Creamy Tuna Pesto Pasta

A delicious medley of rigatoni pasta, creamy pesto, and flaky tuna.

5 from 3 votes

A creamy version of tuna pesto pasta, built on Boursin and a splash of cream rather than pesto alone. The pesto goes in off the heat so it keeps its color, and the whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes with canned tuna.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 1307kcal

Author: Rose Sioson

Equipment

1 pot
1 skillet pan

Ingredients

8 ounce pasta rigatoni or pasta of your choice (penne, rotini, fusilli, or linguine work well)
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot or onion, minced
7 ounce canned tuna
5.2 ounce Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese
½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
¼ cup pesto sauce
parmesan cheese (optional garnish)
basil leaves (optional garnish)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions for al dente (firm to the bite). Reserve about ¼ cup of the pasta water before draining.
8 ounce pasta rigatoni
Sauté the aromatics: While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
¼ cup olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 shallot or onion, minced
Flake and heat the tuna: Add the drained tuna to the pan and break it up with a fork. Cook for an additional minute to warm through.
7 ounce canned tuna
Create the creamy sauce: Add a dollop of Boursin cheese and a splash of heavy whipping cream to the pan. Stir until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5.2 ounce Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese, ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream, salt and pepper (to taste)
Combine pasta and creamy sauce: Drain the pasta, reserving a little bit of the starchy pasta water (about ¼ cup). Toss the cooked pasta with the creamy sauce in the pan. Add a splash or two of reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.
Incorporate the pesto (last minute!): Once the pasta is coated in the creamy sauce, immediately turn off the heat. Stir in your favorite pesto, ensuring it coats everything evenly. Don't cook the pesto here to preserve its vibrant color and fresh flavor.
¼ cup pesto sauce
Serve and enjoy!: Plate the pasta and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese or fresh herbs, if desired. Dive in and enjoy this delicious and flavorful dish!
parmesan cheese, basil leaves

Notes

Turn the heat off before the pesto goes in. Basil pesto dulls the moment it hits a hot pan, going from bright green to army green and losing most of its flavor.
Reserve a full cup of pasta water. A cream sauce drinks it, and once the pot is drained there's no getting it back.
Oil-packed tuna over water-packed. More flavor, and it stays soft in the sauce. If you use water-packed, drain it well and add an extra spoonful of pesto.
Keep the sauce at medium. A hard simmer splits a cream sauce and it won't come back.
Taste before you salt. Boursin, pesto, and salted pasta water are three salty things in one pan.
Pull the pasta a minute early. It keeps cooking in the hot sauce, and soft pasta in a creamy sauce turns to mush quickly.
No Boursin? Cream cheese with garlic powder and dried herbs, or crème fraîche. Add a little more salt either way.
To skip the cream entirely: Leave out the Boursin and cream and use pasta water instead. That's the standard version and it's lighter.
Storage: Up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of milk, or eat it cold as a pasta salad with a little olive oil and lemon.

Nutrition