Tuna Pesto Pasta with Fried Capers

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.

Servings: 4 people

Author:

Cook Time
20 minutes

Total Time
20 minutes

Course:

Side Dish Main Course

Cuisine:

Italian

Keywords:

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

🧂 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 [https://audreythenafoodgoddess.com/pesto-without-pine-nuts-quick-easy/]
1 tbsp. lemon juice
10 oz. canned tuna
Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

1 Use store-bought pesto, or try making it yourself using this pesto without pine
nuts [https://audreythenafoodgoddess.com/pesto-without-pine-nuts-quick-easy/]
recipe.
2 Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add your pasta and cook until al dente,
about 10 minutes.
3 Before draining the pasta, scoop out ¼ cup of pasta water and set aside.
4 Drain the pasta and set aside.
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 Add the pasta and stir until well combined.
9 Serve, garnished with the fried capers and lemon zest.