Creamy Tomato Tuna Pasta

Creamy, tomatoey, tuna filled – creamy tomato tuna pasta. I’m in love with this dish.

I generally relate rich creamy pasta to cold winter days. But truth to be told, I enjoy them every now and then even on warm, sunny days. Normally I’m happy with either creamy or tomatoey pasta. But this time I decided to combine these flavors to come up with a vibrant, extra delicious sauce.

Not only does this pasta have plenty of cream and tomatoes in it, but it’s also loaded with tuna. When deciding on a protein for this recipe, my first choice was obviously chicken. But I love tuna in pasta, and canned tuna is super easy to use. So I changed my mind later, and added flakes of tuna to the creamy tomato pasta which turned out to be a winner.

I used my recipe for basic pasta sauce to make the tomato base, and then added velvety cream to make it creamy and delicious. I just couldn’t resist the extreme flavor load of this vibrant sauce. Not to mention the double awesomeness that the fresh basil leaves bring to the sauce.

To begin with, check the packet directions on cooking the pasta. Pour plenty of water into a large vessel. Place on high heat. Add salt. Bring to the boil. Add pasta of your choice. Cook for 10 minutes or until al dente. When cooked, drain and set aside. Don’t forget to reserve the water in which pasta is cooked as we’ll be adding it to the sauce later.

While the pasta is cooking, you can start with the sauce. Heat oil in a large pan and fry onions and garlic until onions are softened. Add drained, canned tuna. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste. Fry for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and 1/2 cup reserved water. Cook for 2 minutes. Add cream. Simmer for 2 minutes. Wait until the sauce is thickened. Add pasta and chopped basil leaves . Let it heat through. Season with pepper. Top creamy tomato pasta with basil and grated parmesan if you like.

 

More Pasta Recipes

• Creamy Tomato Pasta
• Roasted Beetroot Pasta Sauce
• Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
• Creamy Broccoli Pasta
• Butter Chicken Pasta
• Masala Pasta
• Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine
• Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
• Creamy Spinach Pasta
• Easy Lasagna
• Butter Chicken Lasagna 
• Penne Arrabiatta
• Roasted red pepper pasta

Yield: 4

Creamy Tomato Tuna Pasta

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The name says it all - Creamy Tomato Tuna Pasta. A flavorful meal with lip smacking sauce the whole family will love!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 350 g rigatoni or your favorite pasta
• 1tbsp oil, preferably olive oil
• 190 g canned tuna, drained (I used 2 × 95 g cans)
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tomatoes chopped, or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 300 ml fresh thickened (heavy) cream
• 1/4 cup finely chopped basil leaves
• Water
• Salt and pepper, to season
• Basil leaves, to garnish (optional)
• Grated parmesan, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Place a large saucepan of salted water over high heat. Bring to the boil. Add pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until al dente. When done, drain and set aside. Reserve the water.
2. Meanwhile heat oil in a large pan over medium- high heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Drain canned tuna and add it to the pan along with enough salt. Saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste and saute for a minute.
3. Add tomatoes and 1/2 cup reserved water. Cook for 2 minutes. Add cream. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
4. Stir cooked pasta and basil into the sauce. Cook until heated through.
5. Season with pepper. Garnish with basil leaves and grated parmesan if desired.

Notes

-You could replace tuna with salmon or chicken if you like.
-I chose rigatoni in this recipe. Feel free to use any type of pasta.
-Adding water in which pasta is cooked doubles the flavor of the dish. You could use plain water if you like.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 362Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 21mgSodium 257mgCarbohydrates 47gFiber 5gSugar 7gProtein 21g

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• Tuna Puffs
• Tuna Fried Rice