Let me tell you something about tuna pasta. Most versions are drowning in mayo or a heavy cream sauce. This Pesto Tuna Pasta is the opposite light, fresh, and packed with flavor.
We're talking gluten-free fusilli pasta tossed in bright, herby green pesto. Mixed with tender-crisp green beans and flaky tuna packed in water. Topped with crunchy roasted almonds and a crack of black pepper.
That's it. No heavy sauce. No complicated steps. Just real ingredients that come together in 20 minutes.
The pesto does all the heavy lifting. It coats every piece of pasta and green bean, adding garlicky, nutty, herbaceous flavor. The tuna adds lean protein without overpowering. The almonds add crunch.
This is what you make on a busy weeknight when you want something fast, healthy, and delicious.
Let's make some pasta.
You'll need a large pot for pasta and green beans, a colander, a cutting board and knife, a spoon or spatula, and four bowls for serving.
Ingredients (Serves 4) Time: 20 mins
Nutrition per serving (estimated): Energy: ~590 kcal | Carbs: 58g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 24g
Try my Tuna and Quinoa Salad Bowl recipe.
Alright, let's make a pesto tuna pasta that's fast, fresh, and so easy.
First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gluten-free fusilli pasta and cook according to package directions.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the green beans. Trim the ends and cut the green beans in half.
When the pasta has about 5 minutes left, add the halved green beans to the same pot. Boil for 5 minutes, until the green beans are tender-crisp and bright green.
Drain the pasta and green beans together in a colander. Don't rinse you want the starch to help the pesto stick.
Return the drained pasta and green beans to the pot (off the heat).
Add the green pesto. Stir until the pasta and green beans are well coated.
Divide the pasta mixture evenly among four bowls.
Top each bowl with an equal amount of drained tuna. Flake it with a fork as you add it.
Sprinkle with chopped roasted almonds.
Season with black pepper to taste.
Serve immediately. Or let it cool and pack for lunch.
Eat with a fork. Get some pasta, some green beans, some tuna, and some pesto in every bite.
Try my Tuna Salad Lettuce Boats recipe.
1| No gluten-free fusilli? Use regular fusilli, penne, or any short pasta.
2| No green beans? Use broccoli florets, asparagus, or frozen peas.
3| No tuna in water? Use tuna in olive oil (drain excess oil) or canned salmon.
4| No roasted almonds? Use pine nuts, walnuts, or sunflower seeds.
5| No green pesto? Use red pesto or homemade pesto.
6| Make it dairy free: Use dairy-free pesto (check label or make your own with nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan).
7| Make it vegetarian: Use chickpeas instead of tuna.
Try my Tomato-Tuna Egg Nest recipe.
1| Spicy version: Add red pepper flakes or a drizzle of chili oil.
2| Lemon version: Add 1 tbsp lemon juice and lemon zest.
3| Cherry tomato version: Add halved cherry tomatoes for freshness.
4| Olive version: Add sliced Kalamata olives.
5| Cheesy version: Sprinkle with Parmesan or dairy-free Parmesan.
6| Herby version: Add fresh basil or parsley on top.
7| Low carb version: Use zucchini noodles instead of pasta.
Try my Mediterranean Tuna Salad With Toast recipe.
1| Don't rinse the pasta. The starch helps the pesto stick. Rinsing washes it away.
2| Cook green beans in the same pot as the pasta. Saves time and uses one less pot. Add them when the pasta has 5 minutes left.
3| Use good quality pesto. Since pesto is the main flavor, choose a good brand or make your own. Look for refrigerated pesto it's often fresher.
4| Drain the tuna well. Press the lid on the can to squeeze out excess water. Watery tuna = watery pasta.
5| Flake the tuna with a fork. Don't just dump it in. Break it up into smaller pieces so it distributes evenly.
6| Add almonds at the end. Toasted almonds add crunch. If you use raw almonds, toast them in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes first.
Try my Tuna and White Bean Protein Dip recipe.
1| Gluten-free pasta on sale. Stock up when it's on sale. Regular pasta is cheaper but not gluten free.
2| Frozen green beans are cheaper than fresh. A bag costs a few dollars. Use what you need, save the rest.
3| Canned tuna is cheap. Buy in bulk when on sale. Water-packed is leaner and cheaper than oil-packed.
4| Pesto is the splurge. Make your own to save money basil, pine nuts (or walnuts), garlic, olive oil, Parmesan (or nutritional yeast for dairy free).
5| Almonds from bulk bins. Buy only what you need. A little goes a long way.
6| Make a double batch. Twice the pasta. Same amount of work. Freeze half.
Try my Tuna-Mayo Lettuce Wraps recipe.
Try my Tuna Steak Niçoise Salad recipe.
Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The pasta will absorb some pesto, but the flavors remain excellent. Tastes great cold.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. The texture of the pasta and green beans may soften, but the flavor stays good.
Reheating:
Do not reheat more than once. Take out only what you'll eat.
Meal prep strategy: Make the full recipe. Portion into containers. Reheat for lunch all week. Add fresh black pepper and extra almonds before serving.
Try my Sesame Seared Tuna Salad recipe.
Look, I love a complicated pasta dish as much as the next guy. But on a busy weeknight, I need something fast, simple, and delicious. This Pesto Tuna Pasta is exactly that.
Gluten-free fusilli tossed in bright green pesto. Tender-crisp green beans cooked right in the same pot. Flaky tuna in water. Crunchy roasted almonds on top. Black pepper to finish.
Twenty minutes. One pot. 35g of protein. Gluten free. Dairy free option.
Make it for a weeknight dinner. Make it for meal prep. Make it when you want something fast, healthy, and so good.
However you serve it, you're getting a pasta dish that's anything but boring.
Now go boil some pasta.
~ Danny Davis
P.S. If you try the spicy version with red pepper flakes, let me know. That's my go-to upgrade. The heat with the herby pesto and flaky tuna? Perfect balance.
I made tuna pasta that's actually healthy. 😤 Gluten-free fusilli, green beans, pesto, flaky tuna, and crunchy almonds. 20 minutes. 35g protein. Dairy free option. Weeknight hero. 🍝
Servings 4
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Approximate Glycemic Index (GI): 50–55 (medium)
Approximate Glycemic Load (GL) per serving: 28–32 (medium to high)
Note: This recipe has moderate to high carbohydrate content (58g per serving) with 8-10g of fiber from gluten-free fusilli (often made from rice, corn, or quinoa varies by brand), green beans, and almonds, resulting in approximately 48-50g of net carbs. The main carb sources are gluten-free pasta (GI varies by flour blend rice-based has higher GI, legume-based has lower GI), green beans (low GI), and small amounts from pesto. The high protein (35g) and fat (24g) help lower the overall glycemic response. For a lower GL version, use legume-based pasta (chickpea or lentil lower GI, higher protein), reduce pasta to 2 oz per serving, or serve over zucchini noodles. For context, pure glucose has a GI of 100.
