Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
The most amazing canned tuna pasta Recipe
Tuna pasta is such an excellent dinner to make whenever you don’t have a lot within the cabinet. For canned tuna recipe cynics on the market – it’s time to take a leap of religion! That is critically tasty, very economical and tremendous quick – it comes collectively in quarter-hour flat, from begin to end.
I really feel just like the phrases “tasty meal” and “canned tuna” aren’t often in the identical sentence. Unhealthy reminiscences of poor money strapped college days and crash diets, swiftly thrown collectively tuna and rice, bland tuna salads, mayo-laden tuna sandwiches.
However you can make canned tuna scrumptious!!! Just a bit little bit of thought, a little bit of creativeness, a smidge of effort and plenty of anticipation for a sizzling, tasty meal as your reward.
Right this moment’s reward in query? Tuna pasta. A spritz of lemon, a sprinkle of capers, and utilizing the oil from the tuna can. You by no means knew a canned tuna pasta might be so scrumptious!!!
No capers? Chop pickles as a substitute. No lemon? Add a splash of vinegar. No anchovies? Nonetheless value making! We get a very good (free) flavour increase by utilizing the oil from the cans of tuna. Anchovies simply makes it that little bit extra particular!
Garlic lacking from the photograph – oops! 🙂
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Canned tuna – Tuna in oil is the go right here! We use the oil from the can of tuna for the sauce to sauté the garlic till golden. No tuna in oil? It’s okay! Simply use olive oil as a substitute and tip the liquid from the can of tuna into the sauce.
TIP – Not all canned tuna is created equal. Premium canned tuna in a great fruity olive oil will set you again greater than a generic house model in tasteless canola oil. But additionally, premium canned tuna piled on crusty bread with a drizzle of the oil from the can is pure pleasure. I hope you attempt it someday. 🙂
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Anchovies – Anchovies make every thing style higher! Finely minced then sautéed in oil so that they dissolve and lose the fishiness, simply leaving nice savouriness into the dish. I all the time have a jar within the fridge. All the time! Anchovy paste – use 1 teaspoon.
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Capers – For a pop of contemporary tang! I like to make use of child capers. When you solely have giant ones, give them a tough chop. No capers? Chop pickles as a substitute!
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Lemon – Juice for bitter and zest for lemon flavour. It actually does raise the dish so I hope you could have it! Lemon is a staple ingredient I all the time have readily available. However if you happen to don’t, this dish remains to be value making. Add a splash of vinegar as a substitute.
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Chilli flakes / purple pepper flakes – For a hum of heat. This isn’t a spicy pasta. Substitute with finely chopped contemporary chilli or a smidge of chilli paste or sauce (add this on the finish). Or go away it out for no spiciness in any respect.
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Parsley – For freshness. Not crucial.
Pictured beneath is the tuna I’ve used, a mid-range one offered at supermarkets in Australia. I exploit 3 x 95g/3.5oz small cans which I really feel is the correct amount of protein for a pasta which serves 2 individuals. Nevertheless, the recipe can take roughly tuna so don’t get too hung up on precise tuna amount!
Get the pasta cooking then begin making ready the components for the sauce. That’s the way you’ll get this on the desk in quarter-hour flat, from begin to end!
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Cook dinner the pasta in salted water per packet instructions minus 1 minute. The pasta will likely be slightly below al dente (ie underdone) however that’s okay. The pasta will end cooking with the sauce, throughout which period it should soak up the tasty flavours of the sauce!
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Reserve pasta cooking water – Simply earlier than draining, scoop out 1 cup of cooking water then drain the pasta. Why? As a result of we will likely be utilizing this to make the sauce for the pasta. The starch within the pasta cooking water will react with the oil within the sauce to make it thicken so it clings to the pasta strands as a substitute of remaining as a watery sauce on the backside of the pan.
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Tuna oil – Pour the oil from the tuna can(s) into the identical pot and warmth over medium warmth.
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Sauté garlic, anchovies and chilli flakes for 1 minute.
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Pasta and water – Add the pasta, capers and 1/3 cup of reserved pasta water. Toss utilizing 2 spatulas for two minutes. Throughout this step, the oil and the starchy pasta cooking water will thicken right into a sauce that adheres to the pasta. Additionally throughout this step the pasta will end cooking from slightly below al dente to al dente. If the pasta remains to be too agency in your style, add extra of the pasta cooking water and preserve cooking the pasta.
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Add tuna – Flip off the warmth. Add tuna, parsley, lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper. Toss gently so the tuna stays in chunks and doesn’t crumble into tiny little bits.
Then serve instantly!
As with all pastas, that is at its prime freshly made, proper off the range, when the pasta is sizzling and slippery with sauce! If it’s sitting round for some time and the pasta cools down and dries out, it may be simply rejuvenated with a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water and a toss on the range for 30 seconds or so, to reheat the pasta and make it slick with sauce once more.
To make it a whole meal, don’t hesitate to throw in a few handfuls of rocket/arugula or child spinach on the finish. Else, serve it with a easy backyard salad or no matter leafy greens / steam greens you’ve obtained tossed with an on a regular basis salad dressing.
Get pleasure from! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 200g / 7oz spaghetti , or other thin long pasta
- 1 tbsp cooking salt , for cooking pasta
- 285g/ 10 oz (approx) canned tuna in oil , drained, oil reserved (I use 3 x 95g/3.5oz cans, Note 1)
- 2 clove garlic , finely minced
- 2 anchovy fillets , minced (Note 2)
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes (can skip, Note 3)
- 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)
- 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta – Bring 3 litres / 3 quarts of water to the boil with the 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook pasta per the packet time minus 1 minute. Just before draining, scoop out ~1 cup 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 the garlic, anchovies and chilli flakes. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Toss pasta – Add the pasta, capers and 1/3 cup of reserved pasta water. Toss using 2 spatulas for 2 minutes.
- Add tuna – Turn off the heat. Add tuna, parsley, lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper. Toss gently to mix through – try to keep some tuna chunks.
- Serve immediately!
Notes
1. Tuna – Don’t get too hung up on tuna quantity here, the recipe can take a little more or a little less. I use 3 x 95g/3.5 oz cans, the small “lunch size” cans. You just want enough tuna to serve 2 people.
If you only have tuna in brine, use 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil instead.
2. Anchovies add great flavour here. Substitute with 1 tsp anchovy paste. If you don’t have either, it’s still worth making if you’re using tuna in oil as the oil has good flavour too!
3. Chilli flakes add just a background hum of warmth in this recipe. Feel free to dial it up or down.
4. Leftovers will keep for 2 days in the fridge though pasta never really reheats well, especially these types of pasta that don’t come with loads of tomato or creamy sauce. Microwave reheating is best, with a splash of water (or better yet, keep some pasta cooking water!)
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