20-Minute Dinners
Quick Tuna Tomato Pasta
This speedy pasta is a true kitchen lifesaver constructed from pantry staples that are always close at hand. Tender flaked tuna melds seamlessly with a robust tomato sauce, building a high-protein, deeply savory sauce foundation in mere minutes. The hot pasta immediately drinks in the rich base, while thinly sliced garlic and olive oil supply a beautiful Mediterranean warmth. It is an exceptional way to secure a balanced, Italian-style dinner without any heavy lifting or complicated cooking.
Dishday
Recipe overview
- Total time
- 20 min
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cooking
- 15 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cuisine
- 20-Minute Dinners
Nutrition
per serving
- Calories
- 490 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 71 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
Step by step
Method
- 01
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, salt generously…
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, salt generously, drop in the dry pasta, and cook over medium heat for 9-11 minutes until al dente.
- 02
While the pasta is boiling, peel the fresh garlic cloves and…
While the pasta is boiling, peel the fresh garlic cloves and slice them into thin laminas so they release their flavor gracefully into the oil.
- 03
Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat
Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic slices for about 1 minute until fragrant, making sure they do not brown.
- 04
Open the canned tuna, drain off any excess liquid, and transf…
Open the canned tuna, drain off any excess liquid, and transfer the fish flakes to the skillet, breaking apart larger chunks with a fork.
- 05
Pour the rich tomato sauce into the skillet with the tuna
Pour the rich tomato sauce into the skillet with the tuna. Stir gently, lower the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes to fuse the savory flavors together.
- 06
Drain the cooked pasta thoroughly in a colander, then immedia…
Drain the cooked pasta thoroughly in a colander, then immediately slide the hot grains into the bubbling tomato-tuna sauce.
- 07
Toss the pasta vigorously in the sauce over the heat for exac…
Toss the pasta vigorously in the sauce over the heat for exactly 1 minute until every piece is uniformly glazed, then serve.
Dishday
Useful advice
Cooking tip
Before draining the pasta, ladle out a small cup of the starchy cooking water — adding a splash of this water into the skillet creates a silky texture and binds the sauce to the pasta perfectly.
How to serve
Serve the pasta piping hot in shallow bowls, garnished with a handful of minced fresh parsley and a crack of black pepper.
How to store
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When reheating in a pan, toss with a splash of water to refresh the sauce.
Note
A sturdy cut of durum wheat pasta like penne, fusilli, or rigatoni works best for capturing the chunks of tuna.
