Special thanks to Genova for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own!
Your favorite comfort food — tuna casserole: reinvented! This creamy tuna pasta with peas is made in one skillet.
As soon as the weather starts really cooling down, it’s hard to want anything other than comfort food! Soups, stews, pot roast, and a personal favorite: creamy tuna and pasta. My mom frequently made creamy tuna over rice growing up and it was one of our favorites! This recipe is adapted from her creamy tuna and rice, but with one major change: we’re using pasta instead of rice.
Part of the “fun” of this recipe (besides having hardly any dishes to wash!) is how customizable it is. You can really change up this dish with how you top it at the end.
If you’re wanting more of a traditional tuna noodle “casserole” feeling, you can add crushed butter crackers, breadcrumbs, or potato chips
If you’re wanting a more cheesy tuna dish, you can stir some freshly grated cheese into the dish AND top individual servings with a sprinkle of cheese
If you’re wanting more of a seafood dish you can add in more lemon and even serve this dish with some lemon wedges and freshly chopped parsley
If you’re wanting more of a “kid-friendly” “tuna helper” dish you can add in some miniature frozen carrots and corn
Whenever I’m asked what my favorite canned tuna is, it’s not even a question — Genova’s Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil is the BEST. Genova’s tuna is packed in olive oil which really does make a huge difference to the overall taste and especially for this simple dinner recipe.
Beyond the quality and flavor of the tuna fish, Genova also sources 100% of their tuna from fisheries that are MSC certified (you can read more about that here!) Essentially to be MSC certified, the tuna fish has to meet rigorous standards that help protect the marine environments.
In a large nonstick pot (the skillet in pictures was used only for photos to better show the dish -- use a pot). add in the olive oil. Turn the stove to medium-high heat and once the oil is shimmering, add in the onion. Saute for a few minutes and add in the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add in 1 cup of the milk, the water, broth, and UNCOOKED pasta shells. Add some salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper). Lower the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring often until the pasta is al dente (according to package directions) The pasta will continue to cook a bit over the next few minutes so don’t overcook it here*.
Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons milk, Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Add the drained tuna and mix gently until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Let the pasta rest for about 6-8 minutes. It will continue to thicken and get nice & creamy. Stir in the frozen peas.
Add freshly shredded cheddar cheese and fresh parsley as desired. Or serve without the cheese and with additional lemon as desired. Enjoy immediately.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
*Depending on the brand (and size) of your pasta there is some variance. You may need to add slightly more liquid toward the end of cooking time if the noodles are absorbing a lot of the liquid. But be careful to not add too much or it will get soupy. There should still be liquid left even after the noodles are tender (it thickens as it sits for a minute).
I made this, and it was great! I added sharp cheddar, and it reminded me of my mom’s tuna noodle casserole from when I was a kid but made with much better ingredients. I definitely suggest using whole milk and small shells as the recipe states. The first time I made it I only had skim milk (which was not as creamy as I would have liked) and medium shells (which were too big to be covered by the cooking liquid). It still tasted great, but definitely go with the recipe! My only suggestion is to thaw the peas a little because adding completely frozen peas cooled it down.
This was great!!! Made it for a family gathering and it was devoured. I did not have enough liquid at the end so I added 1/2 a cup of my homemade Alfredo sauce, keeping in mind I doubled the batch. I used penne pasta as well and topped with cheese but still this is a definite make again recipe, that I will save.
In my experience, pasta never freezes and reheats very well so I don’t think this would be a great dish to freeze. That said, I haven’t personally tried freezing this dish; wish I could be of more help!
Super easy. I followed the recipe completely (except I halved) and I would say there was plenty for two people for a nice lunch. I loved the flavor the Dijon Mustard added. This will be great to make ahead this fall before returning to the classroom for a great “on-the-go” teacher lunch! Thanks for sharing!
Ahh I’m soo happy you enjoyed this!! Thanks so much for your comment and thanks for being a teacher (you guys don’t get enough appreciation for all you do!)
This was absolutely delicious! It was my 8-yr-olds night to make dinner. He had to find a healthy recipe instead of just the easiest (mayo…)
We used canned peas which was still okay given that the sauce was delicious, although I’ll use frozen next time.
My son now calls this ‘his dinner special’ and requests to make it weekly.
Tonight I decided to try another tuna last and man do I regret it. The pasta being cooked with the milk in your recipe is SOOO much creamier and flavorful. I’m making sure to bookmark this so I don’t lose it again.
Wow I’m so sad because the Dijon completely ruined this. I’ve made this dish before but using a different recipe. I decided to give this one a try and the Dijon added such a weird taste that did not go with the tuna at all. I love Dijon, too. I’m now having to force myself to finish all of this…soo without that ingredient this would have been perfect! BEWARE!
So happy to have discovered this!!! Couldn’t believe how yummy it was for being so quick and easy to make. I ended up using quinoa and brown rice pasta and threw in some chopped spinach rather than peas since that was what I had on hand. Turned out AMAZING and my husband couldn’t stop saying how good it was. I agree :). Will definitely add this to the rotation.
shawnna griffin says
hey girl- this looks so yummy!
Megan says
I made this, and it was great! I added sharp cheddar, and it reminded me of my mom’s tuna noodle casserole from when I was a kid but made with much better ingredients. I definitely suggest using whole milk and small shells as the recipe states. The first time I made it I only had skim milk (which was not as creamy as I would have liked) and medium shells (which were too big to be covered by the cooking liquid). It still tasted great, but definitely go with the recipe! My only suggestion is to thaw the peas a little because adding completely frozen peas cooled it down.
chelseamessyapron says
Thanks so much for the comment Megan! Glad you enjoyed this dish 🙂
Lekkna says
Very simple and delicious dish! Thanks for the recipe ?
chelseamessyapron says
You are welcome! Glad it was enjoyed 🙂
Ariana says
This was great!!! Made it for a family gathering and it was devoured. I did not have enough liquid at the end so I added 1/2 a cup of my homemade Alfredo sauce, keeping in mind I doubled the batch. I used penne pasta as well and topped with cheese but still this is a definite make again recipe, that I will save.
chelseamessyapron says
I’m so glad to hear you guys enjoyed this! Thanks! 🙂
Josh says
For a non-dairy choice, oat milk is a good substitute and tasted great.
Susan Zien says
Delicious. I had to leave out the mustard since my husband doesn’t like it. It was still amazing. I’ll have to add some mustard to my own serving.
My only question: Can this be frozen? We are only two people and a pound of pasta could give me three meals : )
chelseamessyapron says
In my experience, pasta never freezes and reheats very well so I don’t think this would be a great dish to freeze. That said, I haven’t personally tried freezing this dish; wish I could be of more help!
MsB1stGrade says
Super easy. I followed the recipe completely (except I halved) and I would say there was plenty for two people for a nice lunch. I loved the flavor the Dijon Mustard added. This will be great to make ahead this fall before returning to the classroom for a great “on-the-go” teacher lunch! Thanks for sharing!
chelseamessyapron says
Ahh I’m soo happy you enjoyed this!! Thanks so much for your comment and thanks for being a teacher (you guys don’t get enough appreciation for all you do!)
Amy says
This was absolutely delicious! It was my 8-yr-olds night to make dinner. He had to find a healthy recipe instead of just the easiest (mayo…)
We used canned peas which was still okay given that the sauce was delicious, although I’ll use frozen next time.
My son now calls this ‘his dinner special’ and requests to make it weekly.
Tonight I decided to try another tuna last and man do I regret it. The pasta being cooked with the milk in your recipe is SOOO much creamier and flavorful. I’m making sure to bookmark this so I don’t lose it again.
chelseamessyapron says
Awe this made my day!! Thanks so much for the comment Amy! I’m thrilled your son loves this dinner! 🙂 Thank you!
Katie says
Wow I’m so sad because the Dijon completely ruined this. I’ve made this dish before but using a different recipe. I decided to give this one a try and the Dijon added such a weird taste that did not go with the tuna at all. I love Dijon, too. I’m now having to force myself to finish all of this…soo without that ingredient this would have been perfect! BEWARE!
Chelsea Lords says
Oh no!! So sad to hear you didn’t enjoy the Dijon in this; sorry Katie! We love it with it, but sad it ruined it for you!
Sarah says
So happy to have discovered this!!! Couldn’t believe how yummy it was for being so quick and easy to make. I ended up using quinoa and brown rice pasta and threw in some chopped spinach rather than peas since that was what I had on hand. Turned out AMAZING and my husband couldn’t stop saying how good it was. I agree :). Will definitely add this to the rotation.
Chelsea Lords says
So happy to hear that!! Thanks for the comment and review Sarah 🙂