Tuna Pasta with Olive Oil and Garlic

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Make this easy tuna pasta recipe for dinner tonight! It’s an easy pantry dish you can whip up without having to go to the store. With tasty canned tuna, sun-dried tomatoes, linguine (or spaghetti), and a spicy garlic and olive oil sauce, it’s easy and incredibly delicious. An Italian-style “aglio e olio” pasta, it’s ready in 25 minutes or less.

You know when you walk in the door after a long day — so tired and also very, very hungry?Maybe you just order takeout and move on, because chances are the only things in the fridge are shriveled limes and moldy cheese.

That’s when this easy tuna pasta dish will feel like a lifesaver!

Times like that call for one of our all-time favorite Mediterranean diet recipes, with ingredients coming straight out of a well stocked pantry.

I grew up in an Italian-American family, and 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 favorite easy pasta recipes for my whole life, right next to her classic Italian meatballs!

About the 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.
• Dried pasta: Long pasta shapes, like linguine or spaghetti, are perfect types of pasta to use in this recipe. Farfalle (butterfly pasta) or 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: Fresh cloves are best (not pre-sliced or jarred).
• Spices: Crushed red chili adds a subtle heat to balance the other savory flavors.
• Fresh herbs: A simple garnish of chopped parsley adds color and flavor to this pasta. You could also use a handful or fresh basil or a teaspoon dried oregano.
• Optional: Add about a cup of sweet peas, white beans or baby spinach to make this a heartier pasta dish.

Is canned tuna healthy?

Canned tuna is packed with protein, as well as other nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and vitamin D.

What kind of tuna is good 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.

My favorite brands to have on hand are Italian and Spanish jarred tunas, available at many grocery stores and online.

One 8-ounce jar and a pound of pasta feeds a small family very nicely. For bigger gatherings, this recipe can be doubled.

More Italian-style seafood recipes:

• Best Ever Seared Scallops
• Parchment Baked Cod Provencal
• Roasted Calamari and Tomato Pasta
• Baked Feta Shrimp with Tomatoes

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