Quick & Easy Canned Tuna Pasta

5 from 8 votes

My Quick & Easy Canned Tuna Pasta is simple dish that will make you look at canned tuna in a whole new way. This is a delicious, budget-friendly dish that you can make with a handful of ingredients in just 15 minutes! It's the perfect family-friendly recipe for busy weeknights.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 413kcal

Author: Dr. Sonali Ruder

Equipment

Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti or other pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cans (5 ounces each) tuna packed in oil, drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Kosher salt and pepper

Optional garnishes:

Chopped parsley, lemon zest, grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water.
While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the tuna, lemon juice, capers, and parsley and stir to break the tuna up. Cook 2-3 minutes to heat the ingredients through.
Add the drained spaghetti and about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss everything together until a smooth sauce forms coating the pasta. Add more pasta water as needed. Taste and season the pasta with salt and pepper.
Garnish the pasta with fresh parsley, lemon zest, and/or grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

Notes

Be sure to set aside some of the pasta water from the pot to add to the sauce. The starches in the water help create a silky smooth sauce that coats the pasta.
Use a good quality canned tuna (yellowfin or albacore) with large chunks that's packed in olive oil rather than water. Tuna packed in oil is richer, creamier and more flavorful and will work better in this dish.
To make this dish even heartier and add a boost of protein, you can stir in a can of white beans.
To add some veggies to this canned tuna pasta, stir in some baby spinach, arugula or peas. You can also add cherry tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes.
If you want a richer dish, you can stir in some cream cheese to form a creamy sauce.

Nutrition