15-Minute Pasta Recipe with Tuna
This easy and delicious pasta recipe with canned tuna is packed with protein and has incredible flavor!
Servings 6
Calories 310kcal
Equipment
- 1 pot
- 1 Kitchen shears I like to call them kitchen scissors :)
Ingredients
- 5 cups Barilla Plus pasta Cooked pasta. Any kind of pasta will do.
- 1 cup Spinach Baby spinach leaves
- 8 oz canned tuna in water 2 x 5oz cans of chunk light tuna packed in water, drained.
- 4 oz feta cheese About one cup once crumbled from a block of feta. Do not buy them as feta crumbles.
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese Grated
- 12 oz Marinated artichoke hearts Use one 12-oz jar, including the olive oil it is in.
- ¼ cup water Use reserved pasta water if possible. Otherwise, regular water will work.
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Cook just to al dente, because the pasta will continue to cook as the other ingredients are added.
- While the pasta is cooking, drain the can of tuna (rinse if first, if desired. see notes) and crumble the feta cheese. Set aside.
- Drain the pasta and return pasta to the pot.
- Add the spinach and jar of marinated artichoke hearts including the olive oil it is packed into the cooked pasta. Cut the spinach leaves and pieces of artichoke hearts into smaller pieces (see notes).
- Stir in the drained tuna, crumbled feta cheese, and water.
- Place the lid on the pot and cook over medium heat until everything is heated through, spinach leaves have wilted, and the feta cheese has softened (about 3-5 minutes). Stir once more before serving.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I have made this recipe with whole wheat pasta, chickpea pasta, and Barilla Plus pasta and we've enjoyed it all! So, use whatever pasta you prefer, even if it's spaghetti noodles :)
- Use kitchen scissors to cut the spinach leaves and pieces of marinated artichoke hearts into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
- Do not use pre-crumbled feta cheese. The ingredients added to pre-crumbled feta will keep it from giving this tuna pasta dish a creamy texture.
- I've used frozen petite and fresh English peas to make this recipe in place of spinach and it works well, too.
- I don't always remember to reserve some of the pasta water, but when I do I notice that it does make a difference in the creaminess of the dish. Still, no one but me notices when I forget and use regular water instead ;)
- The easiest way I've found to crumble feta cheese is by using a fork. I use scissors to open one end of a block of feta and then I twist the prongs of the fork over a bowl. The feta cheese breaks apart and crumbles easily this way.
- To add even more flavor, add sliced garlic stuffed olives (my favorite!) or toss in pitted black kalamata olives or capers. Some fresh lemon juice and lemon zest would also take the flavor up a notch.
- To add even more color to this dish, add a second handful of spinach.
- The amount of time this recipe takes will depend on what kind of pasta you use, because cooking times vary. I used elbow macaroni Barilla Plus pasta the last time I made this, and it only needed to boil for 5 minutes. So quick!
Nutrition
Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 599mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 925IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 3mg