Tuna Pasta with Lemon and Olives (20 Minute Pantry Recipe)
This the lighter, delicious tuna pasta recipe you’ll want in your meal planning arsenal! A simple pantry meal that comes together in about 20 minutes, it uses ingredients you likely already have on hand – pasta, canned tuna, olive oil, lemon juice, and simple seasonings. Plus, it’s easy to make this into a one dish meal with the addition of any vegetable you have while still keeping dinner quick. And the flavor you get from these simple, frugal ingredients is seriously amazing!
Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.
This is another recipe in our occasional, ongoing series of easy meals from your pantry! For this series “pantry” includes not only the pantry shelves, but also the things we may have (or that we preserved!) in our fridges and freezers, too.
Canned tuna is a pantry staple I think most people have, unless they aren’t a fan of fish. It’s a cheap source of protein that can last for years in storage. Whenever we’ve had a power outage, I’m always grateful for a protein that is ready to go out of the can.
Because tuna is an inexpensive staple I’m always looking for different ways to use it, more than just as a sandwich filling or in that certain casserole many of us grew up with. I love these crispy tuna patties and this tomato tuna salad that perfectly highlights summer ripe tomatoes, but I wanted a recipe using tuna that could be a whole meal – and even work for guests.
So let’s pair the tuna with a couple other pantry staples, pasta and olives. And let’s add more flavor with onion, garlic, and lemon juice (jarred is fine!). Surprise! At it’s basic, the resulting tuna pasta dish was very flavorful and satisfying as a meal.
But what I love the most about this is how it serves as a base to use up vegetables and any cheese you have that can change it up easily. It becomes a one dish meal that can be a part of your regular meal plans and still look different each time.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Tuna: I show two types in the photo above, a chunky white albacore and a standard can of “chunk light.” If you want to avoid mercury, go with the cheapest chunk light tuna. If you’d like some chunks in the pasta after stirring, use at least a can of albacore like I did here. (This article goes into detail about mercury in tuna.) Don’t want tuna? Try a can of chicken.
- Olives: I’ve used green olives and kalamata olives in versions of this and I enjoy the briny quality they bring to the dish. If you’d like it milder, you can use regular canned olives.
- Pasta: Any pasta type or variety works in this recipe. I prefer using higher protein pastas now to increase the nutrient value of basic pasta dishes like this (see my recommendations below).
- Optional ingredients: The basic recipe is pasta, tuna, olives, onion, and seasonings, but by adding other ingredients you have on hand you can turn this into a richer, vegetable filled one-dish meal. These include any fresh or frozen vegetables you have like the peppers and frozen broccoli shown above. Other vegetables include cauliflower, asparagus, kale, spinach, green beans, and celery. The addition of butter to the sauce and a sprinkle of cheese is a nice way to make it a bit richer (leave them out and this is dairy free).
My Favorite Protein Pastas
I’ve tried quite a few different pastas with added protein or made from legumes to increase protein and fiber and we’ve found these two brands to be the best:
- Banza: A gluten free option from garbanzo beans, they are good in most recipes when cooked just until firm. Not so good as leftovers, so I try to make just what I need. Has 11 grams protein in a 2-ounce serving.
- Barilla Protein+: This is made with durum wheat and pea protein and to us it is indistinguishable from regular pasta! Has 10 grams protein in a 2-ounce serving.
How to Make Tuna Pasta
Step 1: Start water boiling and cook pasta according to package directions. If you are using any frozen or fresh veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, add them with the pasta to cook together.
Step 2: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan (big enough to hold the pasta after cooking) over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, seasonings, and any optional fresh veg using (peppers, asparagus, broccoli, etc) and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add lemon juice to deglaze the pan a bit.
Step 3: Drain pasta, reserving some water, and add it to the vegetable mixture in the skillet along with the tuna and olives.
Step 4: Stir well, adding optional butter and enough reserved pasta water to make a thin sauce that just coats the pasta. Salt to taste.
Serving Suggestions
With the addition of veggies, this is a one dish meal so you don’t have to serve anything else with it!
However, if you would like another dish to stretch the meal or serve to guests, this bright orange almond salad is a perfect compliment to the lemon in the pasta. Or make a simple green salad and a 5-minute lemon vinaigrette that would also go perfectly.
I hope you love this light and bright tasting tuna pasta – if you make it, be sure to leave a recipe rating to let me know! You can also save the recipe for later by pinning it or clicking on the heart in the lower right hand corner.
Want to save this?
Enter your email below and you’ll get it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get easy new recipes, gardening tips & more every week!
Tuna Pasta with Lemon and Olives
Equipment
- 3-quart saucepan
- 4-5 quart everyday pan or large skillet
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta (reserve pasta water)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or fresh chopped herbs if you have them
- 1 clove garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste (less if you salt the pasta water)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- Optional to make one-dish meal: chopped red peppers asparagus, spinach, broccoli or cauliflower added to pasta water
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 6-ounce cans tuna, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped olives green, kalamata, or regular
- red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 tablespoon butter, optional
- Grated Parmesan or other cheese, optional
Instructions
- Start water boiling and cook pasta according to package directions. If you are using any frozen veggies like broccoli, green beans or cauliflower, add them with the pasta to cook together.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan (big enough to hold the pasta after cooking) over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, seasonings, and any optional fresh vegetables (peppers, asparagus, broccoli, etc) and cook for 3-4 minutes, until done to your liking. Stir in the lemon juice to deglaze the pan.
- Drain pasta, reserving some water, and add the pasta to the vegetable mixture in the large pan, along with the tuna and olives.
- Stir everything, adding optional red pepper flakes and butter, and enough reserved pasta water to make a thin sauce. Salt to taste.
- Serve with grated cheese, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
