Best and Easy Creamy Garlic Canned Tuna Pasta Recipe

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I really hope you enjoy this Best and Easy Creamy Garlic Canned Tuna Pasta recipe. If you do, please let me know in the comments below. I LOVE reading your comments ❤

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

What the heck is it that makes creamy dishes taste so good?!

And creamy pasta… HOW can it even get better than that?

Oh hey didn’t see you there! Was just thinking out loud because that’s what delish creamy pasta dishes do. They make you wonder out loud how something can taste so incredible.

Hey YOU, welcome to one of the most interesting and delicious recipes you’ll ever make.

It’s also a really easy recipe too so it’s interesting, delicious AND simple!

Nope, not exaggerating!

The first time I thought of this dish I was like, a creamy tuna pasta? Hmm, how would that taste?

I know it may sound a tiny bit strange but it isn’t. Hear me out, let me just explain this recipe to you a little bit so you get why it tastes sooo good 💖!

We first cook the tuna in buttery garlic goodness until it’s lightly browned and filled with flavor.

And then, we cook an amazing creamy sauce with some beautifully browned onions, butter, garlic, cream and Parmesan cheese!

We then mix the cooked tuna with that luscious creamy sauce, add the cooked pasta to it and then toss everything together until it’s all covered in rich, creamy, garlicky goodness.

The result?

A pasta with a sauce that’s deliciously meaty from the scrumptious tuna, incredibly creamy from all that cream and just a tad bit sweet in a rich deep way from the browned onions.

It’s AMAZING. An absolutely amazing main dish.

The first time I ate it, I was pleasantly surprised (very pleasantly surprised). It tasted even better than I thought it would!

And then I just had to share it with YOU guys.

It’s one of those easy dinners that the whole family will enjoy ❤.

Here’s a couple more reasons why you’ll love this recipe and why it’ll soon be your most favorite recipe ever!

• It’s a different pasta recipe and if you love pasta, you need to try this recipe right now. It’s us using a completely different meat altogether- tuna and making a creamy sauce with it! Not just that but those deeply browned onions add a whole other layer of flavor to our creamy sauce. This recipe is something new and out of the ordinary, not a pasta you see everyday and what can be as fun as trying something new?
• Oh and this also is a pretty quick and simple pasta recipe for something that tastes this good. Trust me, it’s literally one of those quick and easy creamy pasta recipes’ with few ingredients. This is such a wonderful recipe for tuna pasta, it just tastes so good, is ready in less than an hour and takes incredibly little work to put together too. It’s really less likely to make a mistake but I’ve as always, written super in-depth instructions to help you out even more when you’re making this recipe ❤.
• The ingredients used in this tuna pasta recipe are pretty common and super easy to find in grocery stores around you. You probably have everything at home already!
• If you’ve got some canned tuna at home and don’t know what to do with it or want to try something different with it this time, the best way would be to go ahead and make this recipe. It’s super interesting using that canned tuna you’ve got in a different delish way.
• And well, if you love seafood, look no further. This recipe is for you! It doesn’t get yummier than some rich meaty creamy tuna pasta… it’s lush and tastes absolutely incredible. This is the best tuna pasta recipe ever 😍.
• This tuna pasta is rich, creamy and just tastes so good. It’s a quick and easy meal to prepare too which makes it the perfect meal for those busy weeknights when you want something delicious on the dinner table ASAP. Also, because it tastes sooo good… rich and creamy, it’s a wonderful dish to serve at parties too (it won’t take all your energy either because it’s pretty simple to cook)! This dish does both– tastes rich and amazing, making it awesome enough to serve at a party AND is ready super quick making it a perfect dish for those busy days. Pssst… it also makes for a delish date night dinner ❤ so romantic!
• Oh and this delicious pasta recipe is incredibly comforting. It’s filled with so much goodness… can it get any better than fresh pasta tossed with garlicky tuna mixed with a creamy buttery luscious sauce? This dish will make you feel full and so happy. Just cuddle into your blanket with it while watching a movie. It makes for such a good movie partner ✨.

Hey, is your diet preference vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, or vegan? You can still make this dish! Check out our Variations Section below to see how you can make this recipe according to your diet preference!

How good is pasta, right? Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Pasta, Seafood and Winter recipes.

ALL ABOUT THIS BEST AND EASY CREAMY GARLIC CANNED TUNA PASTA RECIPE

This best and easy creamy garlic canned tuna pasta recipe is not the best and easiest for nothing.

There are loads of creamy pasta recipes out there. Heck, “Do you prefer creamy pasta or tomatoey pasta?”, is one of the most commonly asked questions out there when it comes to food!

BUT this creamy pasta is different.

So what even is this creamy tuna pasta recipe and what makes it so special?

The tuna pasta here is cooked drained pasta tossed in a gorgeous creamy sauce made using browned onions, garlic, cream and a few more delicious simple ingredients, mixed with tuna that’s been lightly cooked beforehand in some garlicky butter.

What makes this delicious pasta recipe different is that we make the sauce using gently browned onions.

Those browned onions add just a little sweetness to our sauce and a whole depth of flavor. The richness added to our sauce because of those browned onions is ✨!

And of course, our choice of meat here is a little different too… tuna!

I never thought tuna could work so well in a creamy pasta such as this one but I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted this pasta the very first time. Like whoa, who would’ve even thought?! Tuna adds this amazing flavorful meaty touch to this pasta which makes it absolutely incredible.

This is such an interesting dish with a deep flavor that doesn’t get really overwhelming.

It’s just right and it’s super easy to make too!

And that’s why it’s the best and easiest creamy tuna pasta ever ❤! And I’m not being biased here, just try this recipe and you’ll know what the hype is about!

Now, let’s talk about how this recipe came to be.

I’ve made The Buttery Fairytale to share recipes and share my own memories along with those recipes!

You can share your stories with this recipe in the comments below too whether this is the first time you’re trying this recipe or if you’ve already had it multiple times before, I would love to hear all about it!

So yes, I came up with this recipe pretty recently.

I was in the mood for some creamy shrimp pasta.

While I was getting all the ingredients ready, Zee saw a can of tuna and asked if we can add some tuna to the creamy sauce instead of shrimp.

That was a pretty good suggestion. I’d never thought of it before.

It sounded interesting and I was like hmmm how will it taste? And then I was like hey, why not?

I changed things a little from my usual shrimp pasta recipe and when I took the first bite of this new creamy tuna pasta recipe, I was amazed.

The pasta was outrageously delicious. And that’s putting it lightly.

Zee and I kept looking at each other in disbelief after every bite. How could something taste so good?! We expected it to taste good but not THIS good!

So yep, it has given us so much comfort and filled us up with all its goodness ever since, every time we cook it. It’s just so warm and filling.

And it also still continues to surprise us by how good it is every single time! This recipe’s just got that talent I guess, it’s good at surprises 😊.

And I just knew I had to share it with you all.

So yes, I hope you enjoy this simple creamy tuna pasta recipe and love it as much as we do.

INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS FOR CREAMY GARLIC CANNED TUNA PASTA RECIPE

For exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

To cook the spaghetti:

Go ahead and follow the package instructions of the spaghetti you use and cook your pasta accordingly!

• Water- According to package instructions.
• Salt- According to taste. Try and add enough salt because this is your moment to season your pasta and if the pasta isn’t seasoned well enough, it won’t taste as amazing! Add that salt in once the water starts to boil and then add in your pasta.
• Spaghetti– Go ahead and use your favorite brand of spaghetti or even make it fresh if you prefer! You can also use whatever type of pasta you prefer. This creamy tuna pasta tastes incredible with some fettuccine. Fusilli or even penne goes really well with the creamy tuna sauce here and allows the sauce to get into those pasta crevices, giving you a burst of flavor with every bite! These are just my suggestions and you can use whatever pasta you prefer.

To cook the tuna:

• Neutral cooking oil- We add in a little bit of oil here to make sure our butter doesn’t brown too fast while cooking our tuna. If you’re using canned tuna packed in oil, you can use that oil instead.
• Butter– Ah, butter. Few things in the world are as delish as butter garlic and a decent-sized fat slab of butter is exactly what we’ll be browning our tuna in!
• Garlic– Another really important ingredient here. We need to use fresh garlic. Make sure you smash and mince the garlic super well and oh my goodness, it’ll cook with the butter to give us the best flavor ever!
• Tuna- This incredible fish is a wonderful source of protein, vitamins and healthy fats and it goes incredibly well with the creamy garlic pasta sauce we have planned for it here! You can use any type of tuna that’s your favorite. I’ve used light meat tuna flakes in water but any type of tuna will taste wonderful here really. You can go for chunks or flaked tuna, depending on what you prefer. Tuna packed in oil and tuna packed in water, both go really well with this dish so just go with your preference!

To cook the creamy tuna pasta:

• Neutral cooking oil- We add a little more oil here so our butter doesn’t brown too quickly. Make sure you do this every time you cook a dish where butter is added at the very beginning.
• Butter-We add a fat, satisfying cube of butter here. This gorgeous ingredient will add so much goodness to our creamy sauce. How amazing is butter, huh? Definitely a favorite here!
• Onion-Every ingredient in this creamy tuna recipe is super important and lends a special flavor of its own. Onion though is one of the main guys here and adds a really special rich flavor with a very slight sweetness to our dish. It makes all the difference. Browned onions mixed in with a creamy pasta sauce is literally one of the best things ever! You can use any type of onion here. I’ve used red onions.
• Garlic- We use just enough garlic here to lend a slight touch of garlickiness to our sauce without being super overpowering and shadowing all the other flavors in our creamy pasta.
• Chicken broth- Ah, chicken broth… An absolutely incredible ingredient that adds so much depth and flavor to our creamy sauce. I don’t even have to tell you guys but imagine all that butter, browned onions, garlic and chicken broth cooking together… Magical! All of it cooking together to give us the most incredible sauce in the whole world. You can substitute with chicken bouillon concentrate mixed with water, a chicken bouillon cube dissolved in water (you can use half a cube or a whole cube depending on the amount of flavor you prefer), half water and half chicken broth or even vegetable broth. You can experiment with some seafood broth too.
• Light cream or heavy cream- We pour in some smooth, rich and sumptuous cream to make our gorgeous buttered onions sauce nice and creamy. We’ve used light cream here with a fat percentage of 25%. You can use heavy cream too, if you prefer. You can also use half and half if you prefer a lower fat percentage.
• The cooked tuna- We add in the cooked tuna at this stage and mix everything really well together. The way our tuna absorbs all the flavors of that incredibly creamy sauce is ✨.
• Milk– We add milk to our creamy sauce to thin the sauce out just a little. Milk adds a wonderful richness and depth to our sauce, while not thinning it out too much. You can save some pasta water and use that instead of milk here if you prefer your tuna pasta without milk.
• Parmesan cheese– Oooh Parmesan cheese adds an even richer flavor to our creamy tuna pasta… a whole other layer of flavor, literally. It’s not called the “King of Cheeses” for nothing 👑! Please use a block of Parmesan cheese here that you can freshly grate right into your sauce. Pre-grated Parmesan cheese comes with a few issues, one mainly being that it doesn’t melt as easily as freshly grated Parmesan cheese. You don’t want to be left with a clump of Parmesan cheese that refuses to melt in your creamy tuna sauce!
• Salt and pepper- Absolute essentials, as usual. Go ahead and give your sauce a taste before adding in salt and pepper. Tasting your sauce before adding in salt and pepper is always important but it is even more important here because your sauce may already have some salt because of the chicken broth and Parmesan cheese.
• The cooked spaghetti- And now just go ahead and add your cooked spaghetti to that enchanting 💖 tuna sauce… toss everything together and just bask in all that goodness!

Other ingredients:

• Parsley- Go ahead and sprinkle some dried or fresh parsley over that beautiful creamy tuna pasta. It adds just a hint of herbiness that goes really well with our pasta.
• Parmesan cheese- We LOVE Parmesan cheese here and just can’t get enough of it. You can sprinkle just a little more Parmesan cheese over your finished tuna pasta for a tiny hint of dense, rich cheesy flavor.

Once again, for exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

How good is pasta, right? Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Main Dish, Seafood and Fall recipes.

RECIPE & DIET VARIATIONS YOU CAN TRY

Creamy, garlicky and just right ❤. This creamy easy canned tuna pasta recipe is one of the best pasta recipes ever!

It’s delicious, different, and also super versatile.

There are so many ways it can be worked with and changed according to your preference, let’s discuss a few:

• If you are using canned tuna in oil, you can use that oil while cooking your tuna and creamy pasta sauce instead of regular cooking oil. Using the oil your tuna has been packed in will give your creamy tuna pasta an extra tuna-ey taste.
• This is a delicious canned tuna pasta recipe and well, sometimes, one can of tuna just isn’t enough! For a delicious tuna extravaganza, go ahead and use one more can of tuna 😍.
• You can also experiment with solid tuna, chunks of tuna or flaked tuna. I’m sometimes in the mood for a dense meaty bite and that’s when I use tuna chunks in this creamy pasta recipe. I also sometimes prefer a light meaty creamy sauce which tuna flakes give me because they blend in so well with the creaminess of the sauce. It’s all up to you and your preference.
• If you’re not in the mood for tuna, you can go ahead and use any other fish of your choice. You can also use another meat such as chicken or beef! The creamy sauce in this pasta is sooo good, it tastes wonderful with literally any meat out there and even on its own, without any meat whatsoever.
• You can maybe add in some shrimp too and make this a tuna pasta with shrimp (or add in any seafood of your choice). You can also turn this recipe into a mixed seafood creamy pasta and add some more seafood in along with the tuna such as calamari, shrimp, lobster, crab, mussels… the options are endless!
• You can also add in some veggies and turn this into a scrumptious creamy tuna pasta with vegetables! They taste so good with a creamy sauce like the one we have here and also add so much color to the pasta too. You can use any vegetable you prefer that you feel will go well with this sauce. You can make some creamy tuna pasta with broccoli maybe? Or maybe some creamy tuna pasta with mushroom? Ah, mushroom works so well here! You can experiment and add literally any vegetable you feel will go well here such as carrots, peas (I’ve heard tuna pasta with peas tastes pretty good!), sweet corn (I’ve heard tuna pasta with sweet corn tastes incredible too!), bell peppers… maybe even some fresh spinach! The options are endless.
• Once you’re done cooking your creamy tuna pasta, you can go ahead and squeeze some lemon juice and grate some lemon zest over it before serving to make some scrumptious creamy garlic lemon tuna pasta. This will give your tuna pasta a fresh tangy taste. Make sure you used whipping cream or heavy cream whenever you choose to squeeze lemon juice over your pasta. That’s because any cream with a lower fat percentage may curdle when you add lemon juice to it. Lemon garlic pasta is one of the yummiest things ever!
• Are you a fan of spice? Just go ahead and sprinkle some paprika or red pepper flakes over your finished creamy tuna pasta for a hint of heat 🔥! You can sprinkle just enough to get that right medium heat (or even more, if you prefer!).
• To change things up a bit, you can make some creamy tuna tomato pasta by adding in tomatoes, tomato paste, canned tomatoes or tomato sauce (or a combination of any of them) to the pan in Step 6 before adding in the chicken broth. Cook everything together for a few minutes and then follow the rest of the recipe as given. This will give you a delicious tuna pasta with tomato being one of the main ingredients! Using tomatoes in your creamy pasta sauce will add such a delicious deep tang you won’t know what hit you! Top it off with some basil (and maybe just a little sugar to counter the acidity from the tomatoes) and there you go! It’s all about experimenting, have fun!
• Running low on time? Skip out on cooking your tuna in garlic butter in Step 3 and directly add in the drained tuna in Step 8. Keep in mind though that cooking that tuna in that buttery garlic goodness adds a whole new level of amazing to it ❤.
• We use Parmesan cheese in our tuna pasta recipe here but you don’t have to be limited to just this one cheese. You can use whatever type of cheese you feel will go well here! Maybe add in some mozzarella along with Parmesan for some rich gooey creamy cheesiness? There are so many options!
• To make this a one pot tuna pasta dish, add maybe about 2 cups (just an estimate) of chicken broth in Step 6 instead of the amount given in the recipe here, then go ahead and cook the pasta in the same pot until it’s al dente, and then continue with the rest of the steps as given in the recipe.
• You can skip out on cream and use a lighter cream with a lower fat percentage or even half and half, if you prefer. A good alternative here also is coconut milk or coconut cream if you’re looking for a creamy tuna pasta recipe without cream. Even evaporated milk can work well here.
• This is a creamy tuna pasta with milk and cream. We use milk in this recipe to thin out our pasta and also to add in some more creaminess to our sauce. If you want to skip out on milk, go ahead and save some pasta water when cooking your pasta and use that reserved pasta water to thin out the creamy pasta sauce instead of milk. You can also add in half the amount of milk and pour in enough reserved pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
• If you prefer a thicker pasta sauce- You can add lesser milk and/or pasta water than the amount given in Step 9. What you can also do is, after you’ve added milk and/or your reserved pasta water to your creamy pasta sauce in Step 9 and you still prefer a thicker pasta sauce, cook the sauce for a longer time than given in the recipe here, until it’s a little thinner than your desired consistency. That’s because as your pasta sauce cools, it’ll get much thicker, so once again, make sure your tuna pasta sauce is just a little thinner than your desired consistency.
• If you prefer a thinner pasta sauce- Go ahead and add more milk and/or reserved pasta water than the amount given in Step 9 until the sauce is a little thinner than your actual preferred consistency. That’s because as the sauce cooks, it’ll become thicker. Then let it cook until it’s just a little thinner than your actual preferred consistency. You can also just go ahead and add more milk and/or reserved pasta water to the sauce as you cook the sauce until it is just a little thinner than your preferred consistency. Once again because the sauce will thicken as it cools down.
• If you like a bit of crunch, you can sprinkle some toasted panko breadcrumbs on top of your finished tuna pasta meal. That crunchiness goes really well with the creamy texture of our pasta sauce.
• You can also use a different type of pasta! You can use any pasta you prefer really. This creamy tuna pasta goes along really well with so many different types of pasta out there! There’s bucatini which is super interesting. It gives you the awesomeness of a long pasta AND is hollow in the center which gives you the satisfaction of having your creamy pasta sauce snuggled in between that pasta tube, bursting with flavor with each bite. You can use fusilli too. Those curves in the pasta can hold our creamy tuna sauce really well. Other great options are fettuccine, macaroni, penne, rigatoni… the list is endless! But yeah, the best pasta is YOUR favorite type of pasta to go along with this dish 😊.
• So you don’t want to use pasta or aren’t really in the mood for it, huh? There are quite a few other alternatives out there so YAY! You can use brown rice pasta or maybe even zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash? You can use a different grain too, like rice (for a creamy tuna rice bowl). You can also serve your creamy tuna sauce over some spiralized vegetables or even veggies that have been sautéed in butter, grilled or roasted. There are loads of other alternatives to pasta out there that you guys can check out!
• You can also make this a creamy tuna salad! Just go ahead and drizzle the creamy tuna sauce over some of your favorite veggies such as maybe lettuce, corn, onion… whatever you prefer for an absolutely delicious meal.
• You can make a tuna casserole too! Just transfer your creamy tuna pasta once you’re done to a casserole dish (make sure you spray it with some non-stick oil before transferring the tuna pasta to it), sprinkle some more Parmesan and maybe mozzarella or cheddar cheese over it. You can also sprinkle some plain or seasoned Panko breadcrumbs (or just regular breadcrumbs), crushed crackers or crushed potato chips over the pasta for a hint of crisp. Go ahead and bake it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is all melted and gooey and yum yum, your creamy tuna pasta bake is ready!
• Continue reading if you would like to read about vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free or vegan adaptations of this recipe.

Note- If you think you have an ingredient that you feel is suitable as a substitute for a certain ingredient in this recipe, according to your dietary preference, you can use it and let us know how it works as a substitute in the comments below. I’ll then add it in as an adaptation suggestion here. This will help so many others with the same diet preference as yours.

Vegetarian Adaptation:

The easiest way to make a vegetarian version of this delicious creamy tuna pasta (vegetarian creamy pasta), is to go ahead and…

• Use any or all of your favorite veggies instead of tuna here. This creamy pasta dish goes super well with broccoli, peas, carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers… I can go on and on! Pick your favorite vegetable or vegetables, sauté them in some garlicky butter, remove them and follow the rest of the recipe as given. Then add the sautéed vegetables instead of the tuna to the creamy sauce later on. These fresh ingredients taste wonderful with this pasta.
• Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth here.
• You can also use vegetarian Parmesan cheese instead of regular Parmesan cheese.

Dairy-Free Adaptation:

To make dairy-free tuna pasta with no mayo no dairy no cream at all and just a handful of ingredients…

• When cooking the tuna in the beginning, skip out on the butter and use a little extra oil instead.
• To make the dairy-free creamy pasta sauce, once again, skip out on the butter in the beginning and just add in a little extra oil.
• Use coconut milk or coconut cream instead of light cream/heavy cream.
• Skip out on the milk and save some pasta water when cooking the pasta. Use that reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce. You can also use some more coconut milk here along with the reserved pasta.
• Instead of regular Parmesan cheese, you can use vegan or dairy-free Parmesan cheese.

Always make sure to read through the ingredient list of all the ingredients for tuna pasta to make sure they are dairy-free because hidden dairy may be present in some ingredients.

Gluten-Free Adaptation:

To make some delicious gluten-free creamy tuna pasta…

• When it comes to pasta, you can use gluten-free pasta. If you don’t want to use gluten-free pasta though, there are quite a few other alternatives out there. You can use brown rice pasta or maybe even zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash? You can use a different grain too, like rice. You can also serve your creamy tuna sauce over some spiralized vegetables or even veggies that have been sautéed in butter, grilled or roasted. There are loads of other alternatives to pasta out there that you guys can check out 😍.
• Also make sure the cooking oil you use doesn’t contain any additives that contain gluten.
• Butter is gluten-free on its own but it may sometimes be seasoned. These extra ingredients added to it to season it may contain gluten. Please make sure your butter is not flavored and does not contain any suspicious additional ingredients. Always check the ingredients given on the food label of the butter you buy.
• Canned tuna on its own is gluten-free. Sometimes though, it may contain certain flavorings that may contain gluten which then won’t make it gluten-free. There also may be an issue of cross-contamination in the factory it’s packed in. Because of this, please make sure you buy tuna that is certified gluten-free.
• Make sure you use gluten-free chicken broth. Chicken broth on its own is gluten-free but if you’re buying it from a store, it may contain flavorings or even preservatives that contain gluten. If you can’t find gluten-free chicken broth, you can always use gluten-free vegetable broth instead.
• There are many dairy products that in their natural form are gluten-free BUT some dairy products may have additives that contain gluten when you buy them from a market. The same goes for light cream/heavy cream too. Please go through the ingredient list on the food label of the cream you buy to make sure no additional ingredients that may potentially contain gluten are added to it.

Always read through the ingredient list of all the other given ingredients in the recipe to make sure they are gluten-free. This is because hidden gluten may be present in some ingredients.

Nut-Free Adaptation:

To make a delicious nut-free tuna pasta dinner…

• Make sure the cooking oil you use does not contain nuts or is not derived from any nuts.
• Parmesan cheese does not contain nuts on its own. It may though contain a tiny amount of nuts because of cross-contamination that may have occurred in the factory it was produced in. Make sure the Parmesan cheese you buy is completely nut-free.
• Black pepper may cause issues for people who are allergic to tree nuts. You can skip out on this if you prefer.

Please make sure you always read through the ingredient list of all the ingredients that have been mentioned in this recipe. There may be hidden nuts present in some ingredients.

Vegan Adaptation:

To make vegan creamy “tuna” pasta…

• Most packaged pasta is vegan. Fresh pasta may sometimes contain eggs though so make sure the pasta you’re buying is vegan.
• Skip out on the butter and add just a little extra oil instead.
• You can use vegan tuna instead of regular tuna. If you don’t prefer using vegan tuna, go ahead and use any or all of your favorite veggies. This creamy pasta dish goes super well with broccoli, peas, carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers… I can go on and on! Pick your favorite vegetable or vegetables, sauté them in some garlic oil, remove them and follow the rest of the recipe as given. Then add the sautéed vegetables instead of the tuna to the creamy sauce later on.
• You can use vegetable broth or a vegan-friendly broth instead of chicken broth here.
• Go ahead and use coconut milk or coconut cream instead of light cream/heavy cream here.
• Instead of milk, you can use coconut milk or some reserved pasta water, or even a combination of both of them.
• Instead of regular Parmesan cheese, you can use vegan Parmesan cheese.

Please always read through the ingredient list of all the given ingredients in the recipe to make sure everything is vegan.

Disclaimer– I’ve done research to make things easier for you guys, but please make sure you do your own research too if you are allergic to something or have a specific diet preference. The suggestions given above for dietary preferences are only suggestions and NOT medical advice. These are suggestions given just after a little research on the said dietary preferences. We are NOT trained medical professionals or nutritionists. You are responsible for yourself, so please ask your physician if you have any questions and make sure you always completely read through the ingredient list of any ingredients you use.

HOW TO COOK CREAMY TUNA PASTA RECIPE [Step-by-Step Instructions With Photos]

For exact ingredient measurements and instructions without photos, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

Please keep in mind that I go into lots of detail in all my recipes so you get to know all the super important tips and tricks when it comes to making a particular recipe. I always want you to make the BEST of whatever you’re cooking ❤.

STEP 1: COOK THE SPAGHETTI

You can choose to cook your spaghetti at any time while cooking this recipe but try and make sure it’s before you’re done cooking the creamy tuna sauce.

I prefer cooking my spaghetti before starting to cook my tuna pasta sauce because once you start cooking the creamy pasta sauce, things start moving pretty fast. It’s best to have your spaghetti cooked and ready.

So yep, add your pasta to a large pot of boiling well-salted water and cook it according to package instructions until it’s al dente.

You can save some pasta water on the side to thin your pasta sauce out if you don’t prefer using too much milk to do it.

You can also use half the amount of milk given in the recipe and as much reserved pasta water as you feel is right to thin your pasta sauce out too if you prefer.

Drain the pasta once it’s cooked and keep it aside.

COOK THE CANNED TUNA

STEP 2:

In a skillet (or a large pan, if you are cooking for a large crowd) over medium-low heat, add the oil and butter.

As the butter melts, add in the smashed and minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for a minute or two until the garlic lets out all those scrumptious buttery garlic aromas.

STEP 3:

Add the drained tuna to the pan.

Cook it in all that butter for about 3 to 4 minutes over low to medium-low heat until it’s coated in all that garlicky goodness and is very slightly browned.

Remove the tuna in a separate bowl or a plate and set it aside.

Keep the skillet as it is and move to the next step.

FINISH COOKING YOUR CREAMY TUNA PASTA

STEP 4:

In the same skillet over medium-low heat, add in the oil and butter.

As the butter melts, add in the diced onions.

Cook your onions for about 8 to 9 minutes over medium-low heat until they are lightly browned.

STEP 5:

Reduce the heat to low and add in your smashed minced garlic.

Sauté the onions and garlic and let them cook for about 10 minutes until the onions turn browner and all aromatic and beautiful.

It’s important to be patient right now because those onions are the main guys here. We need them to turn that beautiful golden brown which in turn will give our pasta an absolutely delicious deep rich flavor so just bear with them a bit ❤.

STEP 6:

Once those 10 minutes are up, pour in the chicken broth.

Increase the heat to medium-low and cook for another 7 to 8 minutes until the chicken broth reduces quite a bit and comes to a mushy-ish texture with just a little liquid left.

STEP 7:

Reduce the heat to low and pour in your cream.

We reduce the heat here so our cream doesn’t split when it touches all that hot good stuff in the pan.

Cook all that creamy goodness until it reaches a very light boil. This will take about 3 to 4 minutes.

If the cream is at room temperature it may take a minute less to reach the light boil stage

STEP 8:

Add your cooked tuna to the pan.

Coat and mix it in nicely in the creamy mixture.

Cook for another 2 minutes.

STEP 9:

Now pour in the milk to loosen that creamy sauce.

You can also add in half milk and as much reserved pasta water as you prefer to loosen your sauce here instead of the full milk measurement given.

Mix everything together and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.

STEP 10:

Add in the grated Parmesan cheese and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

You need to choose your preferred consistency of pasta sauce at this stage.

• If you prefer a thinner sauce, you can add a little more milk or reserved pasta water here and cook your tuna pasta sauce for a few more minutes until it’s just a little thinner than your desired consistency. That’s because the sauce will thicken as it cools down so if you keep it a little thinner than your preferred consistency, it’ll cool down to your desired consistency.
• And if you prefer a thicker sauce, go ahead and cook the sauce until it’s just a little thinner than your desired consistency. That’s because it’ll cool down and thicken up more so it’ll then reach your desired consistency.

Now give your creamy tuna sauce a taste. The chicken broth and Parmesan cheese may have made it salty enough but if you prefer some more salt or pepper, add it according to your preference here.

I usually add a pinch of salt and some freshly crushed pepper according to my taste at this stage.

STEP 11:

Add your cooked spaghetti to the creamy garlicky tuna sauce.

Give everything a good mix for a minute or so until all that spaghetti is coated with the scrumptious creamy tuna-y sauce.

If you prefer your sauce to be thinner, add in some milk or reserved pasta water here and toss the spaghetti in the sauce for another minute or two.

An optional step here is that you can switch off the heat, cover your dish and let it rest for about 5 to 7 minutes so the pasta absorbs all that creamy sauce and cooks in it a little more. This is completely optional though.

And there you go, you’re done and your delicious creamy tuna pasta is cooked and ready to serve ❤. YAY!!!

Serve it nice and hot.

Garnish with some freshly grated parmesan and fresh or dried parsley

Hey you, I really hope you love this easy creamy garlic canned tuna pasta recipe as much as I do!

If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).

Also, if you have any questions about this recipe, make sure to check out our FAQs section below to maybe find your answer there, or leave a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible, I promise 😊.

TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST CREAMY TUNA PASTA RECIPE EVER

The first time I tasted this dish, I gasped in surprise.

I couldn’t imagine something SO delicious coming out of a relatively simple recipe like this one.

I mean, I had a feeling it would be pretty yummy and things but THIS delicious? I had no idea!

Lush, rich and so creamy… and the tuna working its magic… Just incredible ✨.

The best part about this recipe is that it’s a remarkably simple tuna pasta dish to make and it’s incredibly delicious too. It’s also pretty straightforward.

But hey, there are a few extra tips and tricks you can follow to make your cooking experience a little easier and to make your tuna dish even yummier. Let’s discuss them below:

• Keep all your ingredients ready and on hand so you don’t feel flustered once you start cooking the creamy pasta sauce cause things start moving fast then.
• Go ahead and cook your spaghetti before starting to cook the creamy pasta sauce as well because everything comes together really quick so it’s best to have the spaghetti ready.
• Salt your pasta water well. Add that salt once the water starts to boil and then add in your pasta. That salt adds so much flavor to your pasta and makes such a big difference! Make sure your pasta water is well salted!
• We use milk in this recipe to thin out our pasta sauce and to also make our sauce even creamier. If you want to skip out on milk, go ahead and save some pasta water when cooking your pasta and use that reserved pasta water to thin out the creamy pasta sauce instead. You can also pour in half the milk and then pour in some reserved pasta water until you get the consistency you prefer.
• Some dishes require a little patience, extra love and care. This is one of them when it comes to the onions stage. It’s a pretty quick and easy pasta recipe but needs just a little patience here and there. Just be a little patient and this recipe will reward you with loads of deliciousness.
• Smash your garlic. Yep, you read that right! Smash your garlic cloves and then mince them. This garlic smashing lets out so much more of the garlickiness and works ✨beautifully✨ with the butter.every.single.time.
• It’s really important to add oil whenever you’re adding butter to the pan. Butter can brown really fast on its own and oil prevents that from happening.
• You can also experiment with solid tuna, chunks of tuna or flaked tuna and choose the type of tuna you prefer best. I’m sometimes in the mood for a juicy bite and that’s when I use tuna chunks. And then there are times I prefer a light creamy meaty sauce which tuna flakes give me because they blend in so well with the creaminess of the pasta sauce in this recipe. It’s all about your preference.
• If you are using canned tuna in oil, you can use that oil instead of regular vegetable oil when cooking your tuna and creamy pasta sauce. Using the oil your tuna has been packed in will give your creamy tuna pasta an extra tuna-ey taste.
• If you feel one can of tuna isn’t enough and you’d like an even meatier pasta sauce, go ahead and use one more can of tuna 😍.
• Running low on time and want to make some quick tuna pasta? Skip out on cooking your tuna in garlic butter in Step 3 and directly add in the drained tuna in Step 8. It’ll still taste really good but hey, cooking that tuna in that buttery garlic goodness adds a whole new level of scrumptiousness to it so try not to miss out on it.
• If you would like to skip out on cream, you can use a lighter cream with a lower fat percentage or even half and half, if you prefer. A good alternative here also is coconut milk or coconut cream if you’re looking for a creamy tuna pasta recipe without cream. Evaporated milk can work well here too.
• Please try and use a fresh block of Parmesan cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese can contain cellulose and lots of other unwanted ingredients. It can also get all clumpy and weird in your pasta sauce and won’t melt well! Tuna pasta with Parmesan cheese that is nice and freshly grated tastes incredible 💖.
• Be careful when adding salt in Step 10. Make sure you taste your tuna pasta sauce first before adding any salt. That’s because the chicken broth and Parmesan cheese may add enough salt to your creamy sauce on their own. You can always add more salt to a dish but you can’t remove salt from it. So be careful and once again, try your pasta sauce before adding salt to it.
• If you prefer a thicker pasta sauce- Go ahead and add lesser milk or pasta water than the amount given in Step 9. What you can also do is, after you’ve added milk or your reserved pasta water to your creamy pasta sauce in Step 9, cook the sauce for a longer time than given in the recipe here, until it’s a little thinner than your desired consistency. That’s because as your pasta sauce cools, it’ll get much thicker.
• If you prefer a thinner pasta sauce- Add more milk or reserved pasta water than the amount given in the recipe in Step 9 until the sauce is a little thinner than your desired consistency. That’s because as the sauce cooks, it’ll become thicker. Then let it cook until it’s just a little thinner than your actual preferred consistency. You can also just go ahead and add more reserved pasta water or milk to the sauce as you cook it until it’s just a little thinner than your preferred consistency. That’s once again because the sauce will thicken as it cools down.
• An additional optional step here is that you can switch off the heat, cover your dish and let it rest for about 5 to 7 minutes after adding your cooked spaghetti to the sauce and mixing everything together. This way, the spaghetti absorbs all that creamy sauce and cooks in it a little more.
• Prefer a little crunch in your pasta? Go ahead and sprinkle some toasted panko breadcrumbs on top of your finished tuna pasta meal and enjoy that delish intermingling of creamy and crispy ❤.
• If you would like to make this a one pot tuna pasta dish, add maybe about 2 cups (just an estimate) of chicken broth in Step 6 instead of the amount given in the recipe here, then go ahead and cook the pasta in the same pot until it’s al dente, and then continue with the rest of the steps as given in the recipe.
• Oh, and make sure you serve this dish immediately! That’s because it tastes incredible all hot and creamy AND also because the creamy tuna sauce will start to thicken as it cools down and it tastes wonderful like that too but it won’t be as soft, luscious and smooth anymore. So serve it as soon as possible!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR CREAMY GARLIC CANNED TUNA PASTA RECIPE

When it comes to a tuna pasta recipe like the one here, it can be served on its own and still taste absolutely delicious cause… hey, this dish is literal perfection.

Like, you’ll be sitting and eating spoonfuls of it and before you know it, it’ll be gone and you’ll still keep wondering out loud how anything can taste THIS good.

But hey, if you’d like to pair this delicious canned tuna pasta dish with another dish, we’re all for it. It tastes sooo good with some added food friends.

Just go ahead and check our suggestions out below on how to serve this pasta and what to serve along with it:

• You can serve this scrumptious creamy tuna alfredo sauce pasta the way I prefer serving it- as it is. Just serve it nice and hot. Garnish it with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a bit of fresh parsley (or dried parsley) along with any other fresh herbs you feel will go well with this delicious creamy pasta dish and there you have it, the best canned tuna pasta recipe ever ⭐!
• This incredible homemade tuna pasta recipe also goes along really well with some garlic bread. You can also make it a nice buttery cheesy garlicky bread and serve it alongside the creamy tuna pasta… mixing two delightfully delicious dishes together 💖. You can also serve your tuna pasta with a nice thick bread or some soft melt-in-your-mouth bread to dip into the tuna pasta sauce, whatever type of bread YOU prefer! Mmm scrumptious scrumptious!
• To spice up your tuna pasta, go ahead and sprinkle some paprika or red pepper flakes or maybe even a hot sauce that you like over your finished creamy tuna pasta to add a hint of heat to your dish 🔥! I’m sometimes in the mood for some medium heat in this tuna pasta with white sauce and red pepper flakes are the absolute best for that.
• You can also add a sprinkle of some toasted panko breadcrumbs on top of your delicious tuna pasta dish before serving for an added incredible crunch.
• A creamy garlic LEMON tuna pasta sounds amazing and tastes amazing too. Go ahead and experiment and squeeze a fresh lemon as well as grate some lemon zest over your tuna pasta meal once you’re done cooking to add a gorgeous tang and freshness to it. Make sure you used whipping cream or heavy cream whenever you choose to squeeze lemon juice over your pasta. That’s because any cream with a lower fat percentage may curdle when you add lemon juice to it
• You can also make this a creamy tuna salad! Just go ahead and drizzle the creamy tuna sauce over some of your favorite fresh raw veggies such as maybe lettuce, corn, onion… whatever you prefer for an absolutely delicious meal.
• Not in the mood for pasta? Go ahead and serve your creamy tuna sauce over some good old steamed rice. The creamy texture of this sauce goes incredibly well with rice and tastes incredible.
• You can also serve your creamy tuna pasta along with some veggies. Go ahead and serve it with YOUR choice of veggies. They can be buttered garlic vegetables sautéed in some butter garlic such as buttered mushroom or simply sautéed such as sautéed spinach or even alongside a fresh vegetable salad. This pasta will taste sooo good with some fresh cold crunchy raw veggies like cucumber, carrot and red onions with lemon juice drizzled on top… ❤. You can also grill, steam or even roast your veggies (yum, roasted broccoli!). The options are endless!
• For a nice bread-y crunch, go ahead and sprinkle some croutons over your creamy tuna pasta. Those textures of creamy and crunchy work so well together! You can also serve some garlicky breadsticks and dip them in the sauce if you prefer a good ol’ crunch.

Should tuna pasta be hot or cold? Can you eat tuna pasta cold?

Tuna pasta should be served nice and hot. That’s because our tuna pasta recipe here has a lush cream base and is gorgeously creamy. Because of this, the sauce in the pasta will keep solidifying as it cools down.

The warmer your tuna pasta is, the creamier its sauce will be and that’s why, eating your tuna pasta cold is not a good idea (unless that consistency is what you prefer).

Our recipe here is not the same as a tuna pasta salad.

Tuna pasta salad can be served cold or at room temperature. That’s because it’s usually made using either mayonnaise or Greek yogurt, both of which remain creamy even at lower temperatures and suit being used to make a cold salad.

What can I mix in with tuna pasta?

There’s so much you can add to your tuna pasta!

You can go ahead and add some shrimp or even your favorite veggies to it when cooking it.

You can also go ahead and mix in some toasted panko breadcrumbs for some crunch or red chili flakes for some added heat towards the end.

We also like adding some parsley to our finished dish and you can go ahead and add any dried or fresh herbs you prefer that you feel will go well with this creamy tuna spaghetti recipe.

We’ve added some freshly grated Parmesan cheese to our tuna pasta as well and you can experiment and add in a different cheese if you prefer.

This best and easy creamy garlic canned tuna pasta recipe is incredible and there’s so much you can add to it because it works so well with so many ingredients out there.

You can keep experimenting with it until you find something you love. You can check our Variations Section for more ideas.

You can also let me know an ingredient/s you add to this pasta that you adore in the comments below! I’d love to try it that way too.

What can you have with tuna pasta?

There’s so much you can have with tuna pasta such as maybe some garlic bread. You can also make that bread a nice buttery cheesy garlicky bread and serve it alongside your creamy tuna pasta… mixing two deliciously scrumptious dishes together ✨.

You can also serve your tuna pasta with a nice thick bread or some soft melt-in-your-mouth bread to dip into the tuna pasta sauce. Use whatever type of bread YOU prefer!

To add some fresh crunch to your tuna pasta with alfredo sauce, you can serve it with some fresh raw veggies on the side.

You can also sauté some of your favorite veggies in some garlic butter and serve them alongside your pasta as well.

There’s so much you can serve along with this tuna pasta recipe, we have an entire section dedicated to it! Go ahead and check our Serving Suggestions out above for more ideas.

What pasta is best for tuna pasta?

Pasta is so personal because everyone has their own favorites!

Spaghetti is our personal preference for this recipe.

With my tuna pasta recipe though you can use any pasta you prefer really.

This creamy tuna pasta goes along really well with so many different types of pasta out there.

There’s bucatini which is super interesting. It gives you the awesomeness of a long pasta AND is hollow in the center which gives you the satisfaction of having your creamy pasta sauce snuggled in between that pasta, bursting with flavor with each bite

You can use fusilli too. Those curves in the pasta can hold our creamy tuna sauce really well.

Other great options are fettuccine, macaroni, penne, rigatoni… the list is endless!

But yeah, your favorite choice of pasta is the right one to go along with this dish 😊.

How to store tuna pasta?

Tuna pasta is super easy to store. Once it’s cooled down, go ahead and transfer it to an airtight box and store it in the fridge.

If you have lots of tuna pasta left over (which will be quite rare cause this dish very rarely has leftovers 😉), you can store it in multiple different airtight containers. This way, you can remove and heat up only the actual amount of tuna pasta you want to eat at that moment.

How long is tuna pasta good for in the fridge?

This delicious easy tuna pasta dish can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How to make tuna pasta for the next day? How can I meal prep for this best and easy creamy garlic canned tuna pasta recipe?

This simple tuna pasta recipe is excellent for meal prep.

There are multiple ways you can make it for the next day.

Let’s discuss a few tuna pasta meal prep ideas below:

• You can just go ahead and prepare the entire dish as it is, wait for it to cool down and then transfer it to an airtight container. Store it in the fridge and heat it whenever you want to eat it.
• You can also prepare just the creamy tuna sauce a day before or so, wait for it to cool down, transfer it to an airtight container and then store it in the fridge. Whenever you want to cook the dish, you can heat your tuna sauce in a pan over the stove, boil some pasta and then add it to the tuna sauce and mix everything together.

There are loads of ways you can divide and cook this easy tuna pasta recipe like we’ve discussed above.

You can cook and store certain parts of the recipe and then bring everything together and cook the rest of it the day you want to eat it or you can cook the entire recipe and store it and heat it whenever you want to have it.

What seasoning and herbs go with this tuna pasta recipe?

Literally every seasoning and dried or fresh herbs go well with this tuna pasta.

We’ve seasoned our creamy tuna pasta with some parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese but you can go ahead and season your tuna pasta with literally anything you prefer that you feel will go well with it.

Want some spicy tuna pasta? Go ahead and sprinkle some paprika or red chilli flakes or both on top of your finished dish.

For a little different flavor profile, go with some Italian seasoning!

Maybe a little onion-y touch? Add in some chopped green onions!

Or perhaps you want a super herby tuna pasta? Go ahead and add in all your favorite herbs!

Keep experimenting until you find the right seasoning and herbs to go with your creamy tuna pasta.

How to reheat tuna pasta?

You can reheat your tuna pasta over the stove or in the microwave.

• If you’re heating your tuna pasta over the stove, transfer your pasta to a pan and heat it over medium-low heat. Pour in just a little water or milk and gently stir everything together until it’s heated through. Make sure you give your pasta dish a taste and add in some salt if you feel it needs it.
• If you’re heating your tuna pasta in the microwave, transfer your pasta to a microwave-safe bowl. Add in some water, gently mix everything together and heat it in the microwave until it’s heated through. Make sure you give your pasta dish a taste and add in some salt if you feel it needs it.

Is tuna pasta healthy for you?

Tuna is a pretty healthy fish. It’s filled with so much goodness! Super rich in protein and also lots of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B12.

Tuna is also a super awesome source of omega-3 fatty acids and there’s just so much good stuff in this fish, I can fill an entire page about it!

Tuna pasta is healthy-ish for you and you can eat it about once a week. That’s because tuna can also contain mercury so it’s best not to eat too much of it in a week.

The tuna with pasta recipe here also contains cream, so it’s a bit of an indulgent meal.

If you’d like to cut down on the cream and make an even more nutritious meal, you can skip out on it completely and follow this healthy tuna pasta recipe version of the same recipe instead:

1. After pouring in the chicken broth and cooking it until it’s reduced in Step 6, directly add in your tuna, mix everything together and then add in the spaghetti and mix everything together. Top everything off with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and lemon juice, this will make for a pretty healthy tuna pasta meal or
2. Use coconut milk instead of cream, or
3. Use light cream, half and half or add in more milk and less cream in your tuna pasta.

How to make your pasta sauce thinner?

If you prefer a thinner pasta sauce, go ahead and add more milk or reserved pasta water than the amount given in the recipe in Step 9 until the sauce is a little thinner than your actual preferred consistency. That’s because as the sauce cooks, it’ll become thicker. Then let it cook until it’s just a little thinner than your preferred consistency.

You can also just go ahead and add more reserved pasta water or milk as you cook the sauce until it is just a little thinner than your preferred consistency. That’s because the sauce will thicken as it cools.

How to make your pasta sauce thicker?

If you prefer a thicker pasta sauce, just add lesser milk or pasta water than the amount given in Step 9.

What you can also do is, after adding milk or your reserved pasta water to your creamy pasta sauce in Step 9, cook the sauce for a longer time than given in the recipe here, until it’s just a little thinner than your desired consistency. That’s because as your pasta sauce cools down, it’ll get much thicker, so once again, make sure your tuna pasta sauce is just a little thinner than your desired consistency.

Can I make this BEST and EASY Creamy Garlic Canned Tuna Pasta Recipe according to my diet preference?

Yes, you can make this delicious creamy canned tuna pasta recipe according to your diet preference! It’s one of those incredibly good pasta recipes (literally AMAZING) that taste wonderful in every way and can be worked with along with your preference.

Explore the Variations Section above to see our suggestions on how you can make the vegetarian version of creamy tuna pasta, dairy-free creamy tuna pasta, gluten-free creamy tuna pasta, nut-free creamy tuna pasta and the vegan version of creamy tuna pasta.

❤❤❤

Hey you, I really hope you love this easy creamy garlic canned tuna pasta recipe as much as I do!

If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).

You have no idea how happy it’ll make me and how much of a boost it gives us here. It’s the best feeling in the whole world when you see someone appreciate something you’re passionate about ❤.

Please also let me know in the comments below if you’ve tried this recipe and loved it or have any suggestions regarding it or any suggestions in general, even if you just wanna say hello. I would love to hear from you.

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