Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Easy Canned Tuna Pasta
A little garlic and lemon give tuna pasta a bright, savory flavor that suits an ordinary evening. The light sauce coats the strands, with fresh parsley running through them. Twirl up a forkful while it is warm and enjoy a simple bowl done well.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Original yield
- Serves 2
- Ingredients
- 8 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Fish
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Prep during the boil
Use the pasta's cooking time to mince garlic, chop parsley and drain the tuna before starting the sauce.
2. Garlic cooks briefly
Add garlic to the hot oil for thirty seconds before the tuna, lemon and parsley join the pan.
3. Save water before draining
Add a couple tablespoons of pasta water to the sauce before draining the pasta and tossing everything together.
Get to know the ingredients
Drained tuna
Drain the canned tuna before adding it to the pan. Oil-packed tuna is the preference noted in the ingredients.
Uncooked pasta
Spaghetti is the example given. Cook the pasta al dente according to its package in the salted boiling water.
Fresh parsley
Chop fresh parsley for the pan, where it warms with the tuna and lemon juice before the pasta goes in.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 2. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Easy Canned Tuna Pasta
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Taste the tossed pasta
Toss the drained pasta with the warm tuna sauce, then taste for salt and pepper before serving it.
A little more help as you go
Optional Parmesan
Freshly grated Parmesan is offered as an optional serving finish. Add it after tossing the pasta with the tuna sauce.
A little lemon zest
Lemon zest is another optional finish named in the serving step if you want that fresh lemon aroma on top.
A few questions you might have
When should I start the sauce?
Wait until the pasta is nearly ready before heating the oil. The garlic and tuna stages are brief.
Does the tuna need browning?
The directions simply heat the tuna through with lemon juice and parsley after the garlic has cooked briefly.
Should I rinse this pasta after draining?
The directions drain the cooked pasta and toss it straight with the sauce, after reserving water for that sauce.
Does the lemon go on only at the table?
Lemon juice warms in the sauce with the tuna and parsley. Optional lemon zest is a separate finishing choice.
Is there a cream sauce to make?
The sauce uses olive oil, garlic, tuna, lemon and parsley, loosened with pasta water before the final toss.
Any more cooking tips?
See blog post for some ideas on recipe variations! This pasta can also be found on page 27 of the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials hardcover cookbook.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: saltandlavender.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
