TUNA PASTA RECIPE
Italy and the Mediterranean are known for their fabulous cuisine. What makes it special is the simplicity of the ingredients. Today we’re going to learn how to prepare my tuna pasta recipe, a dish that showcases authentic Mediterranean flavors using tuna, capers, juicy cherry tomatoes and chilli for a hint of spice.
My ultimate tuna pasta recipe marries delicious tuna fish with short pasta and the perfect aromatics. I recommend working with short pasta for this simple but incredible classic.
Watch the Tuna Pasta in Red Sauce video recipe:
How to make TUNA PASTA in RED SAUCE like an Italian
Vincenzo’s Plate Tips
Rinse Your Capers Well
Although I used fresh capers for my recipe, they’re not always easy to find! Canned capers work beautifully if you rinse them thoroughly before using them. They come in salt or vinegar for preservation, and it’s important to clean them well to get the authentic caper flavor.
Juice the Tomatoes
For the best sauce, you’re going to want to be able to access the juice from your tomatoes as you sauté them. To do this, I recommend chopping the tomatoes in half before putting them in the pan. You’ll want to spend 5-10 minutes sautéing them. Then, as they get soft, gently press each tomato half to release the juices. The juices add amazing flavor and prevent the garlic from burning.
Watch the Time!
When making the sauce for this ultimate tuna pasta dish, you need to be mindful of the time. While other sauces can take hours to make, the ideal cooking time for this sauce is ten minutes. You need to allow the full ten minutes for the ingredients to make love to each other and create the fullest flavor, but you don’t want to go longer than ten minutes because the sauce may burn – adjust the heat accordingly so it doesn’t dry out.
Talk to the Food
As I mentioned, there are many things you can vary in this recipe. If you don’t like hot chili, you can reduce the amount or leave them out. If you prefer more capers, you can add more to your preference. The important thing is that you feel the food. Become one with it. Talk to the ingredients. This is what allows the magic to happen and ensures that everything comes together according to your taste.
How to Serve My Ultimate Tuna Pasta
Serving up this delicious meal is as simple as it is to make. Take a generous scoop of the pasta and sauce mixture and make a beautiful pile of pasta on a flat plate. If you like, add a bit more tuna from the sauce before sprinkling the whole thing with fresh parsley for extra flavor and aesthetics. Dig in and enjoy!
Tuna Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- Chopping-board
- knife
- 2 Wooden spoons A spatula will work too
- Medium sized pan
- Mug
- pot
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 11 oz Tuna 300g. Fresh or from the can
- 7 oz Cherry tomatoes
- 2 Hot peppers/chilli dried or fresh
- 2 Garlic cloves
- Chopped parsley as much as preferred
- Capers fresh or canned. As much as preferred
- ½ Bottle of passata or tomato puree
- 11 oz Rigatoni pasta 300g.
- Salt as much as required
- Pepper as much as preferred
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil as much as required
Instructions
For the Sauce
- To prepare the ingredients, cut each cherry tomato in half and the chili into thin strips then chopped.
- Remove the stems of fresh capers, or thoroughly rinse canned capers.
- Turn the stove to a medium heat and place your pan on top. Once it starts to warm, pour in a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil then add the garlic and hot chili. Sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes then press down on them gently to remove the juice and sauté for about 5-10 minutes while gently mixing through.
- Next, mix through the tuna and use your wooden spoon/spatula to break down.
- Add capers, mix, then grind black pepper into the sauce to taste.
- Pour half a bottle of passata into the mixture. Allow the ingredients to come together and make love for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle fresh parsley into the mixture before adding a pinch of sea salt to taste. Mix through with the heat off.
For the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add a generous tablespoon of sea/rock salt.
- Place the pasta into the water and cook per instructions on the pasta packet.
- Once the pasta has boiled, collect a mug full of pasta water and strain the pasta.
- Put the strained pasta into the sauce mixture with a splash of pasta water.
- Alternate between tossing the pasta into the sauce and adding a few more splashes of pasta water.
- Serve a generous amount on a plate and add fresh parsley to garnish.
Video
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate…Enjoy!
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I tried out your tuna pasta recipe . It was so good that even my husband liked it. He’s not a pasta eater (to my dismay 😩) but he actually said he would like me to make it again!
I am so happy that it turned out amazing for the both of you! I’m sorry to hear that your husband is not a pasta lover, but I’m sure if you make more pasta dishes and eat it with him, he’ll eventually warm up and love it as well. Keep cooking, Victoria! 👏🏻
Made this last night and it was a hit! Overdid it on the capers and chilies (in a good way). Keep the recipes coming!
This is amazing, I’m glad that you like it. Don’t forget to share this with family and friends!
I’m wondering what type of canned tuna, in oil or water
When making tuna pasta, it is generally better to use canned tuna packed in olive oil. Olive oil-packed tuna, on the other hand, provides a richer and more savory taste to the pasta dish.
I like to put raisins in my tuna pasta.
That’s an interesting combination! It’s always fun to experiment with different flavors and ingredients to create unique and tasty dishes.
Very tasty, my girlfriend and I really like this recipe. I’ve made it with both canned tuna and canned salmon and both work very well
I’m so glad to hear that you and your girlfriend enjoyed the recipe and that it turned out well with both canned tuna and canned salmon. It’s always great to have flexibility in recipes and be able to adapt them to your preferences and what you have on hand.
perfect recipe, made it twice now, second time i chopped up 2 dates for the sweetness and added them with the tomatoes, also used 1 small shallot with the garlic and used Olives instead of capers.
The addition of dates, shallots, and olives sounds delicious. I’m always happy to hear about people’s creative interpretations of my recipes.