I've Been Making This 30-Minute Martha Stewart Dinner for 8 Years

These days, it seems we are all trying to get a meal on the table without breaking the bank. One of the most dependable options that'll stick with you is canned tuna. The protein is often on sale and has a long shelf life, so you can stock up and store it in your pantry.

When the weather is too warm for tuna casserole, Martha's One-Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta hits the spot. Besides canned tuna, it also uses fresh asparagus and spring greens for a bright, seasonal dish. Depending on my mood, I swap in other vegetables as well.

What Is Martha's One-Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta?

I first encountered Martha's recipe for One-Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta in a 2017 issue of her magazine, which was always at my doctor's office. I looked forward to paging through her recipes while I was there.

At the time, cooking with less fat was all the rage, and I was always searching for healthier versions of familiar recipes. Martha must have known—I was tempted to tear out the page with this pasta recipe, but instead, I scribbled it down on the back of an invoice. Soon after, I made the dish for my private chef clients—and then again and again—often modifying it into something more upscale by subbing seared fresh tuna for canned (because that was all the rage, too).

The dish is a bright jumble of curvy cavatappi, just-tender asparagus, barely wilted arugula, and it's studded with flavorful tuna and salty Parmesan. It’s a good last-minute cheat, too, coming together in less than 30 minutes.

It's also flexible: You can sub other quick-cooking vegetables for asparagus, like snap peas or broccoli, and use spinach instead of arugula. I often add some garlic. If you can’t find cavatappi, macaroni or rotini are good replacements. Speaking of, canned salmon or leftover chicken can step in for the tuna.

The Trick to Making Martha's One-Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta

The magic to making Martha's One-Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta is in the noodles. They're combined in a pan with stock, water, butter, and shallots, simmering together to create a light sauce that's thickened by the pasta's starches. It’s important that the cavatappi goes into the cold liquid, giving it more time to release starch as it come to a boil.

Once the pasta is just shy of al dente (has a bite), cut asparagus is added followed by arugula, lemon zest, Parmesan, and then oil-packed tuna. To finish the dish, you'll season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper, drizzle with a glug of olive oil. If you'd like, top with some toasted breadcrumbs.

The process is straightforward and only one pan is needed, so it's easy and cleanup is a breeze. Now that fats are back in vogue (thank goodness), I often add more butter and I and don’t skimp on the olive oil at the end. This dish is plenty lean, and a little more fat helps coat the pasta.

Leave it to Martha to make canned tuna feel a little bit elegant. This pasta is perfect for a light, summer meal on the patio.