This easy canned tuna pasta recipe uses mainly pantry ingredients with fresh arugula. The no-cook pasta sauce is perfect for a weeknight dinner.
I know that with today’s busy schedules, it is difficult to find time to make dinner.
Today's recipe is just for you! With a few pantry ingredients, like canned tuna and pasta, and some fresh arugula you can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes! This is one of our favorite 30 Minute Recipes.
Ingredients.
- Tuna - the beauty of this recipe is that it uses a pantry staple - canned tuna. Regular canned tuna is fine, but if you can find jarred tuna in olive oil, it is superior in taste and texture. It is also more expensive, so I only use it occasionally.
- Hot peppers - control the heat with what kind of peppers you use. I like to use long red cayenne peppers. You can use whatever you have available. Seed and remove the membranes if you want it less spicy.
- Baby arugula - adds a peppery bite. You can also use baby spinach for a milder flavor.
- Lemon - fresh squeezed!
- Extra virgin olive oil - use a good olive oil to add more fruity flavor.
- Capers - capers packed in salt supposably have more flavor, but they are difficult to find. I always have a huge jar of capers from Costco in the fridge.
- Pasta - spaghetti, or whatever you have in the pantry!
Step-by-step instructions.
Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta, salt generously and cook the pasta.
While the past is cooking, place the tuna, capers, and peppers in a large bowl.
Top with the baby arugula.
Prepare the dressing by combining the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Drain the pasta and add it to the large bowl on top of the arugula.
Begin tossing the pasta to wilt the arugula.
Pour over the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and add more salt or pepper if desired.
This is a fabulous no-cook pasta sauce. So full of flavor! The perfect pantry pasta!
The red chile adds a bit of heat which pairs nicely with the bitterness from the arugula. The capers add a tart saltiness and the lemon comes along and brightens everything, seemingly making everything taste more like itself.
More tuna recipes to try.
Recipe.
**As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Spicy Canned Tuna Pasta
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to directions.
- While pasta is cooking place the tuna, the chiles and the capers in a large bowl. Top with the arugula (I place the arugula on top so that it has instant contact with the hot pasta.
- Drain the pasta and add to the large bowl with the other ingredients, begin tossing to start wilting the arugula. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.
Marisa F. Stewart says
What a great weeknight dish. Italians do love using tuna and pasta together. I like the addition of the arugula and capers to finish off the dish. This is definitely on the menu this week.
Cory Varga says
Perfect seasoning! I love arugula and lemon together so so much. I used "mock-up" tuna but it worked like a charm. Great recipe!
Denise says
A new twist on tuna for me! This looks light and delicious, and easy to make. I love it!
Tammy says
This is one of my favorite ways to make a quick seafood pasta...it's just so good and comforting. I love the addition of the arugula for a little bite..perfecto!
Kay says
This was fabulous!!! A recipe that the whole family enjoyed, which is rare in my house! I have one very fussy child! This is going to become a weekly meal now!
Veronika says
Love this pasta idea! So easy to make, filling, and has so much flavor! It will be perfect for a lazy night!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
I love everything about this recipe! I literally was just thinking about new recipes to make with tuna and pasta. Tuna with capers is one of my favorite flavor combinations! I can't wait to try this! Thanks for sharing!
Jenny Graves says
I love all the ingredients and the easiness + simplicity of this recipe. So fresh and wonderful.
Chef Dennis says
This Pasta with Tuna, Chile, Arugula and Lemon recipe is making my tummy growl! Looks really delicious and really satisfying!
Jess says
I love how simple this meal comes together. It really is quick to throw a good meal together and not have to spend all day in the kitchen!
Eva says
Pasta with tuna is probably the first recipe I, along with many other Italians, learned to make when I was very young. Because it's so easy and tasty! But this, hey, this is next level pasta with tuna! What a wonderful combination of flavours, and the same non-existent level of difficulty. Fantastic!
Shelley says
Oh my goodness, how fantastic, Pam! Can't go wrong with Donna Hay, right?!? But seriously - yum! Those briny capers and peppery arugula, plus the tang of the lemon juice, with a little heat from the red pepper. Such a symphony of flavors to dress up humble pasta and canned tuna - what an incredibly simple yet amazing recipe (just the way I like 'em)! Thank you for sharing this!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
I have a similar recipe and love it! The canned tuna sounds weird as a pasta sauce but it works really well.
Julie at Hostess At Heart says
What a beautifully simple dish! I love pasta like this and it reminds me of Italy.
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
I make a very similar dish, given to me by a dear friend whose sister used to make it. Although it is super easy and great for weeknights, it has a certain elegance. Maybe I'm just an incurable romantic, but when I eat it I think that if I close my eyes, and take a gulp of Chianti, I can almost imagine being in an Italian farmhouse for dinner.
Susan@LunaCafe says
Simple and very delicious I'm sure. Great way to use canned tuna without loading it with mayo or cheese. On the dinner roster for this week.
kristy @ the wicked noodle says
What an absolutely gorgeous pasta dish! I love the flavors here: tuna with a bit of spice, citrus and the slightly bitter arugula sound heavenly together!
Susan says
Arugula is one of my favorite greens. What a great idea for using it in a recipe!
Marye says
Simple, straightforward dishes like this are my favorite. This looks amazing - I'd probably got with 3 chiles, though. I am a chile addict. 🙂
Angela {mind-over-batter.com} says
Such a great dish!! Some nights I'm just too tired too cook, yet still... Almost an hour goes by and I'm slaving over my stove. Love this flavor packed easy meal. Slave no more!!
Jameson Fink says
I wish we would start calling arugula "rocket" here in the States. it's much cooler.
Pam Greer says
I know! Right!
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious says
Love this - I'm putting it on my list for next week. It looks so easy for a weeknight and I can imagine how lovely the tuna + red pepper + lemon is together.
Pam Greer says
It really is so good together!
Alisa @ Go Dairy Free says
Gorgeous Pam! I think this one might have to go in our lunch rotation!
Pam Greer says
It should! It's so easy and so good!
a good yarn says
This is closer to my version except I leave out the chilli and replace the arugula with flat leaf parsley.
Amy says
Oh my gosh, I want this so badly.
Sippity Sup says
I've made similar recipes before and let me just say good canned tuna fish id worth every penny. GREG
Catherine says
Yum!
xo Catherine
~~louise~~ says
This is a Happy dish, Pam. Quick, easy and oh so full of flavor! I still keep hoping more people are sitting down to dinner than what the statistics claim:) Fingers crossed...Thanks for sharing, Pam...
Roz Corieri Paige says
Wonderful combo of flavors and so perfect for upcoming spring meals! Pinning on my pasta board!
Marjie says
It looks really pretty, and sounds good. My son Ryan told me this weekend that any dinner I serve - even plain old spaghetti and meatballs - would be considered "formal dinner" by virtually everyone he knows, because most families do not sit down together and chat over dinner. Sometimes the parents eat together, sometimes everyone just nukes whatever they can find. Sad, isn't it?
Pam says
Quick, simple, delicious. My kind of food!
Joanne says
All those capers make me so happy! As do the rest of the ingredients...but I'm especially a sucker for capers.