Who doesn't like a 15-minute midweek pasta dinner meal that is put together with mostly cupboard ingredients? Full of pungent flavours and fresh lemon zing, this easy Tuna Pasta with Olives and Capers is a take on traditional Italian Pasta Alla Puttanesca, except that the recipe has no tomato sauce (we add fresh tomatoes instead) and we replace the anchovies with tuna! Beginner-friendly dinner that won't break the bank!
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Like puttanesca? Try our Vegetarian Puttanesca Spaghetti or Halloumi Pasta next! If you love capers, but don't want a tomato sauce, try our Lemon Caper Pasta With Brown Butter Sauce!
Recipe Highlights
This tuna pasta recipe has a lot to offer:
- Easy pasta recipe that comes together within 15 minutes.
- It mostly uses store cupboard ingredients and is relatively inexpensive to make.
- Beginner-friendly - no special equipment or skill required!
Speaking of easy pasta dishes, have you tried our Roasted Fennel Spaghetti and Creamy Tahini Pasta yet?
Ingredients and Substitutes
- pasta: we used spaghetti, but most noodle types of pasta, like linguine or tagliatelle, will work. Avoid pasta with lots of nooks and crannies that will hold too much sauce.
- olive oil: can be replaced with avocado, rapeseed or vegetable oil.
- onion: we used brown onion, but chopped red onion or white onions will work well too.
- garlic cloves: fresh garlic will taste a lot better than garlic powder in this recipe.
- red chilli pepper: or dried red pepper flakes. Skip it altogether if you don't like spicy food.
- capers: we love small varieties of capers, like surfines and capucines.
- lemon juice: freshly squeezed lemon juice is best. You can use lemon zest to garnish this pasta dish too.
- butter: salted or unsalted.
- olives: we used pitted black olives, but green olives and kalamata olives will work just as well.
- tuna: use tuna in brine or spring water, not oil.
- cherry tomatoes: or baby plum tomatoes are used instead of more traditional tinned chopped tomatoes or tomato passata.
- fresh herbs: we used fresh parsley, but dill or fresh basil leaves will pair well too.
- parmesan cheese: or other Italian hard cheese.
An Ode To Canned Tuna
Did you know that humble cans of tuna can be turned into delicious tuna lunches and dinners? Try some of the great recipes below next time:
Step-By-Step Method
1. Cook Pasta Al Dente.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water following the package directions, but drain pasta about 1 minute before it is cooked al dente. Make sure to reserve some hot pasta water that will be added to the sauce later.
2. Make The Sauce.
Heat oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the onions and saute for 4-5 minutes until softened but not browned. Then add the garlic, chilli, capers, cherry tomatoes and a pinch of sea salt and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice in, add the butter and mix until the butter melts and everything is well combined.
3. Assemble It All Together.
Add the cooked pasta and the reserved pasta water into the frying pan with the sauce. Tip in the black olives, parsley and drained tuna chunks, and mix well to combine. Cook for another minute over medium heat until warmed through. Season with black pepper and top with grated parmesan.
What To Serve Tuna and Olive Pasta With?
Serve this tuna spaghetti recipe with a couple of vegetable side dishes to make it into a complete meal. Our courgette ribbon salad or garlic tenderstem broccoli go very well with it.
A glass of dry white wine and some garlic bread are both a great option too.
Storage
Whilst this pasta dish is best served freshly made, if you have leftovers, bring them to room temperature and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat in a large frying pan over low heat with a drizzle of olive oil, or in a microwave. Tuna Pasta with Olives does not freeze well.
More 15-Minute Pasta Recipes To Try Next Time
Liked this Tuna Pasta With Olives and Capers? Looking for another simple meal that centres around pasta? Here are some delicious, easy dinner recipes for those busy days when you don't have much time to spend in the kitchen:
Tuna Pasta with Olives and Capers
Ingredients
- 180 g (6.35 oz) pasta like spaghetti or linguine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 brown onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- ½ red chilli pepper deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon capers
- ½ lemon juice only
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 cherry tomatoes halved
- 10 black olives sliced into rounds
- 2 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
- 1 tin of tuna drained
- 2 tablespoon grated parmesan
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water following the package directions, but drain pasta about 1 minute before it is cooked al dente. Make sure to reserve some hot pasta water that will be added to the sauce later.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the onions and saute for 4-5 minutes until softened but not browned.
- Add the garlic, chilli, capers, cherry tomatoes and a pinch of sea salt and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
- Squeeze the lemon juice in, add the butter and mix until the butter melts and everything is well combined.
- Add the cooked pasta and the reserved pasta water into the frying pan with the sauce. Tip in the black olives, parsley and drained tuna chunks, and mix well to combine.
- Cook for another minute over medium heat until warmed through. Season with black pepper and top with grated parmesan.
Nutrition
Anna says
I’ve made this 5 times and it’s delicious. I’ve used dried Calabrian chilis instead of fresh and it added a nice zip of heat. I also add the zest from the lemon as it lifts the saltiness from the olives and capers. Delicioso!
Ieva Greber says
Thank you so much, Anna! I’m so happy it’s become a repeat recipe for you. Dried Calabrian chillies sound absolutely perfect here, and lemon zest is such a clever little lift with the olives and capers. Delicioso indeed!