Homemade Tuna Helper Recipe from Scratch
Try this homemade heavenly-tasty tuna pasta recipe inspired by Tuna Helper boxed pasta we all adored as kids!
Equipment
- 1 blender
- 1 Large pan
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp thyme
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Pesto
- 2 ½ oz walnuts (70 g)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves (20 g)
- 1 lemon Freshly squeezed.
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (50 ml)
- 1 oz grated parmesan (30 g)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Pasta
- 1 cube vegetable bouillon Dissolve it in 17 oz (500 ml) of water.
- 1 tbsp starch corn
- 10 oz water (300 ml)
- 1 cup heavy cream (240 ml)
- 8 oz pasta (227 g) That's one packaging. Use dry elbow pasta.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 can tuna (230 g) Use tuna in water.
Topping
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes (283 g)
- 8 oz mozzarella (226 g) That's one packaging. Use mini mozzarella balls.
Instructions
Pasta
- Dissolve vegetable cube bouillon in hot water and add a tablespoon of cornstarch to it, as well.
- In a large pan toast the spice mix: garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, and thyme (or Tuna Helper spice mix bag) over a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
- Pour the broth into the pan along with some water, and bring it to the boil.
- Add the dry elbow pasta and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer it lightly for about 7-10 minutes and stir it occasionally.
- Pour in heavy cream and cook for about 5 more minutes, or until you’re satisfied with the sauce consistency and pasta density.
- Remove from the stove.
Pesto
- Combine walnuts, basil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, parmesan, fresh garlic cloves, sea salt, and ground pepper.
- Pulsate the blender until the texture is creamy and slightly grainy. About 1 or 2 minutes of blending is enough.
Putting Everything Together
- Combine the pesto and canned tuna with the pasta.
- Arrange it onto the plates and top it with mini mozzarella and sweet cherry tomatoes.
- Serve with a glass of wine or sparkling lemon water for a fancy dinner. And enjoy!
Notes
You can store leftover pasta in the fridge for a day. Make sure to use airtight containers to keep the aroma in, as it’s pretty strong due to garlic and basil. Don’t heat it more than one time!
Advice plus: Don’t mix the tuna into the whole batch if you’re planning on storing it – do it before serving!