Home > Dinner > One Skillet Creamy Tuna Pasta One Skillet Creamy Tuna Pasta November 15, 2017 | 38 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. 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. More Tuna Recipes: One Skillet Cheesy Tuna Pasta The BEST Tuna Macaroni Salad Mediterranean Tuna Salad Sriracha Tuna Salad Wraps Tuna Salad reader favorite FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Creamy Tuna Pasta 4.84 from 12 votes - Review this recipe Your favorite comfort food -- tuna casserole: reinvented! This creamy tuna pasta with peas is made in one skillet. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Creamy Tuna Pasta 4.84 from 12 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Your favorite comfort food -- tuna casserole: reinvented! This creamy tuna pasta with peas is made in one skillet. Course Dinner Cuisine American Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Servings 4 -6 servings Calories 458kcal Author Chelsea Ingredients1/2 tablespoon olive oil1 yellow onion, finely chopped1 teaspoon minced garlic1 cup + 2 tablespoons 2% or whole milk, separated2 cups water2 and 1/4 cups chicken broth (low-sodium)1 package (16 ounces) small pasta shells1 tablespoon Dijon mustard1 large lemon2 cans (5 ounces EACH) Genova Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil, drained1 cup frozen peasSalt and pepperOptional: freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, fresh parsley, fresh lemon wedges InstructionsIn 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. 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). Nutrition FactsCalories: 458kcal We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
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. Reply
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. Reply
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 : ) Reply
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! Reply
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! Reply
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!) Reply
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. Reply
Awe this made my day!! Thanks so much for the comment Amy! I’m thrilled your son loves this dinner! 🙂 Thank you! Reply
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! Reply
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! Reply
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. Reply
Quick and easy recipe. 3 stars due to ours turning out like a soup, also could taste pasta water flavor more than tuna even made with 2 9oz cans of tuna. Reply
Sounds like it might not have been simmered long enough or on a high enough heat. Shouldn’t turn out like a soup. Did you make other changes to the recipe? Reply
Delicious! I subbed spinach for the frozen peas since that’s what I had and added fresh dill from my garden at the end. Yum! Reply
That sounds delicious! Thanks so much for your comment and for sharing those delicious addition ideas! Reply
Made this for a quick Saturday night meal and the whole family (kids aged 6 and 8) loved it. I’ve never cooked pasta in milk, and it was a nice surprise to see how well it worked. Bonus points for only using one pot. Will definitely make this again. Thank you! Reply
I took this as inspiration and made it my own with whole wheat bowtie pasta, oat milk, and some frozen broccoli along with the peas. It’s delicious and comforting. Thanks! Reply
I’m sorry I’ve never actually cooked with gluten-free pasta so I really don’t know. Wish I could be of more help! Reply
Still cooking, but it’s already looking great. Question though is – is there supposed to be a lot of liquid cream sauce while cooking? Mine seems to be very creamy – like soup-y. Reply
Oh no! What problem are you experiencing? I just tried the print button on all different browsers just now and can’t replicate an issue. Would love to help you figure this out! Reply
Honestly, it is what it is. Just pasta and tuna. Nothing special. Not terrible but not something I will recommend or make in the future again. Reply
I made this tonight and it was great. Thanks for sharing. I used canned chicken since hubby does not like tuna but it worked great. Reply
