Mediterranean Tuna Pasta
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 851kcal
This Mediterranean Tuna Pasta recipe combines linguine with canned tuna, sweet cherry tomatoes, garlic, capers and kalamata olives in a simple olive oil sauce. Finished with lemon, freshly grated parmesan and plenty of basil, it’s a quick weeknight dinner made with pantry staples and a handful of fresh ingredients. Most of the sauce comes together while the pasta cooks.
Ingredients
Mediterranean tuna pasta
- 400 g linguine (see note 1)
- 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp freshly grated garlic
- 40 g baby capers, drained
- 500 g cherry tomatoes or grape (baby roma/baby plum) tomatoes, halved
- 155 g pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 425 g good-quality tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked (see note 2)
- 1 small lemon, juiced
- 35 g freshly grated parmesan
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- Sea salt flakes, to taste
To serve
- Freshly grated parmesan
- 60 g loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Cook the pasta – Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the linguine and cook for 1–2 minutes less than the packet suggests (see note 1). Before draining, reserve 125 ml (½ cup) of the pasta cooking water. Drain and set aside.
- Start the sauce – Heat the olive oil in a large deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the capers, tomatoes and olives – Add the capers, tomatoes and olives. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and begin to collapse and release their juices.
- Add the tuna – Add the tuna and lemon juice, then turn off the heat. Gently toss with tongs so the tuna warms through without breaking up too much.
- Toss through the pasta – Add the drained pasta and 60 ml (¼ cup) of the reserved pasta water. Toss well to combine. Add the parmesan, black pepper and sea salt flakes to taste. Add a little more pasta water, if needed, until the pasta is glossy and lightly coated.
- Serve – Divide among bowls and finish with extra parmesan, plenty of fresh basil and a generous squeeze of lemon. You can also toss the basil through the pasta before serving (see note 3).
Notes
Note 1 – The best pasta to use I use linguine, but spaghetti or fettuccine work well too. The long strands catch the olive oil and tomato juices as you toss everything together. Short pasta, such as penne, fusilli or rigatoni are fine if that's all you have on hand.
I normally cook my pasta for 1–2 minutes less than the packet suggests when I know I’m going to be tossing it through a sauce, where it will finish cooking.
Note 2 – The best type of tuna to use I prefer good-quality yellowfin tuna in olive oil because I find it milder in flavour. Tuna in olive oil also has a lovely texture for this simple pasta, where you really notice each ingredient. Drain it before adding it to the pan, and fold it through gently so you keep some larger flakes. You can use tuna in springwater if that’s what you have, but my preference here is olive oil.
Note 3 – Adding the basil You can scatter the basil over the finished pasta or toss it directly through – the flavour is delicious either way. Tossing it through the warm pasta causes the leaves to wilt and darken quite quickly, but doesn’t spoil the flavour. If you’re entertaining and want those lovely bright green leaves on top, add them just before serving.
Make Ahead
This Mediterranean Tuna Pasta is best made fresh, so if you’re entertaining, I’d cook it just before serving for the best flavour and texture. That said, it’s completely fine to make ahead for meal prep or to get dinner sorted on a regular weeknight. See the Leftovers instructions below for storage, reheating and tips for serving it cold.Leftovers
Fridge – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Not suitable to freeze. Reheating – Reheat gently in a frying pan over medium–low heat with a splash of water or olive oil to loosen everything, or microwave until hot. Serve cold – The leftovers are also really good cold or at room temperature. Add a squeeze of lemon, extra basil and a little fresh parmesan before serving.Recipe source
A Simple Home Edit original recipeNutrition Facts
Mediterranean Tuna Pasta
Serving Size
499 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
851
% Daily Value*
Fat
34
g
52
%
Saturated Fat
8
g
50
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
4
g
Monounsaturated Fat
21
g
Cholesterol
73
mg
24
%
Sodium
1697
mg
74
%
Potassium
985
mg
28
%
Carbohydrates
80
g
27
%
Fiber
10
g
42
%
Sugar
8
g
9
%
Protein
48
g
96
%
Calcium
338
mg
34
%
Iron
7
mg
39
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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