Easy Pasta with Tuna and Tomato Sauce

Pasta with Tuna is a great classic of Italian tradition, a quick and appetizing seafood first course. It's perfect for a family lunch or an informal dinner with friends. If you love fish and want to bring something simple but really tasty to the table, Tuna Pasta is the perfect choice!

The taste of tuna and the intense flavor of tomato come together to create a delicious sauce. A dish that can be prepared in 20 minutes with ingredients that we usually all have in our pantry, such as tuna in oil and tomato puree. Even with the simplest ingredients, you can prepare tasty dishes. Of course, the quality of the ingredients makes all the difference!

Prepare a sauté with oil, garlic and chili pepper. Then add the tomato and finally the tuna. Then sauté it all together in the frying pan with the al dente spaghetti. Finally, add a sprinkling of very fresh parsley and you're done!

As we will see, it only takes a few creative touches to make many delicious variations of this classic recipe. Learn how to make Tuna Pasta by following my step-by-step instructions and tips.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Storage
• Kitchen Tools and Equipment
• Substitutions and Tips
• Variations
• Recipe Card

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Ingredients

Prep Time: 10 Min | Cook Time: 15 Min | Servings: 4

• 350 g (¾ pound) of spaghetti 
• 170 g (6 oz) of canned tuna in olive oil
• 300 g (10 oz) of Tomato Passata or ripe red peeled tomatoes (San Marzano, cherry or grape), fresh or canned. Have a look to our passata recipe and make it at home!
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 fresh chili pepper
• 2 fillets of anchovies in oil
• 1 sprig of fresh parsley

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Instructions

Step 1) - To make spaghetti with tuna, first heat the extra virgin olive oil in a pan with the whole, skinless garlic cloves and the chili pepper. For an extra touch of flavor you can add two anchovy fillets. Let them melt in the oil, stirring with a wooden spoon. Of course, if you do not like anchovies, you can leave them out. Then add the tomato passata and cook for 10 minutes.

Step 2) - At this point, add the tuna, well drained of oil. Using a wooden spoon, break it into small pieces and mix well with the sauce. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook the spaghetti. Follow the cooking time on the package.

Step 3) - Remove the garlic cloves and chili pepper and add plenty of chopped parsley. Adjust the salt only if you did NOT use the anchovy. Anyway, taste it! Cook, stirring, for about 5 more minutes. The tuna and tomato sauce is done.

Step 4) - Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti. Drain them al dente and add them to the pan with the tuna and tomato sauce. Stir to mix everything together. If the sauce seems too thick and dry, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the water used to cook the spaghetti. Serve pasta with tuna and tomato sauce, adding a little more chopped parsley.

YOU MUST ALSO TRY:

• Tuna Stuffed Zucchini (Zucchine Ripiene al Tonno)
• Tuna Pasta Salad with Green Beans
• Zucchini Noodles with Tuna, Tomatoes and Olives

Storage

I recommend eating Spaghetti with Tuna as soon as they are ready. If you have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

If you prefer, you can make the tuna and tomato sauce ahead and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.

Kitchen Tools and Equipment

To prepare spaghetti with tuna and tomato sauce, you will need some kitchen tools.

• Frying pan with lid: Essential for cooking and simmering the tomato sauce, and also useful for seasoning the spaghetti after cooking.
• Wooden Spoon: Ideal for stirring the sauce. A wooden spoon is gentle on cookware and effective at mixing ingredients without scratching the surface of your pot.
• Pot for cooking pasta: A large pot is necessary for cooking spaghetti, as it provides enough space for the pasta to cook evenly without sticking together.
• Slotted spaghetti spoon: Perfect for draining spaghetti after it's cooked. The slots allow water to drain while holding the pasta securely.
• To grace the table at your summer outdoor seafood dinners, I recommend a beautiful and practical outdoor melamine dinnerware set. With Multicolor designs it will bring cheerfulness and make your fish dishes even more inviting.

Substitutions and Tips

TUNA: As already mentioned, the simplicity of the recipe requires quality ingredients for optimal success. Above all, make sure that the tuna is of good quality and in olive oil. Tuna is sold in two types of packaging, tins and jars, which usually correspond to two different cuts of tuna: slices and fillets. The fillets, by definition, must be whole and tender, but the cuts must also be firm, not crumbly or undone, with no processing waste. In both cases, the flesh should be firm and pinkish, and the taste should be mild and not too salty.
Be sure to read the instructions on the package for:
- fishing area
- sustainable fishing technique
- type of oil
- absence of additives

PASTA: I have chosen spaghetti because it's the most common type of pasta here in Italy for this recipe. And because it's a quick dish, spaghetti are perfect because they usually have a short time cooking. You can, of course, use whatever type of pasta you prefer and have on hand. Fusilli are definitely the most suitable, but you can also use rigatoni, mezze maniche or penne.

TOMATOES: If you prefer, you can replace the tomato passata or canned peeled tomatoes with quartered cherry tomatoes. This version requires very quick cooking (maximum 5-6 minutes to mix all the ingredients well). This version is more suitable for summer, when fresh tomatoes are at their peak of ripeness and flavor.

Variations

WITHOUT TOMATOES: If you do not like tomato sauce, you can try the "in bianco" version, without tomatoes. The procedure does not change, but it's better to add a little onion to the sauté and an extra tablespoon of oil. In addition to the parsley, you can add some freshly grated lemon zest when serving.

FOR MORE FLAVOR: In addition to anchovies, you can add capers, olives, or a few sliced of sun-dried tomatoes.

Recipe Card