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 totally planned it.

A bowl serving tuna pasta with garlic olive oil sauce, with parsley on top.

You know when you walk in the door after a long day, tired and very hungry? Times like that call for a dinner you can cook with ingredients coming straight out of a well stocked pantry. This recipe is what I turn to, an Italian-style “aglio e olio” pasta that’s ready to eat in about 25 minutes.

I grew up in an Italian-American family, and if we’re 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 when I was growing up. I’ve always loved it.

My mom kept it much simpler by using solid white canned albacore tuna, which tastes so good paired with olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes, along with linguine or spaghetti and chopped parsley sprinkled on top.

That dish always had lots of olive oil and slivers of toasted garlic in it — it tasted so savory and delicious! It’s been one of my favorites.

An open jar of tuna in olive oil surrounded by garlic cloves, fresh thyme and dried tomatoes.

Key ingredients

  • Canned tuna: If you have a choice, try canned tuna packed in olive oil in glass jars. The difference between canned tuna and tuna preserved in glass jars is that the latter retains a firm, flaky texture. You’ll notice it’s also less dry, and flakes into nice large pieces. Some brands of canned tuna can be mushy depending on how it’s processed. If you opt to use canned tuna or tuna packaged in pouches, look for yellowfin tuna packed in olive oil. This type of tuna will give you the best flavor and quality.
  • Sun-dried tomatoes: They are the ingredient twist that brings the dish together. As if canned tuna isn’t already full of umami, I add a handful of sun-dried tomatoes to my tuna pasta sauce — they up this basic dish to chef-level!
  • Dried pasta: Linguine or spaghetti is what I usually use in this recipe. Farfalle (butterfly pasta) or other short pasta shapes like penne will work too.
  • Olive oil: Use your best everyday extra-virgin olive oil — it’s a major part of the sauce, so you want it to taste great all on its own.
  • Garlic: Please use fresh garlic (that’s the “aglio” part of the recipe!).
Image of a white bowl and a fork serving tuna with pasta and olive oil sauce, with parsley on top.

Best tuna to pair with pasta

Jarred tuna is definitely a bit pricier by a few dollars, but I think the extra bucks are totally worth it. After all, we’re making dinner here! In southern Italy, tuna preserved in oil, tonno sott’olio, is a prized food to make and keep.

Close up photo of a bowl of canned tuna chunks in a bowl, surrounded by tomatoes, parsley and garlic.
  • One 8-ounce jar and a pound of pasta feeds a small family very nicely. For bigger gatherings, this recipe can be doubled.
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. It's the kind of throw-together meal that tastes like you totally planned it.
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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
  • 1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • ½-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • ½ cup dry-packed sundried tomatoes, cut into slivers (soak in hot water for 10 minutes if they're very dry)
  • 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 the garlic, chili and tomatoes and cook just until the garlic starts to sizzle. Remove from the heat and stir in the tuna and ¼ teaspoon salt.
  4. Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve ¼ – ½ cup of pasta water before draining. Immediately add the pasta to the skillet along with the 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)
  • For more briny flavor toss the pasta with 1-2 tablespoons capers, chopped olives or sliced canned artichoke hearts if you like.
  • Add about a cup of sweet peas, white beans or baby spinach to make this a heartier pasta dish.
  • 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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