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Home > Recipes > Pasta

Pasta with Canned Tuna in Oil (20 mins)

Published: Sep 14, 2022 • Updated: Sep 17, 2022 by: Mella • Leave a Comment

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A quick and simple pasta dish with canned tuna. Great for lunch or dinner and comes together in 20 minutes!

Canned tuna cooked with tomatoes, olive oil and pasta
Jump to:
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • What you need
  • How to Make Canned Tuna Pasta
  • 20 Minutes Cooking Workflow
  • Variations and Add-ins
  • Complete Recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

  • A great time saver! It's one of the quickest meals you can make on a busy weeknight.
  • Made of simple and budget-friendly ingredients that you probably have in your pantry.
  • Delicious combination of flavors with almost no fishy taste with the use of practical everyday ingredients.
Canned tuna cooked with tomatoes, olive oil and pasta

What you need

Here are the ingredients:

Canned Tuna

The best-canned tuna for this pasta recipe is tuna in oil, preferably olive oil. It's tastier, the texture is better (not dry), and overall just better than tuna in water or brine.

Pasta

I recommend using spaghetti, angel hair, fettuccine, and linguine for a quicker cooking time. Penne, bowtie, fusilli, and ziti pasta works too but will take a bit more time to cook.

Other Ingredients

  • Tomatoes - I prefer using fresh tomatoes over canned tomatoes as it doesn't overpower the flavor of the tuna. Use plump tomatoes or cherry tomatoes alternatively.
  • Garlic - This is an important ingredient when cooking anything with fish or seafood. It's fragrant and nutty and brings out the best flavors of any seafood dish.
  • Olive Oil - Don't skimp on olive oil when making this Agli olio kind of pasta recipe. It's the key to making the pasta glossy and extra delicious!
  • Spring onions (scallions) - Can be substituted with fresh parsley if preferred.
  • Lemon Juice - Another secret ingredient to masking the fishy taste of tuna. Also, the acid makes the sauce less greasy tasting.
  • Red Pepper flakes - Add red pepper flakes for some extra heat to the tuna pasta sauce. Omit if preferred.

How to Make Canned Tuna Pasta

Here's how I make it

Cooking process Tuna Pasta

Cooking tips:

  • Use a medium-size wide skillet to make it easier to toss the sauce and pasta.
  • Heat the olive oil until just warm. Do not use hot oil as it can easily burn the garlic.
  • Cook the garlic until fragrant. You'll know it's cooked just right when you start smelling that familiar garlicky aroma.
  • Taste the sauce BEFORE adding the pasta. Add salt or more red pepper flakes based on your preference.
  • Cook the pasta al dente. To test the doneness, take a strand of pasta from the cooking pot 1 to 2 minutes before the specified cooking time. If it's cooked but still firm, then it's ready.

20 Minutes Cooking Workflow

Tuna pasta in a pan.

1. Preparation

Start by boiling the water for pasta. While waiting, prepare the ingredients–slice the tomatoes, garlic, and green onions. Don't cook the tuna sauce yet.

2. Cook the Pasta

When the water starts boiling, stir in the salt then add the pasta. Take note of the cooking time on the package and the directions. The average is around 8 to 10 minutes and 10 to 12 minutes for thicker pasta like penne.

3. Cook the Tuna

Start cooking the tuna when the pasta is halfway done. By the time the sauce is ready, the pasta should be ready too. Set the heat low while draining the pasta so the sauce doesn't evaporate quickly.

4. Add the Pasta to the Sauce

Immediately drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Don't turn off the heat just yet. Add pasta water. Starchy water helps the pasta cling to the sauce by emulsifying it with the oil.

Bonus Tip: I usually just use a set of tongs to pick up long pasta like spaghetti or fettuccine. For short pasta, I drain with a colander or mesh strainer.

5. Toss and Cook

Once everything is in the pan, increase heat to medium. Toss and stir the pasta and the tuna sauce together. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese if preferred and add more pasta water if needed.

Tuna pasta with olive oil and tomatoes

Variations and Add-ins

Here are some other ingredients you can add:

  • Black Olives
  • Capers
  • Red and Green Bell Peppers
  • Parsely, Basil or Cilantro.
  • Chopped red chilies if you want to make the sauce extra spicy.

If using tuna in water or brine

Although tuna in water or brine tend to be on the dry side, you can still use it to make this tuna pasta recipe. To make up for the flavor, add 2 to 3 teaspoons of oyster sauce and add more olive oil.

More pasta recipes

  • Creamy Garlic Pasta with Bacon and Mushroom (One Pot!)
  • Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
  • Ground Beef Casserole with Hot Dogs (One Pot!)
  • Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese
  • Grilled Tuna Cheese Sandwich
  • Chicken and Mushroom Pasta
  • Cream of Mushroom Soup Pasta Sauce
  • Creamy Tomato Shrimp Pasta
  • Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce

Complete Recipe

Canned tuna cooked with tomatoes, olive oil and pasta

Pasta with Canned Tuna in Oil (20 mins)

A quick and simple tuna pasta dish that's great for lunch or dinner. Made of simple and economical ingredients that you probably have in your pantry.
prep 5 mins
cook 20 mins
author: Mella
Servings 3 servings
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 6 pcs cherry tomatoes or 1 large plump tomatoes (sliced, note 1)
  • 2 stalks onion leaves/scallion (divided)
  • 1 can 5 to 6 oz tuna in oil (note 2)
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • lemon juice (to taste)
  • salt (to taste)
  • 2-3 tablespoon pasta water (add more if needed)
  • 200 grams /7 oz / .5 lbs spaghetti (note 3)

Instructions

  • Cook pasta in boiling salted water just until tender (al dente). Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain the pasta.
  • Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add cherry tomatoes and garlic. Cook until fragrant and softened. Add half of the spring onions and cook for another minute.
  • Add tuna along with its oil. Sprinkle salt and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle some lemon juice.
  • Add the cooked pasta and a splash of pasta water, about 1 to 2 tablespoons. Toss and stir well with a tong to combine. Add more pasta water if needed.
  • Remove from heat and sprinkle more spring onions. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes and Tips:

  1. Cherry Tomatoes - you can also use 1 to 2 plump tomatoes.
  2. Tuna in Oil - tuna in olive oil or sunflower oil works great.
  3. Pasta - fettuccine, linguine, penne, and even bow pasta work great for this recipe.
  4. Other recommended add-ins: black olives, capers, red and green bell pepper, and green peas. Use fresh or dried parsley, basil, or cilantro instead of spring onions.
Course : Main Course
Cuisine : Western
Keyword : canned sardines recipe
Nutrition Facts
Pasta with Canned Tuna in Oil (20 mins)
Amount per Serving
Calories
448
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
15
g
23
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
9
g
Cholesterol
 
10
mg
3
%
Sodium
 
247
mg
11
%
Potassium
 
296
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
 
51
g
17
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
2
g
2
%
Protein
 
25
g
50
%
Vitamin A
 
192
IU
4
%
Vitamin C
 
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
 
30
mg
3
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag @rivertenkitchen or leave a comment below!

Originally published July 2015. Updated with new photos and improved recipe.

Riverten Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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