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. :)
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.