Easy Gluten Free Tuna Pesto Pasta
This homemade, creamy tuna pesto pasta recipe is the easiest 20-minute meal! A quick and easy recipe served hot or cold. This versatile dish is delicious, healthy, and full of protein! Make for an easy weeknight meal or as a make-ahead side dish for a gathering.
What Makes This Recipe Great
Creamy pesto, gluten-free pasta, chunky tuna, tomatoes, and walnuts make this fresh, flavorful tuna pesto pasta the yummiest, easiest dish of the summer! In just 20 minutes, you’ll have a protein-packed lunch or dinner that the whole family will love.
I love this recipe because it has simple, healthy ingredients and comes together in no time. It’s the perfect dish to throw together last minute for dinner or an event.
Serve hot with a delicious side salad for dinner or cold as a BBQ take-along pasta salad. You just can’t go wrong with this pesto pasta recipe!
Ingredient Notes
- Chunk Light Tuna: My personal favorite brand of canned tuna is Wild Planet. You can find this at most local grocery stores and some Costcos! They carry canned albacore, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna. Safe Catch is another great brand if you are watching your mercury intake.
- Jovial Foods Fusilli Pasta: This is my favorite gluten-free pasta brand. Feel free to use this or your own favorite! Banza pasta would add in some extra protein.
- Mayo: I like avocado oil mayo from brands like Sir Kensington’s and Primal Kitchen. You can always sub in vegan mayo if you don’t do eggs!
- Pesto: In this recipe, I provide steps to make the easiest homemade creamy basil pesto, but in a pinch, you can always use a jar of your favorite store-bought pesto sauce if desired.
- Nutritional Yeast: This is deactivated yeast that has a “cheesy” flavor. It is a great vegan substitute for parmesan! If you tolerate dairy, feel free to substitute it with regular parmesan cheese.
- Cherry Tomatoes: I used cherry tomatoes cut in half. Feel free to use grape tomatoes or any other variety that you enjoy.
- Lemon: I prefer to use fresh lemon juice, but you can use a jar in a pinch.
- Garlic Cloves: Use fresh garlic cloves or a jar of minced garlic.
- Olive Oil: You can also use avocado oil if that’s what you have on hand.
- Salt
Recipe Step by Step
- Cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- Combine the basil, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, olive oil, mayo, and water in a food processor. Pulse a few times until ALMOST smooth but still a little chunky.
- Add the cooked pasta, tomatoes, tuna, and creamy pesto to a large bowl and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy (hot OR cold as a pasta salad)!
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
- Protein: Feel free to substitute chopped cooked (or canned) chicken instead of tuna, or omit the tuna completely.
- Nut-Free Pesto: If you prefer not to use walnuts, feel free to sub in sunflowers seeds!
- Pasta Water: Saving a little bit of the starchy pasta water adds a really nice creaminess to the dish. Use this if you’re looking for extra creaminess without any dairy!
- Alternative Pasta: If you’re not gluten intolerant, feel free to swap the gluten-free pasta for your favorite pasta type and shape. Cook according to the package instructions for best results.
- Tuna: You can use canned tuna packed in water or olive oil. Adjust the additional oil according to which type you use!
Serving Tips
- Serve hot as a delicious pasta dinner or cold as a pasta salad! If you’re okay with dairy, sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan cheese over the top of each serving.
Storage Tips
- Store your tuna pesto pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and serve warm or cold. Give it a good stir before serving!
Recipe FAQs
One serving of this pesto tuna pasta is 406 calories and 19 grams of protein. This is significantly healthier than other pasta dishes with higher calorie counts.
The creamy pesto this recipe calls for would also make amazing tuna sandwiches! Simply omit the pasta and add another can or two of tuna. Serve the tuna on your favorite gluten-free bread or on top of greens for a delicious pesto pasta salad.
Yes! If you’re not dairy-free and would prefer to substitute parmesan cheese instead of the nutritional yeast.
More Gluten-Free Pasta Recipes
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Gluten Free Tuna Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil, packed
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts, sub sunflower seeds for nut free!
- 3 cloves garlic
- juice from 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast, feel free to sub parmesan if dairy is tolerated
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup mayo
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 12 oz box of Jovial Foods Fusilli, or gluten free pasta of choice
- 2 cans chunk light tuna, drained and mashed up with a fork
Equipment
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions, then drain and set aside.
- Combine the basil, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, olive oil, mayo, and water in a food processor. Pulse a few times until ALMOST smooth but still a little chunky.
- Add the cooked pasta, tomatoes, tuna, and creamy pesto to a large bowl and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy (hot OR cold as a pasta salad)!
Notes
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
- Protein: Feel free to substitute chopped cooked (or canned) chicken instead of tuna, or omit the tuna completely.
- Nut-Free Pesto: If you prefer not to use walnuts, feel free to sub in sunflowers seeds!
- Pasta Water: Saving a little bit of the starchy pasta water adds a really nice creaminess to the dish. Use this if you’re looking for extra creaminess without any dairy!
- Alternative Pasta: If you’re not gluten intolerant, feel free to swap the gluten-free pasta for your favorite pasta type and shape. Cook according to the package instructions for best results.
- Tuna: You can use canned tuna packed in water or olive oil. Adjust the additional oil according to which type you use!
Serving Tips
- Serve hot as a delicious pasta dinner or cold as a pasta salad! If you’re okay with dairy, sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan cheese over the top of each serving.
Storage Tips
- Store your tuna pesto pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and serve warm or cold. Give it a good stir before serving!
Nutrition
This post was originally published on June 8, 2022 and updated on March 22, 2023.
10 Comments on “Easy Gluten Free Tuna Pesto Pasta”
Love this recipe from Mary! It’s the perfect summer side or prep and eat for lunches – so easy and so delicious!
Thank you Jenn!
Mary, you knocked it out the park again! Fast and easy to put together and so tasty! Great on its own or as a side, I will be making this one again and again!
Thank you Amber!
Another amazing recipe from Mary!! Meal prepped this salad for lunch this week. Love when I can look forward to lunch!
Awesome thanks Cindy!
A delicious and easy to make summer side dish!
Thank you – so glad you enjoyed it!
@maryswholelife If you were going to add an already prepared pesto, how much do you estimate you’d add (is it 1/4 c, 1/2 c. or something else?). Thanks!
Simply amazing combination!!