Cheesy Tuna and Tomato Orzo
Updated April 28, 2026
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
- Ready In
- 20 min
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1⅓ cups/8 ounces orzo
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika or sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
2 cups vegetable stock (or water), plus more if needed
1 cup jarred marinara sauce
1 (5-ounce) can tuna in oil, drained and flaked
⅔ cup grated Cheddar or mozzarella
Chopped parsley (optional), for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 to 4 servings)
49 grams carbs; 29 milligrams cholesterol; 468 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 710 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 5 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a medium pot or large skillet over medium-high. Add the orzo, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and salt, and cook, stirring, until the orzo is lightly golden, about 2 minutes.
- Step 2
Stir in the stock and the marinara and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until orzo is fully cooked, 12 to 14 minutes. If it looks like the orzo is too dry, add a couple of tablespoons of stock or water to the pot.
- Step 3
Add the tuna and cheese and stir to combine. Adjust the seasoning to taste by adding more salt if necessary, then adjust the consistency of your orzo by adding a splash of stock or water if desired.
- Step 4
Garnish with parsley, if using, and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
This is a sexy and sophisticated version of a tuna casserole and just as easy. really hearty and great for cold weather. I bet kids would like it but even if I had children I'm not sure I'd share it! I am going to add some chipped green olives in next time to try to replicate a childhood recipe of my mother's - may or may not work but I'm thinking the little nuggets of salt might be just the thing!
perfect meal for a busy mom. didn’t have orzo so i used pastina. excellent.
This was a winner with the spicy-hating spouse, and I will make this regularly from now on. I used whole wheat orzo and doubled the garlic, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Next time I will leave out the 1/4 tsp of salt, since the salt in the jarred marinara and the tuna was more than enough. The two of us finished the whole things off, so I'd say this recipe make "2 to 4" servings, depending on your appetite. It was hard to quit eating it.
I’ve made this at least 10 times now. Super simple and delicious. Easy to keep ingredients on hand. Definitely recommend doubling the recipe because it just makes sense to use a whole pound of pasta, whole jar of marinara, and whole quart of broth (and because you’ll want leftovers).
Easy five stars. I doubled the amount and cooked in a Dutch oven - so glad I did. Also I couldn’t help myself and added an additional step of blanketing the whole thing w extra mozzarella and broiling for a few minutes. Smoked paprika seems essential to the complex flavor. I’d try adding diced onion next time. Enjoyed by the whole family!
We love this recipe and make it al the time. I use canned tomatoes instead of the marinara sauce because we never have any on hand. I’ve started to double the paprika and the tuna as well. I agree with some of the commenters that it needs some spice. Goes great with kimchi, hot pepper flakes, or hot sauce.