Perfect Tomato and Tuna Pasta Recipe

When thinking of pasta dishes, this delicious tuna pasta recipe with rich tomato sauce, red pepper flakes, and garlic cloves, will soon become your first choice once tried!

Prepared with simple penne (al dente, how else?), this easy meal, is also quick to make, as it requires under 30 minutes from stove to plate.

Jump to:

• Ingredients Tomato and Tuna Pasta
• How to make tuna pasta?
• Tips and Tricks for Tomato and Tuna Pasta Recipe
• Recipe

It will come to no surprise that this simple canned tuna recipe came to me after a long day at work, hardly any food in the pantry (thank you, London rent!), and the necessity to feed us as quickly as possible something that didn't come out of a cardbox.

With Jay on his way back home with garlic baguette under his arm (figuratively, for a little French vibe!), I prepared a typical Italian tomato sauce base and jazzed it up with a little extra garlic, some red pepper flakes, and the last lonely can of tuna in the house.

It was a winner!

Now, with time this pasta dish has evolved, after trying multiple varitions and finally deciding on this simple tuna pasta recipe as the base for when we fancy something delicious, with medium heat (oh, yes!), and quick to prepare. Enjoy!

Ingredients Tomato and Tuna Pasta

• Tuna: The key ingredient for this dish! If possible, try opting for albacore tuna, which is rich in omega 3, preferably stored in extra virgin olive oil.
• Pasta: Key ingredient number two! Any pasta shape will do, however, penne tend to have a good grip on the sauce; good alternatives are tortiglioni, rigatoni, shells, or fusilli.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Its flavor works wonders with tuna and tomato sauce, however, if not available an unflavored vegetable oil, such as sunflower oil, will work instead.
• Onion, and Garlic Cloves: They bring consistency and richness to the tomato sauce; feel free to use any color onions you have available.
• Red Pepper Flakes, and Black Pepper: These are the ingredients that bring heat to the dish, so you can adjust their quantities as you like. If possible, opt for freshly cracked black pepper, rather than ground black pepper, as its flavor is fresher.
• Tomato Paste, and Tomato Sauce: The tomato paste is an added extra, so if you don't have it, you can skip it, although it is recommended if the tinned tomato sauce is quite watery. In regards to the tomato sauce, while I used passata, this can be exchanged for tinned chopped tomato, cherry tomato sauce, or any plain tomato sauce you like.
• Anchovies: OPTIONAL. They bring that extra depth to the dish.
• Sugar: OPTIONAL. The sugar is required only if the tomato sauce is too acidic.
• Salt: To season as required.

How to make tuna pasta?

1. To prepare the tuna sauce for pasta, sauté onion, garlic and a bit of salt in olive oil and, once soft, add chopped anchovies; once these have blended well with the base, add the tuna and the chili flakes. 
2. Allow the canned tuna to change color while mixing it in the sauce, then add the tomato puree and the parsley; lightly fry the tuna mixture with the tomato puree, before adding the tomato passata and some sugar (only needed if the tomato passata is acidic).

3. At this stage, allow the sauce to simmer away and cook well while you boil the pasta al dente.
4. Once both the tuna sauce and the pasta are cooked, drain the pasta and add it to the spicy sauce, mix well and serve! 

Tips and Tricks for Tomato and Tuna Pasta Recipe

• Add ons: To make this recipe your own feel free to add some more Mediterranean ingredients to the sauce. Kalamata olives, grilled red peppers, as well as fresh herbs such as chives all work wonderfully in this dish.
• Grated Parmesan Cheese and Lemon Juice: These two ingredients don't really work in this recipe, so I would advise against adding them.
• Package Instructions: I recommend cooking the pasta al dente following package directions, as you will be simmering it for a few minutes in the tuna sauce as well and overcooked pasta is not as good as perfectly cooked pasta!
• Pasta Water: When draining the pasta, do not over drain it, as the little cooking water that is trapped in between pasta makes the sauce even creamier when mixing.
• Serve With: For the ultimate full meal, serve this with a fresh crunchy green salad, some roasted fennel or Mediterranean Veggies, and some lightly toasted ciabatta bread served with garlic butter.

Featured Article: The Ultimate List of Italian Spices

For an easy, tasty, quick tuna pasta recipe, this is the one to go for. Deliciously al dente penne pasta covered in rich spicy tomato sauce, with a hint of garlic and chunks of tuna, all in one great bow.

Try this tuna pasta recipe out and you won't be disappointed; it is one of my family's favorites, and it may become yours too! 

Looking for more pasta recipes?

• The Best Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe
• Broccoli Pasta with Garlic and Chili
• Simple Mediterranean Pasta with Eggplant, Zucchini and Pepper One-Pot Sauce
• Green Bean Pasta with Tuna
• Ham and Mushroom Pasta
• Pasta All'Arrabbiata
• Lemon Zucchini Pasta with Crumbled Feta Cheese

Recipe