This tuna pasta sauce takes 20 minutes from start to finish, uses one can of tuna, and tastes like something you paid way too much for at a little place with sidewalk tables.
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Last July our apartment hit 84 degrees by noon. Our AC was doing its best, which was not much. Sarah walked into the kitchen around one o'clock and asked what was for lunch, and I remember standing there with the fridge door open thinking, please not the oven. Not today.
So I grabbed cherry tomatoes, a can of tuna packed in olive oil, and the jar of capers that lives in our fridge door. Twenty minutes later we were eating at the counter, and Sarah asked if we could have it again the next day. We did.
Here is what makes this one work. You cook the tomatoes for about five minutes, then blitz them with tuna, anchovies, capers, basil and parsley until the whole thing turns into a smooth, savory sauce. No cream. No cheese. Nothing that needs an hour.
Plus, it tastes just as good cold, which means leftovers become tomorrow's pasta salad without you doing a single extra thing.
If quick pasta nights are already your thing, you will probably like my creamy one pot pasta that comes together in 30 minutes too. That one saved me more Tuesdays than I can count, and it uses the same idea of letting simple pantry ingredients do the heavy lifting.
Why You Will Like This Tuna Pasta Sauce
- Ready in 20 minutes from the moment you fill the pasta pot
- Almost everything comes from the pantry, so no special shopping trip
- The sauce is savory and bright at the same time, with a little salty bite from the capers and anchovies
- Smooth texture that coats short pasta really well
- Works hot for dinner or cold as a pasta salad the next day
- High in protein and light enough for hot weather
What You Need For This Tuna Pasta Sauce
Serves 4. Prep 10 minutes, cook 10 minutes, total 20 minutes.
- 400 g (14 oz) short pasta (I use gemelli, but fusilli or penne work fine)
- 400 g (14 oz) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 can tuna in olive oil (160 g / 5.5 oz), drained lightly
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 1 tablespoon capers in brine
- Small handful fresh parsley
- Small handful fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt, for the pasta water and for seasoning
A few notes from my kitchen. Buy tuna packed in olive oil, not water. The oil carries the taste and keeps the sauce from going dry.
If you only have salt packed anchovies, rinse them first. And if your capers come packed in salt instead of brine, give them a quick soak in cool water for ten minutes.
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Tuna Pasta Sauce
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This tuna pasta sauce takes 20 minutes from start to finish, uses one can of tuna, and tastes like something you paid way too much for at a little place with sidewalk tables. No cream, no cheese, nothing that needs an hour.
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) short pasta (I use gemelli, but fusilli or penne work fine)
- 400 g (14 oz) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 can tuna in olive oil (160 g / 5.5 oz), drained lightly
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 1 tablespoon capers in brine
- Small handful fresh parsley
- Small handful fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt, for the pasta water and for seasoning
Instructions
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and finely chop the garlic clove. That is the whole prep list, and I do it while the water heats up.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. The water should taste like the sea, as my mom used to tell me.
- Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Check it a minute before the package says, because you want it firm.
- While the pasta boils, heat a large pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes. Once the juices start running, stir in the chopped garlic and a pinch of salt.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes soften but still hold their shape, then turn off the heat. Do not walk away, this is not a long simmered sauce.
- Tip the cooked tomatoes into a food processor. Add the tuna, anchovies, capers, and both handfuls of fresh herbs.
- Blitz until smooth, about 30 seconds. It goes from chunky to creamy looking and the color turns a soft coral pink.
- Pour the sauce back into the pan, taste it, and add more salt only if it needs it. The anchovies and capers are already salty.
- Drain the pasta and add it straight into the pan with the sauce. Stir until every piece is coated.
- If it looks a little thick, splash in a spoonful of pasta water. Serve with extra chopped parsley on top.
Notes
Buy tuna packed in olive oil, not water. The oil carries the taste and keeps the sauce from going dry. If you only have salt packed anchovies, rinse them first, and if your capers come packed in salt instead of brine, give them a quick soak in cool water for ten minutes. Do not over blend the herbs, or the sauce turns a dull green instead of that pretty pink orange. Ten to fifteen seconds past smooth is plenty. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight glass container, and day two actually tastes better to me.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 530
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 78g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
How To Make Tuna Pasta Sauce Step By Step
Get Your Tomatoes And Garlic Ready
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and finely chop the garlic clove.
That is the whole prep list. Honestly, this is the part I do while the water heats up.
Boil The Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. The water should taste like the sea, as my mom used to tell me when I was fifteen and helping her in her kitchen.
Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Check it a minute before the package says, because you want it firm.
Cook The Tomatoes Down A Little
While the pasta boils, heat a large pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes. Once the juices start running, stir in the chopped garlic and a pinch of salt.
Cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes soften but still hold their shape. Then turn off the heat. You are not making a long simmered sauce here, so do not walk away.
Blend The Tuna Pasta Sauce
Tip the cooked tomatoes into a food processor. Add the tuna, anchovies, capers, and both handfuls of fresh herbs.
Blitz until smooth. It goes from chunky to creamy looking in about 30 seconds, and the color turns a soft coral pink.
Pour the sauce back into the pan, taste it, and add more salt only if it needs it. The anchovies and capers are already salty, so taste before you reach for the salt cellar.
Toss Everything Together
Drain the pasta and add it straight into the pan with the sauce. Stir until every piece is coated.
If it looks a little thick, splash in a spoonful of pasta water. Serve with extra chopped parsley on top.
Storage And Reheating Tips
Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight glass container. I use glass because tomato sauce stains plastic, and I learned that one the hard way.
You can eat this cold straight from the fridge, at room temperature, or warmed up. All three are good.
To reheat, add the pasta to a pan over low heat with a splash of water or olive oil. Stir gently for two or three minutes.
Skip the microwave on high. It dries the sauce out and the tuna turns rubbery. Day two actually tastes better to me, because the garlic and capers settle in overnight.
Easy Variations For Your Tuna Pasta Sauce
Want to make it your own? Here are the swaps I have tested at home.
- Add a pinch of chili flakes with the garlic for gentle heat. Donald puts them on his plate, since Alex would riot otherwise.
- Stir in a squeeze of lemon at the end if you want it brighter.
- Leave the sauce chunky instead of smooth. Just mash the tomatoes with a fork and stir everything together by hand.
- Toss in a handful of pitted olives or a spoonful of sun dried tomatoes for a deeper, saltier taste.
- Serve it cold with a little extra olive oil and treat it like a pasta salad for lunchboxes.
One thing to watch. Do not over blend the herbs, or the sauce turns a dull green instead of that pretty pink orange. Ten to fifteen seconds past smooth is plenty.
Questions About Tuna Pasta Sauce
Can You Eat Tuna Pasta Hot Or Cold?
Both, and that is my ideal part about it. Hot from the pan it feels like a proper dinner. Cold from the fridge it turns into a pasta salad you can pack for a picnic or a lunchbox. Room temperature might be the sweet spot, since the olive oil stays loose and the tomato taste comes through more clearly.
What Type Of Tuna Is Best For Tuna Pasta Sauce?
Canned tuna packed in olive oil, hands down. It blends into a smoother sauce and brings its own richness. Solid or chunk light both work, though I like solid tuna because the pieces are firmer and less watery. Tuna in water makes the sauce taste flat and a bit dry, so I would skip it here.
Can You Make Tuna Pasta Sauce Without Anchovies?
Yes. Leave them out and the sauce is still good, just milder. To bring back some of that savory depth, add half a teaspoon of anchovy free Worcestershire sauce, a spoonful of olive brine, or a few extra capers. Taste as you go and adjust the salt at the end, since anchovies were doing part of the seasoning job.
How Long Does Tuna Pasta Last In The Fridge?
Three days, kept covered in the fridge. After that the tomatoes start tasting tired and the texture goes soft. I would not freeze it, because the sauce separates and the pasta turns mushy once it thaws. Make the full batch anyway. It disappears fast in our apartment.
Recipes You May Like
- Quick garlic butter shrimp scampi is another fast seafood dinner that leans on garlic and good olive oil.
- Italian creamy sausage pasta is what I make when we want something richer and cozier at the table.
- Tomato bruschetta uses up the rest of those cherry tomatoes and makes a nice starter alongside this pasta.
Give This Tuna Pasta Sauce A Try
So here is the short version. Boil pasta, soften tomatoes with garlic, blend everything with tuna, anchovies, capers and herbs, then toss it all together.
I love this recipe because it asks almost nothing of me on the days when I have nothing left to give. Real ingredients, one pan, 20 minutes.
Make it once this week and tell me how it went in the comments. I read every one.
Also, save this tuna pasta sauce to Pinterest so it is waiting for you on the next hot afternoon when the oven feels like a bad idea.
