Pasta with Tuna and Peas in a Cream Sauce, an easy delicious dinner made up almost entirely with pantry and freezer staples and ready in about 20 minutes!
I must begin this post by stating that this creamy tuna pasta recipe was entirely my husband’s idea, so thank you F! That is except for the addition of fresh lemon zest to brighten up the flavors in this dish.
That was my contribution to this easy, delicious pasta dish made up almost entirely of basic pantry and freezer staples!
To be honest with you, we did hear complaints from our children when we announced we were making canned tuna pasta. But after they tasted it they agreed it wasn’t bad at all!
It all began last spring during the beginning of this pandemic when we tried to greatly limit our trips to the grocery store and make do with what we had on hand. This was also an excellent exercise in trying to reduce food waste. With a few basic staples both in the pantry and fridge/freezer it is always possible to get an easy and healthy meal on the dinner table.
I’ll take this opportunity to share a few of these staples that are always in my kitchen, not including baking products.
Pantry, refrigerator and freezer essentials:
In the pantry:
Grains: this includes a wide variety of pasta; rice (brown and white); barley; quinoa and cornmeal
Canned legumes (beans and chickpeas): essential to have on hand when in a pinch you want to make pasta e fagioli, rice and beans; or salads and didn’t plan ahead enough to soak dried beans!
Dried legumes (including lentils): for those occasions when you do plan your meals ahead and have time to presoak dried legumes and boil them.
Canned tuna and/or salmon
Canned or jarred tomatoes: both passata (tomato purée) and diced tomatoes
Chicken or vegetable stock in cartons.
In the freezer:
Frozen vegetables: a variety of frozen vegetables including peas; corn; spinach; and mixed veggies
In the refrigerator:
Dairy products: including milk; a variety of cheeses (always Parmigiano); yogurt and butter
Eggs
Condiments: a multitude of condiments that can totally transform ordinary ingredients into gourmet dishes!
As long as you have a few of these staples on hand, along with a variety of spices, dried herbs and good quality olive oil, the possibilities for a healthy, delicious meal are endless!
What type of canned tuna is best for this recipe?
If you are not sure which can of tuna to choose when faced with a vast array of options at the grocery store, I thought I’d share this information with you. I’m aware that price is often the determining factor when grocery shopping however in this case I opted for chunk light tuna packed in water for several reasons.
Light tuna generally consists of smaller varieties of tuna (including yellowtail) which reproduce faster and have lower mercury levels.
This variety of tuna has a pale pink color and is more flavorful than larger varieties of tuna, such as albacore which also has higher levels of mercury. Therefore, aside from flavor, if you want to support more sustainable fishing practices it is best to opt for light tuna which is generally sold in chunk form.
I also prefer tuna packed in water instead of oil. The oil adds a certain flavor to the tuna and since I don’t want it to interfere with the flavor of my dish, I chose the more neutral flavored tuna in water.
All this said, it does not mean that other varieties of canned tuna won’t work well in this recipe. Ultimately it is, of course, up to you to make the final decision as to the canned tuna you opt for. You can find more information on the varieties of canned tuna here. 
Step by Step Instructions:
This entire dish will come together in the time that it takes to cook your pasta!
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and cook pasta according to package instructions. I prefer a medium length pasta with this dish such as penne rigate, rigatoni, fusilli or gemelli to name a few. These varieties are also ideal for ‘catching’ the sauce.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet heat olive oil and sauté a finely diced onion on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add frozen peas and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Drain and stir in 2 cans of tuna and use a wooden spoon to break up the chunks.
Pour in the cooking cream, lemon zest as well as salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
Drain pasta and stir into the tuna sauce. Toss to combine with the pasta. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Tips and suggestions:
- When possible, opt for light chunk tuna packed in water for this recipe.
- Use any medium length pasta of your choice including (but not exclusively) penne rigate, rigatoni, fusilli; gemelli or cavatappi.
- As a general rule, I prefer frozen over canned peas for their bright green color and texture over canned peas. However, in a pinch canned peas will do.
- Contrary to popular belief that cheese and fish do not go well together, a light sprinkling of Parmesan cheese when serving this pasta is delicious!
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
If you try out this easy tuna pasta recipe, please let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below. Feel free to Pin if for later. Buon appetito!
Here are more quick and easy weeknight pasta dishes for you to try out!
- Pasta with Broccoli
- Pistachio Pesto Shrimp Pasta
- Sicilian Pasta with Cauliflower
- Pasta with Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce
- Sicilian Pasta with Creamy Pistachio Sauce
- Pasta with Peas and Potatoes
- Pasta with Zucchini and Mushrooms
- Pasta with Ricotta
- Pasta ca’muddica (Pasta with Breadcrumbs)
- Sicilian Pasta with Anchovies and Breadcrumbs
- Pasta with Potatoes in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 454 grams dried pasta of your choice (1 lb)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 cups frozen green peas
- 2 cans tuna packed in water (100 gram cans)
- 473 ml 35% cooking cream
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- salt and pepper to taste
- handful freshly chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and cook pasta according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat olive oil and sauté onion for 3-4 minutes. Add frozen peas and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Stir in tuna, breaking up the chunks with your wooden spoon. Add cooking cream and lemon zest. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Drain pasta and stir into the tuna mixture. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve hot.
Notes
- When possible, opt for light chunk tuna packed in water for this recipe.
- Use any medium length pasta of your choice including (but not exclusively) penne rigate, rigatoni, fusilli; gemelli or cavatappi.
- As a general rule, I prefer frozen over canned peas for their bright green color and texture over softer canned peas. However, in a pinch canned peas will do.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Contrary to popular belief that cheese and fish do not go well together, a light sprinkling of Parmesan cheese when serving this pasta is delicious!
- Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact portion size and ingredients used.
Nutrition
Can you substitute heavy cream or half & half for the cooking cream? I can’t find cooking cream in my area.
Hello Janet, although I have not tried out this recipe with heavy cream or half and half. The cooking cream I found in the grocery store has 35% cream, so you can definitely use heavy cream in this recipe. Half and half can work as well however it will definitely not be as rich and creamy. Hope this helps and enjoy this dish!
Hi Nadia, it’s Rita! I’ve made this meal twice now and Marlon ate it both times even though he never wanted to eat tuna before! I love the flavor that the lemon zest adds. Thank you!
Hi Rita, so glad to hear that both you and Marlon enjoy it! My kids aren’t into canned tuna either but will tolerate this dish. It was mostly Frank’s idea but I decided to add the lemon zest for extra flavor. Thank you for your comment!
This looks fabulous! I’ve bookmarked it for an evening real soon. I love the combination of flavors.
Thanks Frank, it’s super easy using ingredients most of us have on hand, and it is tasty!
What can you substitute for the cooking cream?
Hello Janet, if you wish to skip the cooking cream I would add some vegetable broth instead. You will still need to add some liquid to prevent the dish from being too dry so instead of the cream add broth and allow it to simmer for a few minutes. Hope this helps!
PS – forgot check the boxes to receive feedback my and others’ comments. Please do that for me Nadia.
I’ll look into this Anna!
One of my son’s favorite all-time meals for his birthday is Tuna Noodle Casserole, to which I add frozen peas … the recipe you give here would probably please him as much so I’m thinking to make it instead. Old habits do die hard though so I’m taking chances fooling around with tried and true. I know that I WILL enjoy it!
Hello Anna, would you believe I have actually never tasted this casserole before? Not something my mom has ever made but it does sound similar to this recipe. Hope you do enjoy it!