If you have a can of tuna in your kitchen pantry and some pasta you are good to go. It is such a quick and easy recipe to make, so you have it on the table in no time.
So, are you ready to learn how to make tuna pasta? Join me in the kitchen!
A Tasty Pasta Recipe
So today we have another great canned tuna recipe. I love canned tuna, salmon or crab.
As canned fish lasts forever and you can easily turn it into a salad, pasta dinner, or even a pasta salad.
Another great thing is you can customize this recipe to fit your taste and flavor.
Just add what you love and remove what you don’t like.
This recipe is made with fettuccine but you can easily substitute and make it with:
- Spaghetti
- Tagliatelle
- Penne
- Rigatoni
- Macaroni
- Farfalle
- Fusilli
- Conchiglie
This recipe is done in less than 15 minutes so what more do you want.
Tuna Pasta Ingredients
To make this tuna fettuccine recipe you need a number of ingredients. Be certain you put the following items on your grocery list:
- Fettuccine or tagliatelle
- Canned tuna
- Small onion
- Garlic
- Cherry tomatoes
- Tomato sauce (Tomato Frito)
- Scallion
- Fresh parsley
- Grated cheese
- Olive oil
How To Make Tuna Pasta
To make this recipe start with finely dicing the onion and mince the garlic.
Now preheat a skillet to medium-high and add olive oil. Then add the onion and garlic to the pan. Stir until the onion and garlic are soft and translucent.
In the meanwhile, half the cherry tomatoes and add to the pan as well. Stir to soften the tomatoes.
Add the tomato sauce and keep stirring. Now it is time to drain the tuna from the can.
Preserve about 1 tablespoon of tuna and add the rest to the onion-tomato mixture. Then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Then bring water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente following the instructions on the package. This takes about 6 minutes.
Now drain the pasta and add to the tuna mixture. Then stir the fettuccine through the tuna sauce.
Thinly slice the scallion and mince the parsley. Sprinkle both on top of the pasta.
Then decorate the pasta with the remaining tuna and grated cheese if you like and you are ready to serve.
Can You Use Canned Tuna In Water Or With Oil?
You can use either but I always use tuna in water. Draining the tuna is very easy.
However, if you have tuna in oil don’t drain the oil but use it to pan fry your onion and garlic. So, if you have tuna in oil drain the can in the pan.
Can You Use Fresh Tuna In Tuna Pasta?
Yes, absolutely you can use fresh tuna in tuna pasta. You can thinly slice the tuna and add it to the pasta sauce.
Then you let it warm through so the tuna is cooked and you have fresh tuna pasta.
As canned tuna tastes different compared to freshly cooked tuna this recipe will taste different when made with fresh tuna but it tastes just as good.
Can You Make Tuna Pasta Ahead?
Yes, this tuna pasta recipe is a great recipe to make ahead of time. You can either make the pasta and sauce separately or you can make the whole recipe and store it for later use.
Then store it properly and you can serve it cold as a pasta salad or you can reheat it and serve it for dinner.
How To Store Tuna Pasta
You have several ways to store this tuna pasta dish. In all cases let the pasta cool completely before storing.
- Refrigerator – if you plan on serving the pasta within a day or two you can store it in the refrigerator. Then store the tuna pasta in an airtight food container
- Freezer – want to keep the pasta longer you can store it in the freezer. Just put it in a freezer-friendly food container or in a Ziploc bag. Now label it with the date and store it for up to 3 months
How To Reheat Pasta
You can either make a big batch or have leftover pasta. To reheat there are several ways:
- Skillet – preheat your skillet to medium and add a little bit (1 tablespoon) of olive oil in the cast-iron skillet. Add your leftover pasta and let it warm through. You can cover the pasta with a lid so you keep moisture inside the pasta. If you want baked bits of pasta leave the lid off and stir your pasta through until warmed through
- Instant Pot – you can also reheat the pasta in an Instant Pot using the Sauté option. Preheat the Instant Pot and add the pasta. Stir occasionally to warm the pasta through. Do not close the lid of the Instant Pot as this doesn’t work using the Sauté option
- Oven – you can also reheat pasta in the oven. Put the pasta in an oven-safe dish and preheat your oven to 350℉. Cover the oven dish with some aluminum foil so the pasta can warm but the top of the burn will not yet brown. Warm through for at least 10 minutes. Check to see if the pasta is warmth through else stir and leave for 2 to 3 more minutes. If you want baked pasta then leave the dish without the foil for 2 to 3 minutes
- Air Fryer – if you have a little bit of pasta leftover you can warm it in the Air Fryer. Put the leftovers in a cake barrel and cover them with tin foil. Preheat the Air Fryer to 325℉ and warm the past for 7 minutes. Remove the foil, stir and leave it in the Air Fryer if you want so baked bits on top. Else check to see if the pasta is warmed through
- Microwave – you can also warm pasta in a microwave. Put the pasta in a microwave-friendly food container and heat the pasta for 1 minute. Then check to see if the pasta is warmed through else extend for half a minute and check again. Repeat until warmed through
More Easy Pasta Recipes
If you love pasta, you definitely have to take a look at these recipes as well:
- Creamy pasta with bacon
- Garlic spaghetti with shrimp
- Pasta with Meatballs
- Spinach and shrimp pasta
- Pasta Bolognese
- Instant Pot Carbonara
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How To Make Tuna Pasta In 15 Minutes
If you have a can of tuna and pasta you can make the best tuna pasta. On the table in 15 minutes. Make it with your favorite pasta.
Ingredients
- 300-gram fettuccini (10½ oz)
- 2 cans tuna
- 1 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 15 cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup tomato sauce (Frito sauce)
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons grated cheese
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic
- Heat a skillet and add the onion and garlic to the pan. Stir until soft and translucent
- Halve the tomatoes and add them to the pan as well. Stir to soften the tomatoes
- Add the tomato sauce and keep stirring. Drain the tuna from the can and add to the onion mixture. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes
- In the meantime bring water to the boil and cook the pasta al dente following the instructions on the package about 6 minutes
- Drain the pasta and add to the tuna mixture
- Thinly slice the scallion and mince the parsley. Sprinkle on the pasta and serve
- Decorate the pasta with the remaining tuna and grated cheese if you like and you are ready to serve
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 127mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 18g
Please note: Nutrition information is added for informational purposes only. It is possible it isn’t completely accurate.