When you’re craving a quick, easy dinner with bold flavors, this pantry pasta delivers big time. With a can of tuna, sun-dried tomatoes, a tangle of linguine (or spaghetti), and a garlicky, spicy olive oil sauce, it comes together fast with pantry ingredients — no grocery run required. It’s the kind of throw-together meal that tastes like you planned it.

A white bowl filled with linguine tuna pasta, tossed with chunks of tuna, sun-dried tomatoes, and chopped parsley, set on a light textured surface.

You know the kind of hungry where you walk in the door and can’t wait one more minute? That’s when I make this. It’s an Italian-style aglio e olio pasta — garlic and olive oil working their magic — on the table in about 25 minutes, straight from the pantry.

I grew up in an Italian-American family, and if we weren’t indulging in shellfish on Fridays (this simplified linguine with white clam sauce comes to mind), my mother made a version of tuna pasta for us almost weekly. I’ve loved it my whole life.

My mom kept it simpler: Solid white canned albacore, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, dried linguine or spaghetti, and a fistful of chopped parsley on top. Her version was heavy on the olive oil, loaded with slivers of toasted garlic — savory, a little sharp from the chili, and still the dish I crave when I want something to taste like home.

Three ingredients worth being picky about

Open jar of tuna with Ortiz lid, a bulb of garlic, a measuring cup with dried red peppers, and fresh thyme sprigs on a beige surface.
  • Canned tuna: I prefer oil-packed tuna in glass jars over the standard canned-in-water kind— it holds its texture and flakes into big, meaty pieces instead of breaking down into mushy pieces. Yellowfin is worth seeking out for flavor, while albacore has an appealing chunky texture. Jarred tuna is a tiny bit of a splurge, but for a 25-minute dinner, that’s an easy trade.
  • Sun-dried tomatoes: I use plump, moist dry-packed tomatoes or whole oil-packed (the chopped ones tend to lower quality tomatoes). They’re basically little bites of umami — all that tomato flavor concentrated into a pleasantly chewy, almost jammy texture, with a sweet-tart edge that cuts straight through the brininess of the fish. This isn’t a “more is better” ingredient — add too much and you’ll risk overwhelming the other ingredients.
  • Garlic: This is the “aglio” in aglio e olio, so don’t be shy with it — and don’t you dare reach for the jarred pre-minced kind, it just doesn’t have the flavor or aroma if fresh clove. Slice it thin, keep the heat at medium-low, and pull it off the heat the second it starts to sizzle. Walk away for thirty seconds and you’ll have bitter, burnt garlic ruining an otherwise perfect pan of oil.
Close up photo of a bowl of canned tuna chunks in a bowl, surrounded by tomatoes, parsley and garlic.
A white bowl filled with linguine tuna pasta, tossed with chunks of tuna, sun-dried tomatoes, and chopped parsley, set on a light textured surface.
4.77 from 89 ratings

Garlicky Tuna Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Karen Tedesco
When you're craving a quick, easy dinner with bold flavors, this pantry pasta delivers big time. With a can of tuna, sun-dried tomatoes, a tangle of linguine (or spaghetti), and a garlicky, spicy olive oil sauce, it comes together fast with pantry ingredients — no grocery run required.
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Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1-2 cans or 6-ounce jars oil-preserved tuna, depending on appetite
  • Sea salt
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 finely garlic cloves
  • ½-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • ½ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into slivers
  • 1 pound linguine or spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • Handful chopped Italian parsley

Instructions
 

  1. Lift the tuna from the jar with a fork, leaving the oil in the jar. Put the tuna into a small bowl and break into smaller pieces with the fork — don't shred too much as large chunks have a nice texture.
  2. Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil, adding 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water.
  3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium low heat for a minute. Toss in 2 finely garlic cloves, ½-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, and ½ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoesCook just until the garlic starts to sizzle. Remove from the heat and stir in the tuna and ¼ teaspoon salt.
  4. Cook 1 pound linguine or spaghetti until al dente. Reserve ¼-½ cup of pasta water before draining. Immediately add the pasta to the skillet along with 2 tablespoons butter. Use tongs or two large forks to toss the pasta with the sauce, adding a bit of water to loosen the sauce (you might not need all the water).
  5. Sprinkle the herbs over the pasta, then taste and add more salt or chili if you like. Serve hot.

Notes

  • Use two cans of tuna for a heartier meal (about 4 servings).
  • If using dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, soak them in hot water for a few minutes if they feel hard.
  • For more briny flavor toss the pasta with 1-2 tablespoons capers, chopped olives or sliced canned artichoke hearts.
  • The pasta will keep up to 3 days, refrigerated. If the pasta has absorbed the sauce, reheat with a little bit more olive oil along with 1-2 tablespoons water or broth.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 622kcal Carbohydrates: 93g Protein: 17g Fat: 20g Sodium: 54mg Fiber: 5g Sugar: 9g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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