Pasta al Tonno
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Last Updated on April 17, 2023 by Lisa Johnson
This Pasta al Tonno (Pasta with Tuna) is a classic Italian dish that is simple to prepare, and you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry. Canned tuna, tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, spaghetti, and Italian parsley round out this delicious, light meal.
Looking for more recipes with tuna and pasta? Check out this classic Tuna Noodle Casserole.
This spaghetti al tonno recipe is perfect on hot summer nights, and fast enough for a light weeknight meal.
What is pasta al tonno made of?
- Spaghetti or any other dried, long pasta like linguine or bucatini.
- Olive oil
- Fresh garlic
- Shallot or small white onion
- Canned anchovies – everyone has anchovies in their pantry, right?
- Capers – optional
- Crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes that can be crushed by hand.
- Canned tuna packed in olive oil.
- Italian parsley
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Be sure to check out the detailed printable recipe card below
Recipe Inspiration
Have you ever seen Valerie Bertinelli’s show on Food Network? I saw an episode where she made this pasta with tuna and tomatoes dish and it sounded amazing. Valerie used jarred bruschetta, which I did not have on hand, so I went rogue and created my own version using similar ingredients and I love the results!
How to make Pasta al Tonno
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallot, and anchovies to the skillet. Cook, while stirring, for one minute and fragrant.
Don’t worry, the anchovies melt away into the oil and leave behind and nice salty flavor.
Add the tomatoes, chili pepper flakes, and capers (if using) and simmer for 15 minutes, reducing heat if necessary.
Gently stir in tuna and remove from heat.
Add the drained pasta, parsley, and a half-cup of reserved cooking water. Toss to combine adding additional cooking water as needed.
Garnish with parsley, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.
See how simple that was? Serve with a nice white wine and a dinner salad, and you have the perfect meal. No, I did not forget the Parmesan cheese. Italians apparently do not add Parmesan cheese to this dish. Crazy, right? I thought they added Parmesan to e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, lol
Tools used to create this recipe
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Got Leftovers?
While this dish is best served immediately, you can store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 days. There is no need to reheat, leftovers taste best when served cold.
More delicious pasta recipes
- Tortellini Salmon Salad
- Linguine alla Carbonara
- Fusilli al Pomodoro
- Shrimp Linguine
- Squid Ink Pasta with Lobster Cream Sauce
- Double Shrimp Pasta
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Enjoy!!
Pasta al Tonno
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti, linguine, or bucatini cooked and drained
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 small shallot minced
- 2 canned anchovies
- 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand
- 1 tablespoon capers rinsed and dried
- .25 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 7 ounce can tuna packed in olive oil drained and flaked – use jarred Italian tuna if possible
- .25 cup Italian parsley chopped – plus more to garnish
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallot, and anchovies to the skillet. Cook, while stirring, for one minute and fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, chili pepper flakes, and capers (if using) and simmer for 15 minutes, reducing heat if necessary.
- Gently stir in tuna and remove from heat.
- Add the drained pasta, parsley, and a half-cup of reserved cooking water. Toss to combine adding additional cooking water as needed.
- Garnish with parsley, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.
Notes
- While this dish is best served immediately, you can store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 days. There is no need to reheat, leftovers taste best when served cold.
- I only had a can of diced tomatoes so my sauce looks chunkier than it should be, but it works if that’s all you have.
Thanks for sharing your lovely recipe at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Shared.