuna, per other reviewers.
I made this for my family and it was GONE! Next time I’ll be sure to double the recipe so that way my husband has leftovers for work.
So good!! :-)
This was soooo good! Only thing I changed was I halved the amount of tuna. I’m really glad I did because I think 12 oz would be overkill. This is my new favorite recipe 😉
This turned out AMAZING and earned me many compliments! I doubled the recipe, but found that I still only needed one 12 oz. can of whole chunk tuna. This was partially due to adding fresh broccoli florets and sliced crimini mushrooms to the garlic/pea step, which brought the cost of the meal up by $2 but was so worth it. I also went to town on seasoning it with salt, cracked pepper, and cayenne. Thanks for the meal idea, Beth!
This was delicious, and very easy! I’m looking forward to trying out variations with different vegetables added, mushrooms or broccoli would probably be great in this.
Your recipes are trusted go-to’s for me and my kids, and my son who had never had tuna went back for seconds on this one! The solid tuna is a great call, so much more like “meat”, and more mellow in this recipe than I expected. I might saute some onion next time and add a dash of cayenne (which are budget) and double the Parmesan (which is not, but yum). This recipe is a keeper!
I added a dash of hot sauce one day when I reheated the leftovers and it was really good!
We had this for dinner again tonight with the sauteed onion and a little extra Parmesan, and it was heaven! Something about the sweetness of the onion with the tuna, garlic and cream created some magic.
I did indeed make this with canned chicken and it was quite tasty! I think it would also be delicious with leftover grilled chicken. Thanks for the recipe!!
What could you use to sub half and half (majorly lactose intolerant)
Unfortunately that ingredient is pretty integral to the recipe. I can’t think of a non-dairy product that would work well here.
This was great and I love having backup recipes with only pantry staples in my back pocket for emergencies. I thought the leftovers were even better.
This was SO GOOD! Wow. I’m not a huge fan of tuna, but I decided to try it anwyay and I was really impressed. It didn’t taste fishy or “tuna-ish” at all! I added red chili flakes for some extra kick at the end too.
Not a tuna fan – assume I could swap out cooked (or canned) chicken breast instead?
I suppose that would work! I’ll be honest though, I’ve never had canned chicken breast so I’m not sure what flavor it will bring to the dish and how that would compare to the flavor of the tuna.
I was thinking the same thing, and decided I would probably go with cooked rather than canned chicken, but that’s a personal preference issue, and I do often keep canned chicken on hand just in case.
How funny – I made almost exactly the same thing last week, but all in a skillet for a one-dish cleanup. Basically the same ingredients plus 3 cups of chicken broth or water, although I also added some sliced mushrooms, and a couple of tablespoons of sherry for a more Tetrazzini-type flavor. To make it all in one skillet, saute the garlic (and mushrooms if you use them) in the butter in a large skillet. Then add the broth/water (and sherry if you want). Bring it to a boil, throw in the pasta, cover and lower the heat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the tuna, half-and-half, and peas. Cook and stir occasionally until sauce has thickened and pasta is done, about another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan.
Love it!
I love adding tuna to pasta and I love peas so this I have to try! My go to is always adding in zucchini and tomatoes, but sometimes you want something a little different, you know? I will definitely be trying this soon. Thanks!
https://bit.ly/2LRlkUE
Just tried this tonight. My family devoured it and it’s sooooo quick to make.
I couldn’t find any half & half (and when I do it’s expensive in NZ), so I bought Carnation Lite Cooking Cream from the tinned/canned food aisle. It’s about 14% fat and lasts a year in the pantry.
I made this for myself for dinner tonight and it is yummy and comforting. I added extra peas because I LOVE PEAS. I will be making this again.
Peas are not considered to be vegetable, they are in the same category as legumes and are high in carbohydrates. Why not add a real vegetable, like broccoli, and make this recipe healthier?
You can certainly do that if you want.
That’s bollocks. This keto trend is a nightmare.
Hi Janine, peas are considered a vegetable and have high nutritional value. What was the point of your comment? What do you have against peas? #peashamer #LOL
Geeky, health focused questions.
I am assuming use olive oil for butter no problem with the sautéing of the garlic?
But can I reasonably substitute plain Greek yogurt for the half and half and hope to have it turn out half decent?
I’ve made a fake “roux” with greek yogurt before, just make sure you add pasta water to it to temper it into a more liquid concentration. I’m planning on trying this with cashew milk too, which I’ve subbed for half and half before no problem.
I sub olive oil for butter in recipes like this all the time, and it works fine. (I’d be less likely to try it if the solid-at-room-temperature quality of butter or the flavor of butter was integral to the recipe.)
As for the plain Greek yogurt, keep in mind that it’s thick and tangy as compared to half and half. If I were to try that substitution, I’d consider mixing it with some milk or some of the pasta cooking water until it’s a similar consistency.
IME full fat greek yogurt can be a decent substitute for half and half in this type of recipe. But non-fat greek yogurt, no. DISCLAMER: I haven’t made this particular recipe.
Any type of fat should work to saute the garlic.
While you can use olive oil in place of the butter, you’ll be missing some of the flavor that the butter provides. While olive oil is pure fat, butter contains cream, which has both sugars and proteins, and therefore has a different flavor. How’s that for a geeky answer? ;) I honestly wouldn’t sub the Greek yogurt for the half and half. It has both a drastically different flavor AND texture, so your end result will be quite different. That being said, sometimes people make substitutions like this and are perfectly happy with the result. Sometimes it just boils down to personal preference. (Also, I like the suggestions that some other people had about adding more liquid to thin it out.)
Two things about this recipe–first, I grew up with tuna casserole, but when I left it a few decades back, I looked for a way to recreate that homey taste without canned cream soup–have been using a white sauce a little less rich than this recipe, but think I’m going to go with the cream. I also like to add some sauteed mushrooms, having grown up with the cream of mushroom soup version. My version has always had peas.
The other thing–unless you have a garden and grow peas, it is nearly impossible to locate high quality fresh peas–delicious beyond understanding if you have never eaten them. I have been trying to find them for more than 50 years. Forget about fresh and buy frozen because they are nearly as good as the real deal and much better than the starchy overage peas you can find in most supermarkets and farmers’ markets both.
Any thoughts on what this might be like with canned chicken? My partner is allergic to fish, and I usually have a couple of cans around in our emergency supplies.
(I usually don’t use canned chicken in anything, so a year before the expiration date on the can, I donate it to the food pantry to avoid waste.)
I have to be honest, I’ve never ha canned chicken so I’m not sure how the flavor will compare. The tuna definitely does flavor the whole dish, so I’m not sure if it will be lacking if you use something less potent, like chicken.
Mmmm, comfort food.
My mum and now me make a version of this but use creme fraiche instead of cream. I tend to use an onion, and either mushroom or a grated courgette (zucchini). I might try using peas next time. Oh and we always flavour it with dijon mustard. Yum!
I LOVE tuna. Can’t wait to make this recipe!!! :-)