Tuna Pasta
Imagine this: It’s a busy weeknight, but you still want to enjoy a tasty home-cooked meal. Enter my satisfying Tuna Pasta recipe!
A humble can of tuna comes together with pasta, olives, capers, and red pepper flakes in a rich tomato sauce. It’s satisfying, hearty, and only takes 20 minutes to cook! You’ll want to save this recipe!
Time and time again, fast pasta dishes are my go-to on busy weeknights. My Cream Cheese Pasta, Penne Pomodoro, and Lemon Pasta are in my regular rotation. But it’s my Tuna Pasta that has been a weeknight hero for many years.
I first started making this recipe when I married, and it never disappoints! Using basic pantry staples, this classic Italian pasta dish comes together in minutes and is bursting with savory goodness.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Speedy: My delicious spaghetti with tuna is perfect for those busy weeknights when you need a hearty meal, fast. Forget slaving away in the kitchen for hours, this recipe comes together in minutes.
- Italian flavors: This recipe is loaded with authentic Italian flavors you know and love. Rich tomatoes, black olives, salty capers, spicy red pepper flakes, and savory tuna. It’s a classic for a reason!
- Economical: A humble can of tuna is turned into a satisfying meal the whole family will love. This budget-friendly meal proves you don’t need fancy ingredients or expensive cuts of meat to create a delicious dish.
- Versatile: This recipe for Tuna Pasta is easily adaptable to whatever you have in the pantry! No olives? No problem. Add a squeeze of lemon instead. Don’t like it spicy? Leave out the red pepper flakes!
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
- Spaghetti pasta: Look for bronze die-cut pasta, which has a rougher texture and is better for the sauce to cling to.
- Onion: I use yellow onions, sometimes known as brown onions. These are generally a staple in grocery stores, but use white or red onions if that’s what you have.
- Olive oil: Extra Virgin Olive Oil is best here as it adds a lovely flavor to this simple pasta dish. You can use light olive oil if that’s all you have.
- Anchovy fillets: Look for good-quality anchovies in olive oil. They should have a lovely, almost pink color and few bones.
- Tomato passata: Also known as pureed tomatoes.
- Black olives: Always buy black olives with the stone, as they are generally better quality. You can simply remove the stones by crushing them with the side of a knife.
- Capers: I use brined, but you can also use salted (just take care to rinse them).
- Oregano: Dried oregano is best for this recipe.
- Red pepper flakes: My preference is Calabrian, but use whatever you have in the pantry.
- Canned tuna: Choose tuna in olive oil and buy the best quality you can afford. It really makes all the difference in this recipe.
Instructions
Cook anchovy fillets until dissolved in olive oil. Increase the heat and fry the onions until golden.
Stir in the tomato passata, olives, capers, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and water. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.
Once the sauce is ready, stir in the tuna, breaking it up, and simmer for a couple of minutes to heat through.
Stir spaghetti cooked al dente into the sauce, adding some extra pasta cooking water as needed.
Marcellina’s Hint: In general, seafood pasta isn’t served with grated cheese, but of course, that’s up to you. Instead, try a sprinkling of crunchy and garliky Pangrattato. It’s delicious!
Substitutions
- Spaghetti: While I love spaghetti with tuna sauce, you could use any of your favorite pasta shapes. Shells, penne, or linguini work well.
- Onion: You could use a crushed garlic clove instead. The texture of the sauce will be slightly different, but the taste will still be delicious.
Variations
- Zesty: Stir through some lemon zest and squeeze over some lemon juice just before serving for a lovely zesty finish.
- Herby: Add a sprinkle of fresh pasley to garnish. It’s a perfect combination with fish.
- Kid-friendly: Turn this into the perfect family-friendly meal by adjusting the amount of red pepper flakes or removing them entirely.
Equipment
This easy Tuna Pasta doesn’t require any fancy kitchen equipment! You’ll just need the basics: a large frying pan or skillet, a large pot, a chopping board, spoons, and knives.
Storage
This pasta, like most pasta dishes, is really best served hot and fresh. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave or in a skillet over low heat.
Top tip
- Purchase the best quality tuna you can afford. It will make all the difference to this recipe. Please don’t use tuna packed in spring water! This is an Italian family recipe, so you should use tuna packed in olive oil. It has a much richer flavor!
- Don’t add the tuna to the tomato sauce too early! I find it can overcook and develop a strong fishy taste, which isn’t always what you want.
- Take care not to overcook the pasta. You want to aim for al dente, which is cooked pasta that still retains some texture when you bite into it. It’s best to refer to the pasta packet’s cooking instructions and check by tasting.
- Before draining the pasta, save a cup of the starchy water. It’s the secret to a silky and almost creamy tuna pasta sauce.
FAQ
I love seasoning this pasta with salty ingredients like anchovy fillets, olives, and capers. Since seafood pasta dishes shouldn’t be served with cheese, I find that these salty ingredients give the pasta sauce a savory boost of flavor that Parmesan usually brings.
This Tuna Pasta should be served hot from the skillet. If you would like a cold pasta dish with tuna, then you should try my Zesty Italian Pasta Salad!
As I always say, everything in moderation! This recipe is loaded with real Italian ingredients and no preservatives or strange numbers. It’s for this reason I believe this satisfying pasta dish is good for you.
Serving Suggestions
On busy weeknights, I’ll easily serve this Tuna Pasta on its own or with a simple side like my Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad. But if I’ve got unexpected guests and I want to make something more substantial, I’ll serve this alongside my Semolina Bread and have some Anise Biscotti for a simple dessert.
Related
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Truffled Pasta
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Tuna Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 3 anchovy fillets in oil
- 1 large onion
- 2 cups (480ml) tomato puree or tomato passata (or blended canned tomatoes)
- ⅓ cup black olives (pitted and halved)
- 1 ½ tablespoon brined capers
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound (450 grams) spaghetti See Note 1
- Salt for the cooking water
- 5 ounces (140 grams) canned tuna in oil, drained See Note 2
Instructions
- Begin by filling a large pot with water and place over high heat. Cover with the lid so that it boils more quickly.
- In a large frying pan or skillet, add olive oil, and anchovy fillets. Cook, stirring regularly over medium-low heat until the anchovies are completely dissolved.2 tablespoons (30ml) extra virgin olive oil3 anchovy fillets in oil
- Increase the heat to medium, add the sliced onions, and fry gently for 7-10 minutes until they are translucent and slightly golden.1 large onion
- Stir in tomato passata (tomato puree), halved black olives, capers, dried oregano, red pepper and salt along with ½ cup water. Allow to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.2 cups (480ml) tomato puree or tomato passata (or blended canned tomatoes)⅓ cup black olives1 ½ tablespoon brined capers¼ teaspoon dried oregano¼ teaspoon salt
- By now, the water should be boiling. Add salt and cook spaghetti according to the package directions.1 pound (450 grams) spaghettiSalt for the cooking water
- When the sauce is done, stir in the tuna, breaking it up as you go. Simmer for a minute or two until the tuna is heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. If the sauce becomes too dry, add half a ladleful of pasta water.5 ounces (140 grams) canned tuna in oil, drained
- When spaghetti is al dente, drain it, reserving a cupful of pasta water. Transfer the spaghetti to the pan with the sauce.
- Toss everything together to combine well adding extra pasta water if needed to create a creamy sauce.
- Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- Substitute pasta shells, penne, or linguini for spaghetti if you prefer.
- Add as much or as little canned tuna as you prefer. In the UK and Australia, common size cans are 185g and 200g (approximately 6.5-7 oz). It’s fine to use the entire can.
- Use good-quality tuna in olive oil (not spring water!) for the best flavor—this is key in Italian recipes.
- Add tuna at the end—cooking it too long can make it overly fishy.
- Cook pasta al dente for the right bite—check the packet and taste to be sure.
- Save a cup of pasta water before draining—it helps create a silky sauce.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Hi Marcellina, I have been enjoying this dish since childhood and this is still a go to dish in my family. My adult children sometimes just eat the sauce without pasta. So glad to see this printed and shared; all this time I just thought it was a recipe my mother made up years ago, that would be seventy-five years ago.
Wow! How amazing is that? You make the exact same thing. It is a bit of a recipe I’ve made up too. I’ve made it without the addition of olives, capers and anchovies but I didn’t like it as much. The sauce is so good…wonderful with a chunk of bread to mop it up.