Tuna Pesto Pasta with Fried Capers

Audrey Sommer

Tuna pesto pasta is a flavorful, protein-packed meal that combines tender pasta with savory tuna, fresh pesto, and crispy capers. This easy-to-make dish offers a perfect balance of bright, tangy, and herby flavors, making it an ideal option for a quick, satisfying weeknight dinner.

5 from 4 votes

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Cook Time 20

Total Time 20

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Servings people

Calories 528 kcal

Ingredients

8 oz. pasta any kind plus 1 tbs. of salt
¼ cup pasta water reserved
4 oz. capers plus 3 tbs. olive oil for frying
2 cloves garlic minced
1 shallot finely diced
1 cup pesto try my recipe for pesto without pine nuts
1 tbsp. lemon juice
10 oz. canned tuna
Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

Use store-bought pesto, or try making it yourself using this pesto without pine nuts recipe.
1 cup pesto
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add your pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
8 oz. pasta
Before draining the pasta, scoop out ¼ cup of pasta water and set aside.
¼ cup pasta water
Drain the pasta and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a frying pan to medium-high heat with 2 tbs. of olive oil. Add 4 oz. of capers. Sauté until crispy and hot – about 5 minutes. Set aside in a small bowl.
4 oz. capers
Add another tbs. of olive oil to the same frying pan, and set to medium-high heat. Sauté the diced shallots and minced garlic with a little bit of salt and pepper until soft and translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
2 cloves garlic, 1 shallot
Add pesto, pasta water, and lemon juice to the frying pan and combine well until it makes a sauce. Add the tuna, and break it up with a spatula.
¼ cup pasta water, 10 oz. canned tuna, 1 tbsp. lemon juice
Add the pasta and stir until well combined.
Serve, garnished with the fried capers and lemon zest.
Zest of 1 lemon

Notes

Substitutions and Speed Tips

If your pasta doesn’t come in an 8 oz. package, but rather a 1 lb. package, measure 8 oz of dry pasta on a food scale before cooking. Alternatively, if you don't have a food scale, you can separate roughly ½ of the 1 lb. bunch of dry pasta to use for this recipe.
Pasta Substitute: Lentil or chickpea pasta. Spiralized sweet potatoes, zucchini, or carrots. You can also use spaghetti squash.
Pasta Water Substitute: Vegetable or chicken broth, milk, cream, or cornstarch mixture.
Capers Substitute: Chopped green or Kalamata olives, or toasted breadcrumbs.
Olive Oil Substitute: Avocado oil, walnut oil, flaxseed oil, or grapeseed oil. Just note, using these oil substitutes may slightly change the flavor of the pesto pasta.
Garlic Substitute: Garlic powder – substitute at least 1 tsp.
Shallots Substitute: Finely diced yellow or red onions.
Lemon Juice and Zest Substitute: 1 tsp. of vinegar, such as white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
Tuna Substitute: Cod, halibut, shrimp, salmon (canned or fresh), chicken, or chickpeas.

Nutrition Facts

Tuna Pesto Pasta with Fried Capers

Serving Size

4 people

Amount per Serving

Calories

528

% Daily Value*

Fat

Saturated Fat

Trans Fat

0.003

Polyunsaturated Fat

Monounsaturated Fat

0.2

Cholesterol

Sodium

1525

Potassium

293

Carbohydrates

Fiber

Sugar

Protein

Vitamin A

1330

Vitamin C

Calcium

142

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Calories

528

Serving Size

4 people

Nutrition Facts

These values were taken from a nutrition calculator.

Keyword 20-minute meal, easy, easy weeknight meal, meap prep, pesto pasta with fried capers, quick, Ricotta Pesto Pasta, Tuna pesto pasta, Weeknight Dinner

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