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My Tuna Pasta Is So Good!
This canned tuna pasta is one of those meals that comes together with almost no effort, which is great for me after a busy day of meetings. I developed it one day when I barely had anything in my fridge and 7 pm was hovering near on the clock.
Once the pasta water is boiling, the whole thing is done in 10 minutes—which is exactly what I needed. It’s made with simple ingredients I almost always have on hand: pasta, canned tuna, and jarred capers. I had a similar dish at a restaurant once with white fish and a lemony sauce, so this is my low-maintenance, budget-friendly take on that.
Ingredient Notes
- Spaghetti: I always have spaghetti in my pantry, but you can use any pasta you’d like here.
- Olive oil: I like the flavor of olive oil, but other vegetable oils work, too.
- Garlic: Since this is such a simple dish, fresh minced garlic is a must, imo!
- Canned tuna in water: Use any brand you like and pay attention to the ounces on the can because some are 4 ounces and others are 5 ounces. You can use up to three 4-ounce cans. If all you have is canned tuna in oil, you’ll still want to drain as much oil as you can and maybe cut back to 1 can of tuna so the oil doesn’t take over. Canned chicken or salmon can be used in place of tuna, but the flavors will be a bit different.
- Lemon juice and zest: I add both lemon juice and lemon zest because the combination gives the tuna pasta sauce the strongest citrus flavor.
- Salt and pepper: Use as much or as little as you like, start with a pinch and taste along the way.
- Capers: This is one of those pantry staples that I always like to have on hand because capers have a really fun briny flavor and bring a lot of oomph in a cute little sphere. If you’re out of capers try ¼ cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes or kalamata olives. Both are briny and tangy and add great flavor to the tuna pasta.
- Fresh Parsley: Look for bright green parsley that doesn’t have any yellow or wilting leaves.
- Grated Parmesan: I usually recommend grating fresh Parmesan, but if you’re short on time, the pre-grated kind works, too.
Popular Additions
- More veggies: Toss in 1 cup of cherry tomatoes (halved) or a handful of baby spinach when you add the tuna for extra color and freshness.
- A little heat: If you like spice, stir in ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes with the garlic or drizzle with chili oil before serving.
- Creamier sauce: Stir in ¼ cup of heavy cream or ricotta at the end for a richer sauce.
- Protein boost: Add ½ cup of white beans (like cannellini or Great Northern) when tossing everything together for extra protein and creaminess.
How to Make Tuna Pasta
My Best Canned Tuna Pasta Tips
- Be careful not to burn the garlic. Check out my post on how to cut garlic for tips on the easiest way to mince the cloves. Because of how finely minced it will be, keep an eye on the garlic to make sure it doesn’t burn. You just want it to be fragrant before adding the tuna in.
- Have all the ingredients prepped next to the stovetop. The recipe moves pretty fast and you want to make sure that you’re not burning the garlic or overcooking the tuna. So make sure the pasta is ready along with all the ingredients before heating the oil.
- Cook the pasta al dente. Since you’ll be adding the pasta to the tuna and mixing it all together under low heat, it’s best not to fully cook it. It will get slightly softer as it warms up again with the other ingredients.
Serving Ideas
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Roasted Green Beans
- Garlic Cheese Bread
- Mediterranean Chopped Salad
- Chickpea Salad
Recipe Help & FAQs
Before storing, allow your tuna pasta to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. Tuna pasta will last about 3 to 4 days in the fridge when stored properly in an airtight container.
To reheat the tuna pasta, gently warm it on the stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating. Add a small amount of water or olive oil to the pasta if it seems a bit dry.
If it’s looking a little dry, try adding a splash of the reserved pasta water or a drizzle of olive oil to loosen it up. A squeeze of lemon juice can also help refresh the flavors.
If the tuna flavor is a little too strong, adding extra lemon juice, fresh herbs, or a pinch of red pepper flakes can help cut through it. Using oil-packed tuna instead of water-packed can also mellow the taste.
More Pasta Recipes:
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Vegetarian Stuffed Shells
- No Boil Baked Spaghetti
- Pesto Spaghetti
- Scallops and Pasta
- Arrabiata Pasta with Shrimp
If you try this Tuna Pasta recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
This tuna pasta recipe was originally published on March 4, 2020 and has recently been updated with new photography and step-by-step images to better help make the recipe.
Tuna Pasta Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti or other pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna drained
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup capers drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley plus for serving
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, drain and return back to the pot to keep warm.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tuna, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss to combine.
- Add the cooked pasta, capers, and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, and toss to fully coat and heat through for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley and grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and garnish with more parsley and parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Yumna, this recipe sounds great, I wonder if you could arrange for your followers to be able to print the recipe more easily than having to print all 19 pages? If I could go to the recipe that has the print function I would really appreciate that. Thanks.
Hi Diane, I actually already have a print function! You can scroll down to the recipe card and click the printer icon (on the photo) to get the printable version of any of my recipe (in this case, it will bring you to this link: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/wprm_print/garlic-lemon-tuna-pasta). Hope that helps!
This lemon tuna pasta sounds magnificent. I’ll try this one next without delay, thanks for recipe. Do you think salmon would be good substitute for tuna until I can order tuna? Thanks
Yes, absolutely!! Hope you enjoy!