Tuna Pasta With Tomatoes and Olives: Your New Favorite Easy Canned Tuna Recipe (2024)

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This easy to make tuna pasta recipe is smothered in a sauce of canned tuna, tomato, garlic, shallots, olives, and parsley.

By

Elise Bauer

Tuna Pasta With Tomatoes and Olives: Your New Favorite Easy Canned Tuna Recipe (1)

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated February 27, 2022

5 Ratings

Tuna Pasta With Tomatoes and Olives: Your New Favorite Easy Canned Tuna Recipe (2)

Tuna Pasta With Tomatoes and Olives: Your New Favorite Easy Canned Tuna Recipe (3)

Looking for a quick and easy midweek meal? This tuna pasta with tomato and olives couldn't be easier to make and comes together in 30 minutes, start to finish.

Not only do you likely have everything you need to make this dish already in your pantry, but the combination of tuna, tomato, and olives? Really really good.

Tuna Pasta With Tomatoes and Olives: Your New Favorite Easy Canned Tuna Recipe (4)

The Best Tuna for Tuna Pasta

Canned tuna makes for a quick and simple meal and, for this recipe, we prefer tuna packed in olive oil. The oil ups the flavor in the tuna and adds moisture to the sauce. If you're using tuna packed in water, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the pasta.

More Easy Canned Tuna Recipes

  • Avocado Tuna Salad
  • Asian Tuna Salad
  • Pasta With Tuna and Arugula
  • Tuna Patties
  • Best Ever Tuna Salad Sandwich

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Tuna Pasta With Tomato and Olives

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Servings4 servings

If you are using water-packed, not oil-packed tuna, add a couple more tablespoons of olive oil to the sauce. You may also want to add a minced anchovy.

Prep the ingredients while the pasta water is heating.

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt for the pasta water, plus more to taste

  • 12 ounces short pasta (such as shells, macaroni, rigatoni)

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus 2 tablespoons if you are using tuna packed in water)

  • 1/4 cup minced shallotor onion

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna packed in olive oil, drained

  • 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

  • 1/4 cupchopped Kalamata olives

  • 1 teaspoon capers

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

  • 1 tablespoonchopped fresh parsley

Method

  1. Boil the water:

    Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil (add 1 tablespoon salt for every 2 quarts of water). While the water is heating, prep the ingredients and start the sauce.

  2. Sauté the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes:

    Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped shallots, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes at the same time to the pan. Let cook for about 30 seconds. (If you are subbing onions for the shallots, let them cook a few minutes before adding the garlic and red pepper flakes.)

    Tuna Pasta With Tomatoes and Olives: Your New Favorite Easy Canned Tuna Recipe (5)

  3. Add the tuna:

    Drain the canned tuna and add it to the pan. If you are using tuna packed in water and not olive oil, add 2 or 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.

    Tuna Pasta With Tomatoes and Olives: Your New Favorite Easy Canned Tuna Recipe (6)

    Break up any chunks of tuna with a fork or wooden spoon. Let simmer for 1 minute.

  4. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, salt, and pepper:

    Stir in the crushed tomatoes, olives, capers, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

    Tuna Pasta With Tomatoes and Olives: Your New Favorite Easy Canned Tuna Recipe (7)

    Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to the lowest setting to gently cook while you cook the pasta.

  5. Cook the pasta:

    Add dry pasta to the pot of boiling salted water. Cook uncovered at a vigorous full boil until al dente — cooked, but still a little firm to the bite, about 13 to 14 minutes.

    Tuna Pasta With Tomatoes and Olives: Your New Favorite Easy Canned Tuna Recipe (8)

    Before draining, remove 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.

  6. Combine the pasta, sauce, Parmesan and parsley:

    Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce. Toss with grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley. If the pasta seems a little dry after a few minutes, add back in some of the reserved pasta water.

  • Canned Fish
  • Quick Dinners
  • Budget Dinners
  • Lent
  • Tuna
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
415Calories
17g Fat
37g Carbs
29g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories415
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g22%
Saturated Fat 3g17%
Cholesterol 40mg13%
Sodium 1247mg54%
Total Carbohydrate 37g13%
Dietary Fiber 4g15%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 29g
Vitamin C 12mg59%
Calcium 130mg10%
Iron 4mg21%
Potassium 590mg13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Tuna Pasta With Tomatoes and Olives: Your New Favorite Easy Canned Tuna Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long will homemade tuna pasta last in the fridge? ›

Tuna pasta will last about 3 to 4 days in the fridge when stored properly in an airtight container. Can I freeze tuna pasta? You can freeze any leftovers, but if you're doing so, make sure the pasta is cooked al dente because if it's too soft, it will get even softer when frozen.

How to season tuna in a can? ›

Instructions
  1. Drain tuna and put it in a bowl.
  2. Add mayonnaise, sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce (if using), sriracha, and ginger and mix well.
  3. Fold in onion and garlic.
  4. Top with scallions and sesame seeds.
Jun 28, 2021

What sauce to mix with tuna? ›

13 Sauces That Pair Well With Tuna
  • Soy sauce in wooden cup - Alter-ego/Shutterstock.
  • Yogurt sauce with herbs - Magone/Getty Images.
  • Dijon vinaigrette in bowl - Jane Damiani/Shutterstock.
  • Mayonnaise in a bowl - Valentyn Volkov/Shutterstock.
  • A bowl of fish sauce - posmguys/Shutterstock.
Oct 11, 2023

What to avoid in canned tuna? ›

Canned tuna is the only seafood in some people's diets. So that's why mercury contamination is such a concern in this particular fish. Mercury is a known neurotoxin. Too much of it is harmful to children, whose bodies and brains are still growing.

Can you eat tuna with tomato? ›

It's no wonder the combination is common throughout the Mediterranean (especially in Spain and Portugal). As with all few-ingredient, no-cook dishes, the deliciousness will depend on your ingredients, so use summer-ripe tomatoes, fruity olive oil and quality tuna.

What to mix with tuna if you don't have mayo? ›

Best tuna salad without mayo

Instead, we use a combination of Greek yogurt, lemon, and Dijon mustard to mimic the tangy flavor of mayo with half the amount of calories. This healthy tuna salad is light, simple, and easy to make.

What spices go with tuna? ›

Here, grilled tuna is smothered with a mixture of flavorful herbs, made more potent by the addition of chopped olives and a little raw garlic. A mix of parsley, basil, chives, chervil and marjoram, for example, would be splendid, as would one of cilantro, mint and basil.

Can I eat tuna every day? ›

Fish is a very healthy protein choice and eating canned tuna once or twice a week is safe. Canned tuna is an inexpensive source of protein that can be safely stored on your shelf. Tuna can contain small amounts of mercury but has many health benefits and is safe to eat a few times per week.

Should I rinse canned tuna before using? ›

By rinsing canned tuna, you essentially wash away some of the flavors and textures that come with it. If your tuna is packed in oil, rinsing it could mean saying goodbye to some of that moist, rich taste. And if it's water-packed tuna you're dealing with, a rinse will leave it more bland and flaky.

How to make canned tuna not taste bad? ›

Amping Up Flavor With A Touch Of Sweetness

In much the same way that incorporating sweet relish or pickles into your tuna-based recipes can give them a tangy kick, adding sugar to tuna can brighten your next spruced-up tuna salad and make it an enjoyable meal for even the most tuna-averse diners at your table.

What seasonings are good with tuna? ›

Fresh Herbs: Fresh dill and parsley are delicious in a tuna salad, but sometimes I like to change it up and use basil or mint. Dried herbs can be substituted, make sure to adjust the amount because they are stronger than fresh herbs.

How to elevate a tuna sandwich? ›

Celery: Celery gives that added crunch to the filling to break up the creamy tuna mixture. Pickles: Finely chopped dill pickles not only add another texture boost, but give a brightness and tang to this sandwich. Red Onion: Finely chopped red onion also aids the pickles in adding a welcome tang and zingy bite.

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