Quick Tuna Pasta with Capers — the name says it all. With just seven ingredients and a handful of minutes, this juicy tuna and tomato pasta comes together fast and makes a reliable weeknight supper.
For a more trattoria-style meal, serve with crusty garlic bread and a pat of garlic and herb butter.
Think red-checked tablecloths, a rousing aria in the background and a welcoming waiter — dining out is a treat, but it adds up. This tuna-and-pasta recipe recreates that comforting, lively flavour at home without the fuss.
The dish is slurp-friendly and saucy, so expect happy messes and satisfied faces. It’s fresh, zingy and far lighter than cream- or cheese-based tuna pastas, making it a nutritious everyday option.
Pasta with tuna
Tuna and pasta are a classic pairing. Outside the Mediterranean, canned tuna often appears in creamy, cheesy dishes like tuna noodle casseroles or bakes. This version swaps the dairy for a tomato-forward sauce brightened with capers and anchored by anchovies — a combination that keeps calories lower while delivering bold, satisfying flavour.
If you want tuna without pasta, light Italian salads with tuna, corn or white beans are great alternatives for a quick lunch or a more substantial, pasta-free meal.
Ingredients
This recipe uses just seven pantry-friendly ingredients. Using good-quality pasta and tuna is worth it: they store well and make a noticeable difference in texture and taste. Cheap tuna can be dry, grey and unappealing, so choose a tender, flaky product (I prefer tuna packed in oil).
Anchovies are essential here — they dissolve into the cooking oil and create deep umami that lifts the whole dish. Capers add a salty, tangy pop similar to green olives; if you don’t have capers, sliced green olives work well. A pinch of chilli flakes adds warmth; slice the garlic rather than mincing to mellow its bite and encourage gentle caramelization in the flavoured oil. For tomatoes, passata yields a smooth sauce while crushed or chopped tomatoes create a chunkier texture—both are excellent.
Key pantry items: pasta, canned tuna in oil, anchovies in oil, garlic, tomato passata or crushed tomatoes, capers, red chilli flakes, salt and optional fresh parsley for garnish.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- If long pasta feels messy, try shapes like conchiglie or orecchiette — they catch sauce beautifully.
- Don’t skip the anchovies; they melt into the oil and provide a backbone of umami that defines the sauce.
- Use tuna packed in oil for a softer texture and richer flavour that’s perfect for cooking.
- Adjust chilli to taste — a little goes a long way and brings balance to the acidity of the tomatoes.
- No capers? Replace them with fat green olives for a similar salty-tangy note.
Storage and leftovers
The bold flavours — salty anchovies and capers, garlic and tuna — develop overnight, so leftovers keep well. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days; it often tastes even better reheated.
More quick pasta recipes to try
- Easy Spaghetti Carbonara
- 5 Minute Ravioli Sauce
- Chorizo Gnocchi
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Tuna Pasta with Capers
Ingredients
- 250g/8 oz spaghetti or other pasta
- 4 anchovies, packed in oil
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 200g canned tuna in oil, drained
- 375ml/1 1/2 cups tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes
- salt to taste
- fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and start the pasta.
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In a large pan, heat about two tablespoons of oil from the tuna tin. Add the anchovies and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes until they sizzle, breaking them up with a spatula so they dissolve into the oil. Add the sliced garlic and cook for no more than 30 seconds.
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Add the drained tuna to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in a ladle of boiling pasta water and let it simmer for a minute to loosen the sauce. Stir in the tomato passata, capers and red chilli flakes and cook the sauce for 5–7 minutes.
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Drain the pasta and toss it into the sauce until well coated. Taste and add salt if needed — anchovies and capers can add plenty of saltiness. Serve with chopped fresh parsley if using.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.