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
Advertisement
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 monounsaturated 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.
Powered by
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.
If you can get your hands on some Tonnino brand jalapeño in smoked olive oil yellowfin tuna, do. I’m not even a jalapeño lover, but the added smokiness and slight heat just took this to a whole other level… I literally described it as life changing. The combination of ultimate comfort and really elevated depth of flavor, especially from a recipe this simple, cannot be overstated. I am buying out the jalapeño tuna from my grocery store and will make this dish often.
This has become a favorite for the whole family, even our baby loves it since the pasta doesn’t really need chewing. We leave out the tuna and eat it with grilled salmon instead.
This recipe is great as written and I make it often. I made it throughout my pregnancy when I had no energy to cook and it was quick and easy to throw together while taking care of a newborn. It's become a staple when we need something fast to put on the table. I double everything except for the salt (it's salty already for me with the tuna and jarred marinara) to have enough for a couple of nights or leftovers for lunches. Sometimes I add spinach if I have any in the fridge and sometimes I sub out the tuna for shredded rotisserie chicken. I prefer it with the tuna but my husband likes it better with chicken. Sometimes we roast some broccoli to have on the side and that tastes great with this as well.