This creamy Instant Pot Lemon Pepper Tuna Pasta is tossed with a cream-based sauce with fettuccine pasta and a homemade blend of lemon pepper seasonings.
Freshly grated lemon zest and lemon juice brighten the flavors in this light dish and is easy to make.
How to Make Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning
It's easy! This Instant Pot Lemon Pepper Tuna Pasta recipe uses a homemade blend of seasonings to make lemon pepper seasoning. Homemade seasoning uses lemons (juice and the zest!), freshly ground pepper, and salt!
It's quite easy and straightforward to make lemon pepper seasoning from scratch.
Canned Tuna in Oil Vs. Water
There is a difference in nutrition and in flavor when choosing between canned tuna in water vs oil.
Tuna in water has higher levels of Omega-3 and is lower in calories. Canned tuna in water also has a more subtle flavor due to being packed in water and packs more protein than tuna in oil. When draining the water from the can, the flavor goes away with it. If you enjoy subtle tuna flavors, this is a great option.
Canned tuna in oil has more calories and a stronger tuna flavor due to it being packed in oil. Tuna packed in oil also is more tender than tuna packed in water. Also, there is no need to drain the oil from the tuna if you prefer. Draining the oil from the tuna before using will eliminate some of the extra calories thanks to the oil.
Either variety will work just fine in this Instant Pot Lemon Pepper Tuna pasta dish!
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What's in Lemon Pepper Tuna Pasta?
The ingredients for this Instant Pot Lemon Pepper Tuna Pasta are pretty straight forward and this dish is easy to make.
- Fettuccine pasta
- Olive oil
- Garlic cloves
- Canned tuna
- Lemon zest - a zester is the perfect tool for zesting fruits.
- Lemon juice - a lemon squeezer works efficiently to get the most juice out of lemons.
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper-a pepper grinder gives the freshest pepper flavor to the dish.
- Heavy cream
- Chicken broth
- Spinach
RELATED: Instant Pot Spinach and White Bean Soup
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How to Make Lemon Pepper Tuna Pasta in the Instant Pot
Weigh your pasta- This recipe calls for 8 ounces of Fettuccine pasta and measuring it will ensure that the pasta pressure cooks evenly. If doubling this recipe, disregard the weighing instruction.
Use the saute setting- Set the Instant Pot to saute and add the oil, butter, and garlic.
Deglaze the pot- Press cancel and scrape the bottom to deglaze the pot. Remove any stuck-on bits on the bottom of the liner.
Add the pasta- Add the fettuccine pasta, fan it out evenly in the pot to ensure even pressure cooking.
Layer the other ingredients- Layer the tuna over the pasta. Add the lemon juice and zest. A lemon zester works great to remove the zest from the lemon. Avoid grating down into the white of the lemon rind, the white part is bitter.
Sprinkle in the salt and the pepper.
Add the liquid- Pour in the 2 cups of broth - do not stir the ingredients. The water should be sitting on top.
Pressure cook- Close the lid and pressure cook on HIGH using the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting for 4 minutes.
Perform a quick release- Carefully perform a quick release to relieve the pressure by turning the steam release knob to the venting position. Do this slowly to prevent steam or water from spewing from the valve.
Refer to your pressure cookers manual for how to safely use its functions.
Make the cream sauce- Open the lid, add in the heavy cream, and stir.
Garnish and serve- Toss the Instant Pot Lemon Pepper Tuna Pasta with capers and spinach. Serve with fresh parsley and dill.
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Lemon Pepper Tuna Pasta
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces fettuccine pasta
- 2 cups chicken broth - low sodium
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves - minced
- 5 ounces tuna - if using water, drain
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest - from one lemon
- 2 tablespoon lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper - freshly ground is best
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup baby spinach - rinsed
- ½ teaspoon fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons capers
Instructions
- Set the Instant pot to Saute and add the oil, butter, and garlic.
- Scrape the bottom to deglaze the pot. Any stuck on bits on the bottom of the liner can result in a "burn" notice.
- Break the fettuccine, fan it out evenly in the pot.
- Layer the tuna over the pasta.
- Add the lemon juice and zest.
- Sprinkle in the salt and the pepper
Pour in the 2 cups of broth - do not stir. - Close the lid and pressure cook on HIGH using the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting for 4 minutes.
- Carefully perform a quick release to relieve the pressure by turning the steam release knob to the venting position. Do this slowly to prevent steam or water from spewing from the valve.
- Open the lid, add in the heavy cream, and stir.
- Toss with baby spinach and capers, and serve with fresh parsley and dill.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
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