This Mediterranean tuna pasta with canned tuna, capers, lemon, and arugula sings with bright and zesty flavors and couldn’t be simpler to make.
Whenever I’m stuck ruminating on what to cook for a quick and easy dinner, my mind typically goes to pasta. When I’m pinched for time or just want something simple a bowl of noodles always delivers. I have so many easy pasta dishes I love (many of them using mostly pantry staples), like my pasta puttanesca, my 5-ingredient cacio e pepe, or spaghetti alla carbonara. This Mediterranean tuna pasta is ridiculously easy to make and so delicious to eat. There’s just 7 ingredients (not including olive oil, salt, or pepper) and the only thing you’re cooking is the pasta. I love that you can literally just throw all of the other ingredients into a bowl, toss it with the cooked pasta, and voila! Dinner is served. I make this tuna pasta with spaghetti and high-quality albacore tuna packed in olive oil then toss it all with olive oil, lemon, arugula, capers, and herbs for a light and fresh meal singing with bright and tangy Mediterranean flavors. This pasta recipe is something I like to make when I’m cooking solo just for myself, and it always hits the spot.
In This Post
Why You’ll Love It
- Apart from the arugula, lemon, and parsley, this easy tuna pasta is made with basic pantry staples
- It’s ready in just 10 minutes or so since you prep everything while the pasta cooks
- This tuna pasta is loaded with awesome Mediterranean flavor and is super adaptable
Pantry Tuna Pasta Ingredients
- Long, thin pasta—spaghetti or linguine are perfect for this
- Canned tuna—use albacore tuna, packed in olive oil (the best quality you can afford, since it’s the star ingredient here, and this isn’t tuna salad).
- Olive oil—extra-virgin, as always
- Kosher salt—always, for flavor
- Lemon—we’ll use the zest and juice to give this pasta some brightness and a little zing
- Red pepper flakes—for the tiniest hint of heat (but totally optional)
- Capers—for a salty, briny pop
- Fresh parsley or dill—for some herbaceousness
- Arugula—for a fresh, peppery bite and some nice leafy greens
- Freshly ground black pepper—for serving
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make This Tuna Pasta
- Cook the pasta. Season the water generously and cook until al dente.
- Toss it all together. While the pasta is cooking, add the tuna, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, red pepper flakes, and capers to a large bowl. Drain the pasta once it’s ready and add to the bowl, tossing everything together with tongs. Add the arugula, tossing the pasta a few times before adding the greens so they wilt without getting soggy.
- Season and serve. Taste and add more salt or red pepper flakes if desired. To serve, top with parsley or dill, or a combination of both with a few grinds of black pepper.
Recipe Variations
- Feel free to add a small clove of grated garlic if you love garlic
- Olives could be a nice addition to this pasta
- Use anchovies instead of tuna
- Add some chopped roasted red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes
Storage
This pasta is best eaten the day it’s made, but it could also be stored in the refrigerator and eaten the next day. This pasta dish does not freeze well so I don’t suggest doing so.
What to Serve with This Tuna Pasta
- Arugula Salad With Shaved Parmesan Three Ways
- Caesar Salad With Garlic Croutons
- Avocado and Tomato Salad
- Avocado Grapefruit and Fennel Salad
- Easy 5-Minute Parmesan Zucchini
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Mediterranean Tuna Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 2 cans albacore tuna , packed in olive oil
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons capers , drained
- 3 tightly packed cups arugula
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, or 2 tablespoons fresh dill , finely chopped, for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper ,for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil and season generously with kosher salt. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the tuna, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, red pepper flakes, and capers to a large bowl. Drain the pasta once it’s ready and add to the bowl, tossing everything together with tongs. Then add the arugula (you want to toss the pasta a few times before adding the greens so they wilt without getting soggy). Taste and add more salt or red pepper flakes if desired. To serve, top with parsley or dill and some grinds of black pepper.
Notes
-
- Feel free to add a small clove of grated garlic if you love garlic
- Olives could be a nice addition to this pasta
- Use anchovies instead of tuna
- Add some chopped roasted red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes
Nutrition
More Easy Pastas to Try
- Pasta Puttanesca
- Pasta Pomodoro Sauce
- Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
- 5-Ingredient Cacio e Pepe
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta With Zucchini Noodles
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Joe
delicious and easy to put together a great choice on a warm evening!
I’ll definitely keep in my summer rotation (or when I want to imagine sitting in a bistro on thr Med)
Thanks Joe! Hope you enjoy it!