The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Yellowfin Tuna, Burnt Lemon & Kale Pesto Penne
A pasta dish that’s dressed to impress. You’ll pan-fry yellowfin tuna chunks – sustainably sourced, as always – then serve with a punchy pesto penne, drizzled with aged balsamic and burnt lemon.
Ready in 20
High protein
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 4 tsp garlic paste (Garlic, Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Citric Acid)
- 1 shallot
- 40g sundried tomatoes (Sundried Tomato Halves [Sundried tomatoes 92-88% (Turkey), Salt 8-12% (Turkey), E330 (Citric Acid) 0.4 %, E300 (Ascorbic Acid) 0.35 %], Water, Spirit Vinegar, Rapeseed Oil, Oregano, Salt)
- 250g brown rice penne (Eggs)
- 80g sliced kale
- 1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar (Sulphites) (Aged Balsamic Vinegar (Cooked Grape Must, Wine Vinegar), Xanthan Gum)
- 2 x 220g wild-caught yellow fin tuna chunks (Fish)
- 1 unwaxed lemon
- 8 tbsp green pesto (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 200g seasonal mixed tomatoes
Nutritional Information
Calories: 616
Protein: 42g
Carbs: 57g
Fat: 24g
Yellowfin Tuna, Burnt Lemon & Kale Pesto Penne
A pasta dish that’s dressed to impress. You’ll pan-fry yellowfin tuna chunks – sustainably sourced, as always – then serve with a punchy pesto penne, drizzled with aged balsamic and burnt lemon.
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Cooking Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan filled with salted hot water to a boil. Add the penne and boil for 7-8 mins. In the final 2-3 mins, add the kale until soft and cooked. Drain all together, return to the pan and set aside.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the shallot. Halve the sundried tomatoes and fresh tomatoes. Quarter the lemon.
- Heat a large frying pan with 1 tbsp oil on a medium-high heat. Season the tuna with sea salt and black pepper, then place in the pan. Cook for 3-4 mins, turning regularily, until golden and cooked through. While the tuna is cooking, drizzle the lemon wedges with 1 tsp oil, then place in the same pan, flesh-side down. Cook for 2-3 mins to char the flesh. Remove both from the pan and set aside.
- Reheat the frying pan with 1 tsp oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic paste, and cook for 2-3 mins. Stir the garlic shallots into the cooked penne, along with the pesto, sundried tomatoes and fresh tomatoes. Gently toss through the tuna chunks. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
- Serve the tuna penne in bowls and drizzle over the vinegar. Garnish with the burnt lemon wedges and squeeze over the juice (to taste).
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