I think 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 in your freezer to whip up quick and easy dinners, like this Creamy Tuna Pasta with Peas. I only need a few ingredients and about 20 minutes to get this warm, comforting dinner on the table. AND it’s equally as good the next day for lunch!
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“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”
Txmomof4
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this creamy tuna pasta recipe:
- Pasta: I had a box of cavatappi pasta in my pantry, so that’s what I used. But you can use any type of pasta you like! Penne, regular elbow macaroni, or fusilli would all work well. Be sure to follow the packet instructions for the pasta and cook until tender.
- Butter & Garlic: Sauteing butter and minced garlic together create a delicious base for the creamy sauce.
- Frozen Peas: I like using frozen peas in this dish because they’re already blanched and ready to use. Just add them straight from the freezer! Canned peas will also work, but the texture will be softer.
- Half and Half: Makes the sauce SO incredibly creamy and rich and helps set this recipe apart from my classic tuna pasta salad. I haven’t tried subbing it with other types of milk or cream, but some readers have successfully used whole milk mixed with a little cornstarch or added flour to the butter to make a roux (to thicken the milk up). However, I can’t guarantee results with these substitutions.
- Shredded Parmesan: I couldn’t find basic grated Parmesan in the store, so I hand-shredded a wedge that I had bought from Aldi a while back. Wedge Parmesan is more expensive and melts better than grated Parmesan, but grated Parmesan is fine to use. It may not melt as smoothly, but it’ll still be yuuuuumy!
- Solid Albacore Tuna: I’m going to admit that I sprung for the more expensive “solid” canned tuna for this recipe so I could have some larger chunks of tuna meat throughout. You can also use “chunk light” tuna, which tends to be more flaky and shredded, which should reduce the cost of this recipe a bit.
What Else Can I Add?
This recipe for creamy tuna pasta with peas is endlessly customizable when it comes to add-ins! I’ve been seriously inspired by some of your ideas in the comments below, so I wanted to share a few of them here. Here are some extra ingredients you can add to this dish to take it up a notch:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Red pepper flakes
- Fresh herbs, like basil or chives (mix in at the end, just before serving)
- Basil pesto
- Feta cheese crumbles
- Diced tomatoes
- A sprinkle of Ranch seasoning
- A squeeze of lemon on top before serving
Serving Suggestions
I think this canned tuna pasta is already so filling and satisfying, but I sometimes add a side or two if I want leftovers for lunch the next day! I love serving it with homemade garlic bread (which I often top with cheese before baking) and an easy side salad. A simple veggie side dish is nice, too, such as sauteed asparagus or steamed green beans.
How to Store and Reheat
This creamy tuna pasta recipe is good for about 3-4 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. To reheat, I use the microwave, stirring it every 30 seconds or so until heated through. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce during reheating, but I don’t mind that too much!
Creamy Tuna Pasta with Peas
Servings 4 about 2 cups eachIngredients
- 8 oz. pasta ($0.59)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.25)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1 cup frozen peas ($0.74)
- 1 cup half and half* ($0.74)
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan ($1.56)
- 12 oz. can solid Albacore tuna, drained ($3.86)
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. :)
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!!