Tuna Pea Pasta
Ready in under 20 minutes, this Tuna Pea Pasta is a light, healthy, pasta with tuna recipe made with fresh herbs, canned tuna, and sweet peas. It is so easy to make and a family favorite that can be served hot or cold or for lunch or dinner!
Love Peas and Pasta? Try our Pea Pancetta Pasta, next!
If ever you need to know the value of a dish, just give it to a 5-year-old. Luckily, I happen to have a very opinioned one around who declared this pasta with tuna recipe her favorite. If that’s not a glowing recommendation for our latest Tuna Pea Pasta, then I don’t know what is! My kids love it because of the tuna and pasta. I love it because it is light, healthy, packed full of peas, delicious served hot or cold, annnnnd ready in under 20 minutes! It is our new favorite, fast, pasta of the summer!
Ingredients Needed
- Pasta – My favorite for this recipe is a farfalle, but you can use your own favorite! Even better, you know you can always make your own! No time to make your own? No problem, just use your favorite brand!
- Peas – Key to a tuna pea pasta recipe, right? I just love the subtle sweetness to them, plus they happen to be one of our girls’ favorites. We always have frozen peas in our freezer ready, but if you have access (and time to shell) to some beautiful fresh peas, well color me green!
- Tuna – We love this tuna pasta packed with albacore tuna.
- Garlic and Onion – Staples in our recipes.
- Herbs – I just love the flavor of fresh dill with tuna. But if you don’t have fresh, no problem, dried herbs work too! Just see the recipe notes.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Whenever we use olive oil raw, we use a good extra virgin olive oil, and one of our favorites right now is Tre Olive out of Italy (of course).
- Lemon Juice – Fresh or bottled, whatever you have to add a little acidity and brightness.
- Parmesan Cheese – Just a touch of cheesy salty goodness.
- Salt and Pepper
Tip: For the best olive oil, check out our olive oil breakdown here.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Less than 20 minutes! Another reason why this tuna pasta recipe is such a winner.
Step 1: Prep a pot of boiling water.
Step 2: Add pasta and then a few minutes in, add the peas.
Step 3: Meanwhile, make your light, bright, dressing.
Tip: We love using these Pyrex with a pour spout for dressings.
Step 4: And saute your garlic and onion, before adding your drained pasta and peas!
Step 5: Add the dressing, mix, and then cheese!
Give a final mix and done! Tuna Pea Pasta for the win!
One of the (many) reasons why I love this recipe, is it’s delicious hot or cold! Which makes this a perfect make-ahead dish!
It’s easy. It’s healthy. It’s ready in under 20 minutes. How can you go wrong? My girls love this for lunch or a light dinner. And it’s perfect for summer!
If a more classic tuna pasta dish is what you’re looking for, then be sure to try out our Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole, too!
Summer Pasta Favorites
- Sesame Soba Noodle Salad
- 20 Minute Tomato Artichoke Pasta
- 20 Minute Tomato Artichoke Pasta
- Avocado Pasta Salad
- 20 Minute Sweet and Spicy Noodles
- 15 Minute Garlic Fried Noodles
- 15 Minute Garlic Parmesan Zoodles
Ready fast made easy, and most importantly, this Tuna Pea Pasta is delicious! We love this dish so much!
FAQs
Of course! Use another cut of pasta or even rice noodles. Use your favorite, just be sure to cook to the particular pasta’s instructions. If using fresh pasta that’s only about 2-3 minutes. Otherwise, just follow the instructions on the package.
While sweet peas are our favorite to use, of course, you can use any that you have. If using frozen, add to the pasta water like the peas. If using canned or fresh, see recipe notes.
We always have frozen peas on hand so that’s what we use for this recipe but you can of course also use fresh or canned. If using fresh, just add in the last 2 minutes of boiling. If using canned, since they’re already cooked, all you need to do is add the tuna.
Of course! Just use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for every 1 tablespoon of fresh.
Definitely! Prep the pasta and veggies and the dressing and cheese separately and then mix it all together right before serving.
That’s totally up to you, we love it both ways!
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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Tuna Pea Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb pasta farfalle, egg noodles, or any of your other favorites
- 1 5 oz can albacore tuna drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 onion diced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill minced
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Heat a 3 quart pot of water on stove until it comes to a boil.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl of measuring cup with a pour spout, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk and set aside.
- When water comes to a bowl, add pasta. Set timer for pasta – according to time on package for the kind of pasta you're using. When there's about 4 minutes left for the pasta to cook, add frozen peas.
- While peas cook, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot and on medium and saute garlic and onion until soft and transluscent.
- When pasta is al dente, drain and add to the onions in the pot. Turn off heat. Add the tuna and mix.
- Add herbs, mix, and then drizzle dressing. Add Parmesan cheese and give a final mix.
- Serve and enjoy!
Where is the dressing recipe, or is it just mayonnaise?
Hi Dave! Nope, no mayonnaise in this one, it’s a light dressing of the olive oil and lemon juice with herbs. 🙂
Thank you for this terrific recipe! Started using it during the pandemic and it has remained a staple in our house ever since. My husband, my mom and I all love it – bright, fresh flavors and so easy to prepare. Going to make it for our grandkids next time they are here and we know they will love it too. Thanks again!
I LOVE to hear this, Maria! Thanks so much for sharing and taking the time to leave a review!
We loved this healthy version of good old fashioned tuna casserole. It was so delicious as well as fast and easy. We will be adding this to our biweekly menu.
So great to hear, MaryAnn! Thanks so much for sharing!
I just made this to take to work with me tomorrow, but also ended up eating a lot of it tonight by accident. Thank you for the simple yet tasty recipe! How much garlic do you normally add? I didn’t see it in the ingredient list.
Hi Viktoriya! So glad you enjoyed it – I have the same accidents! lol Oops – 2 cloves is what I usually add, but if you’re a true garlic lover, than you know that you measure that amount with your heart 😉
This recipe was SO delicious. I was surprised how good it was hot and cold. So versatile and perfect for a picnic lunch.
Thanks so much, Sara!
This brings me back to childhood, only this is a much lighter and healthy update. Perfect.
I haven’t seen a seven oz. can of tuna in many, many years. This must have been taken from a very vintage recipe.
Hi James! The Costco brand is what we use, which is 7 oz. https://amzn.to/3so8OSZ But you could of course use a standard 5oz can, too!