Canned Tuna Pasta
A quick, flavorful pasta dish made with canned tuna, garlic, and lemon, perfect for busy weeknights or fast lunches.
Ingredients
Pasta and Cooking Ingredients
- 200 g spaghetti (or other thin long pasta)
- 1 tbsp cooking salt (for cooking pasta)
Main Ingredients
- 285 g canned tuna in oil (drained, oil reserved)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 2 fillets anchovy (minced)
- ½ tsp chili flakes / red pepper flakes can skip
- 2 tsp baby capers (or finely chopped pickles)
- 1 tbsp parsley (finely chopped) ok to skip
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice sub 1 tbsp apple cider or sherry vinegar
- ¼ tsp cooking/kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
Cook Pasta
- Bring 3 liters / 3 quarts of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook the pasta according to the packet time minus 1 minute. Just before draining, scoop out about 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Sauté Aromatics
- In the same pot, heat the reserved oil from the tuna cans over medium heat. Add minced garlic, anchovies, and chili flakes. Cook and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
Toss Pasta
- Add the cooked pasta, capers, and 1/3 cup of reserved pasta water. Toss everything together using two spatulas for about 2 minutes.
Add Tuna
- Turn off the heat. Gently add the tuna, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, cooking/kosher salt, and black pepper. Toss gently to mix everything through, trying to keep some tuna chunks intact.
Serve
- Enjoy immediately!
Notes
This pasta dish is best served fresh, straight from the pot. You can plate it up and sprinkle a little extra parsley or lemon zest on top for a burst of color and freshness. Pair it with a simple green salad or some crusty bread for a complete meal. Use quality tuna for better flavor. Add frozen peas or spinach for extra nutrition. Feel free to adjust seasoning to your taste.