This canned tuna pasta recipe is quick, healthy, and comforting. The perfect recipe when you don't have a lot in your pantry!
This tuna garlic pasta recipe takes me back to my childhood. My mom used to make something similar when I was a kid, and I just loved it.
She'd sometimes chop up celery leaves instead of using parsley, but I never have those on hand, so parsley it is!
I hadn't made this recipe in a while, and I really enjoyed eating it after I finished the photos. I never put this recipe on the blog because I wasn't sure people would like it, even though I know it tastes great. I did a little research, and there definitely is demand for canned tuna pasta, so I figured I'd do it.
I can't believe it's September already. I'm sure everyone is saying it, but it kinda snuck up on me. I love summer, so I'm sad to see it go, and I'm so not ready for fall.
In any case, if you're busy and frazzled with back-to-school activities, this tuna spaghetti recipe is one way to save some time and keep your sanity.
This healthy tuna pasta recipe can be jazzed up or even made more simple than it already is. For the photos I added some grated parmesan cheese and a little lemon zest (I used the same handy tool to do both so it took me like 30 seconds), but in real life I don't usually bother.
I've even made this with just tuna, garlic, and olive oil when I'm in a rush and I really have nothing in the fridge (it's rare I don't have parsley).
You may also like my healthy tuna pasta salad or my creamy tuna pasta salad recipes.
Will you give this easy canned tuna pasta a go? What's your favorite clean-out-the-pantry recipe?
Questions? Talk to me in the comments below!
Easy Canned Tuna Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 (5 ounce) can tuna, drained I prefer tuna packed in oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 4 ounces uncooked pasta (I used spaghetti)
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water for your pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions. Prep your other ingredients while it cooks.
- When the pasta is close to being ready, add the oil to a small pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook it for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tuna, lemon juice, and parsley. Let it heat through.
- Once the pasta is done, add some of the pasta water (a couple tablespoons) to the sauce and then drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Season with salt & pepper as needed. Optional: serve pasta with freshly grated parmesan cheese and lemon zest.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Barbara Renaud says
I added mushrooms and fresh baby spinach. I didn’t have any fresh parsley so I added some dried parsley. I also added a bit of butter to the oil to sauté the mushrooms & spinach. This a a quick and simple dish to make. Love the flavour. Will definitely make this again!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Love those additions. 😀
Adelfa Garcia Davila says
Thanks for this amazing delicious and super yummy recipe of Tuna Pasta! I make it prepare for my kids any time 😊😃..hoping to see your next recipes ❤😃😊🙂
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it!!, Adelfa! 🙂 I add new recipes every week, so I hope you try something else as well.
Annella Wheatley says
This is really, really delicious! So simple and with so few ingredients I was dubious it would be tasty but it really was. We loved it, and I'll definitely make it again soon.
Natasha says
So happy you liked it, Annella! 🙂
Louise says
Very Tasty. I used basil oil instead of regular olive oil. The flavors came together very nicely.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed it, Louise!
Valerie says
Had $25 can of imported Italian tuna that I didn’t want to mess up. Was very glad that your easy recipe worked! It was so delicious and came together in a matter of minutes! 10/10. Will definitely make this again.
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear!! 😀 Thanks for your review!
Vanj de Guzman says
i try already....my son and my nephew like it so much...simple ingredients but it's healthy....Thank you for share this recipe 😘
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear!! Thank you! 🙂
Andy and the NPG says
I like 2 make this the night before a long run or race with a little bit of red pepper flake.. Goes nice with a Pinot Grigio or light beer for some extra carbs...
Natasha says
That's awesome!! 🙂 I love that.
Kelli Culpepper says
Delicious!!! So easy and quick!! I didn’t have any parsley and I sort of doubled it. Outstanding. Lemon is the game changer. Thanks!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! You're welcome! 🙂
Cait says
Such a great, quick recipe! I also added a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes when cooking the garlic (kiddo is 18mo so I put less than I'd do for just myself), plus some grated parmesan at the end. I also mixed in some peas, because it's a loved veggie in our home (I also love the bit of sweetness it adds). I cut up the noodles to make it easier for my kiddo to grab and eat...he can use a fork/spoon, but prefers his hands ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anyways, first time visitor on your site, but I look forward to trying out more of your recipes!
Natasha says
Fantastic! I'm so glad you found my site, Cait! 🙂
Bradley says
Easy and very delicious recipe…looked in my pantry and saw I had some canned tuna in oil, 1/4 box of spaghetti, lemon and stumbled upon this after some quick searching (luckily had parsley too). Used avocado oil and added a little onion to the micro-planes garlic. Parmesan is a very nice add plus some red chili flakes.
Hits the spot!
Natasha says
Fabulous!! Thanks for your review, Bradley!
Ashley says
Only 4oz of uncooked noodles? That’s only 1/4 of a box. Is that right?
Natasha says
Yes, that's right. You can for sure use a bit more, but yeah, technically 2 oz of uncooked pasta is the recommended serving size per person... smaller than many people think. I use that guideline since I provide nutritional info (people ask for it), but feel free to make whatever you usually make for 2 people. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Elaine P says
Love tuna with pasta and I always use Parmesan cheese on top!! Thanks
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
You're welcome, Elaine! 🙂
Ikran Ahmed says
I made this today and it is soooo gooood. I was pretty afraid thinking that the garlic and parsley wouldn’t properly coat the pasta since I was running out of them, but I added some carrots into it and it was amazing!!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
So happy it worked out and you enjoyed the pasta, Ikran! 🙂
Kara says
Great recipe! I changed it up a bit…I do thin spaghetti noodles, along with 2 tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder,1/2 tsp onion powder and 2 tbsp of tuna drained liquid!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Kara!!
Eve says
Oh, this was good, and easy! I sauteed some onion and used garlic powder since I didn't have any fresh garlic. And added some chopped green olives to fancy it up a bit. This will be going in my rotation. Thank you! And just followed you on Insta!
Natasha says
Fabulous!! And I really appreciate to follow, Eve! 😀 Thanks for your review!
Mak says
Awesome, easy recipe! I added some cayenne pepper to kick it up a notch
Natasha says
Thanks so much, Mak! 😀
Alex says
Excellent recipe! Quick and easy! Thanks so much for sharing this.
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Alex! Thanks for your review! 🙂
B says
Sounds delish!! I am going to try this for sure. Can the sauce be prepared ahead of time ; for the next day .??
Natasha says
Hi! You could, I suppose... but I think it's probably better fresh and you may need to add a splash more liquid (like from the hot pasta water) when reheating. It only takes about as much time to cook as it does to boil the water for the pasta. Let me know if you try... hope you enjoy it and happy holidays!
Anon says
Honestly not the best recipe. It was easy to make yeah. But it was so dry and I needed to make a sauce to compliment it. Two stars because the tuna wasn’t so bad.
Ev says
So delicious! This is my new go-to recipe when I don’t know what to cook. Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 🙂
Doris says
Loved this recipe it was easy and delicious.
Natasha says
Wonderful! 🙂 Thanks, Doris!
Thecla says
This was quick and so tasty. I added onions red peppers and celery (including the leaves) because I like greens in my tuna. Topped with parmesan. I'll be making this often. Thanks!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! So happy you enjoyed it!
Wilbur Wilbur says
I tried this recipe...plus added sliced uncooked Cherry
Tomatoes and pinches of Tarragon....the taste is faaantastic! Thank You for this recipe saltandlavender.com
I am Wilbur, a Proofreader for an award-winning business newspaper in the Philippines!
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!!
Mike says
Made this tonight. Was so awesome, and easy. It even smelled good as we were making it. We used small shells, just shoveled deliciousness in our mouths.
Natasha says
Wonderful!!! That's great to hear.
Karen says
Natasha, I can't thank you enough for this recipe. Such a quick and easy meal. I have been trying to add more fish into my diet and I was especially looking for recipes that I could adapt for canned mackerel. I used this as a starting point with some alterations.
1 can mackerel in olive oil, added 1 tsp capers, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp Italian seasonings, 1 cup cooked peas. Used the oil from the mackerel tin.
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Karen!! Sounds delicious! 🙂 I actually have two canned mackerel recipes now on here too... just type "mackerel" into any of the search bars on my website and they'll come up for you.
Kaylyn says
Made this tonight! Thank you so much for the super quick and delicious dinner. I added a little milk and grated cheddar cheese to the tuna mixture to make it a little saucier & cheesy :).
HIGHLY recommend this super yummy and easy recipe.
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 🙂 I'm so happy you enjoyed it!!
Sandra Rooney says
I absolutely loved this recipe. So simple and quick to make. Looking forward to making it again. Thanks 😊
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 🙂
Chef Dubai says
Ja robie to tak:
Czosnek -2 zabki
Cebula-1 mala
Smietana kremowa-50ml
Tunczyk w oleju-125 gr
Kolendra-dwie nacie
Sol
Pieprz
Na patelnie po kolei,dodajac smietany i ciagle mieszajac
Na koniec starty swiezo Cheddar
:::::Smakuwa::::
Jairon prado says
It turned out so great. I'd try to cooked this recipe as a project/laboratory. I'm currently studying as a 4th year college student.
Natasha says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Christine loy says
I cooked this recipe, and it turned out great, I put chilli to give it some heat and added coriander leaves, yummy.
Natasha says
Excellent!! 🙂
Moe says
Looks quick and delish, thanks for sharing will be trying!
Natasha says
Hope you like it! 🙂
I love tuna says
DELICIOUS! Didn't have parsley but this was so good, thanks for a great dinner!
Natasha says
You're very welcome! 🙂
Jana Snyder says
Quick, easy, yummy! I used a packet of garlic & herb flavored tuna, but otherwise followed the recipe. A perfect quick lunch, especially fast if you have already-cooked pasta.
Natasha says
Excellent!! Glad you enjoyed it, Jana!
Antonia Smith says
This recipe was DELICIOUS! I did substitute the parsley for chopped up leaves from celery and it added something special, in my opinion. Very good! Thank you!
Natasha says
Thank you!! That's what my mom always did when we were little. 🙂
Joanne says
I just cooked this recipe and it was fantastic. I added chilli and capers for a little bit extra oomph. It was so fresh and tasty. My husband doesn't usually like pasta but loved this recipe.
Natasha says
Excellent! So glad you two enjoyed it!
Gwen Hess says
Love this recipe because with using whole wheat pasta and a tuna packed in water it is low calorie and helps me lose weight. My goal is 20 pounds and so far I've lost 6 pounds in 6 weeks. Can add other herbs and veggies to give variety. Thank you 🙂
Natasha says
That's awesome!! Way to go! 🙂 So pleased this recipe is a part of your new lifestyle!
Ernesto says
I was about to order delivery and I found this recipe! It was so good! (And quick) One of my favorites already! Thank you for sharing it!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! You're welcome! 😀
Blue says
May I suggest adding capers? It's a perfect pairing.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Sure!
Tinapod says
I added veggies - celery and red pepper to give it a crunch.
Tinapod says
Also garnished with a tbsp of Asiago cheese. Yum!
Daisy says
Made it today for lunch so delicious and light. Pretty good cold too!
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Daisy! 🙂
Larry Russell says
Thanks I will give it a try
Esther Leng says
Just tried this for dinner tonight. I love pasta and I love fish, so it was the right way to go! I did omit garlic, however. Thanks so much for the recipe idea!
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, Esther!
jenna says
love the flexibility of this: a real springboard recipe.
about the parsley - I have a hard time keeping fresh herbs around, so I have a jar of dried parsley leaves in the cupboard & put some in the bowl with the hot pasta (before saucing, if possible) & the heat & residual cooking water perks them up. I try this with other dried herbs & while this helps with most, parsley is the only one where I'd call this a "hack".
thanks for posting. GL
Natasha says
I like that idea with the dried parsley!! I'll need to try. I can't always get good fresh parsley here in the winter. I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jenna!
Jana Snyder says
Chopped parsley freezes great!
Laura Bookbinder says
I only have albacore packed in water. Would this work in the recipe and not destroy the flavor?
Natasha says
I think that will be fine. It may end up a little more dry, but you could always add a splash more olive oil if needed. I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
RossC says
I had the same concern and added olive oil. Worked perfectly and the dish is delicious.
Thea M says
This is one of my favorite pasta dishes! I often use Spanish tuna in olive oil and add some toasted pinenuts for some savoriness. Quick and delish in less than 30.
Natasha says
Wonderful!
Larissa says
Definitely save and use the oil that the tuna is packed in - it adds a delicious umami note!
Natasha says
You bet!
Jenni S says
Hello fm South Africa Natasha, just love your simple easy to prep and cook recipes along with all side info for each....Suits me down to the ground cause I prefer life to be simple, tasty and fun!
This recipe, Canned Tuna pasta is so simple but wow tasty...with a few small twists to my taste that is, of course.
Well done on your blog keep em coming! 😋💜
Jen
Riversdsle, Cape Ptovince, SA
Natasha says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Jenni! 🙂 I'm so pleased you enjoyed this recipe. I'd love to visit SA one day!
Stephane Bille-Volkenborn says
Thank you for this recipe. Easy to follow instructions and amazing result. I only buy tuna in oil and did not drain it. I love that it takes only a few basic ingredients.
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Lucy Baker says
I like the tuna in oil, best! To me it adds SO much more flavor! And I add lots of tarragon! I'm a tarragon freak! Lol!! You can also make this same basic recipe with Raddiatore Pasta(looks like radiators) and add lots of chopped onions (uncooked!) be sure and drain the water off well, let it cool , then in a half hour or so add lots of mayo it makes a great tuna tarragon! Chill it first if it's a hot summer day(I personally prefer it a bit warm.
Vickie Gauthier says
Hi there! Thank you for this lovely recipe! I forgot to drain the tuna in oil though, oops! I loved the fresh lemon juice and zest flavor in it!
Natasha says
You're welcome! No need to drain it really if it's packed in oil. A little extra doesn't hurt. 🙂 You're good!
Bernadette says
Ok so this is perfect for those on low FODMAP . I made it for my son but omitted the garlic and instead used garlic infused olive oil . It was delicious. Also on one occasion I used the orange juice from a tin of mandarin segments as it’s not sweet and I was out of lemons . I tossed in the mandarin segments and my son loved that too! I prefer the lemon juice but either was good . Thank you !! It’s so hard to find things that can be adapted for the low FODMAP diet !!
Natasha says
Well that's great to hear, Bernadette!! I'm so happy you were able to adapt it. 🙂