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Tuna pasta gets a serious glow-up here. This recipe comes together fast but tastes like something off a restaurant menu. The cream sauce is rich but not heavy, brightened with lemon and layered over twirls of bucatini. Capers add a briny punch, toasted pine nuts add crunch, and it all comes together with pantry staples.
Here’s Why This Canned Tuna Pasta Recipe Works
Cream, no canned soup: The sauce is built from scratch with wine, cream, and lemon, not a gloopy can of soup.
Tuna gets a glow-up: Using high-quality tuna in spring water means cleaner flavor and better texture.
Layering flavors: Shallots, garlic, wine, and lemon create depth before the cream even hits the pan.
Finishing flourishes: Toasted pine nuts and fresh thyme add crunch and herbal brightness to round it all out.
Serve this tuna pasta alongside my mandarin kale salad. The bright citrus and crunchy greens are the perfect contrast to the rich, creamy sauce.
If you’re craving something richer and spicier, try my buffalo chicken pasta. It’s creamy, tangy, and hits with just the right amount of heat.
Recipe Tips
Use real wine: Dry white wine adds complexity. Don’t skip it unless you must. Chicken broth works in a pinch.
Watch those nuts: Pine nuts burn fast. Pull them the moment they’re golden and aromatic.
Salt the water: Your pasta water should taste like the ocean. Don’t be shy.
Reserve that pasta water: It’s your best friend for loosening the sauce without diluting the flavor.
Don’t overmix the tuna: Break it up gently so you keep some texture in the final dish.
Use heavy cream, not half-and-half: Lighter dairy will split when mixed with lemon juice and wine. Heavy cream keeps the sauce smooth and rich.
Zest before juicing: It’s way easier to get zest off a whole lemon than a squeezed one.
Simmer, don’t boil the cream: High heat can make it separate. Once it thickens slightly, you’re good to go.
Toss pasta just before serving: Letting it sit too long in the sauce can make it overly thick and gluey.
Want something cozier and baked? Try my tuna pasta casserole. It’s creamy, cheesy, and topped with a crisp, golden crust.
Creamy Tuna Pasta
This tuna pasta is simple to make but layered with flavor. Creamy, lemony, and textured with capers, pine nuts, and tender tuna, it feels like more than the sum of its parts. Try it with your homemade sourdough pasta for extra depth, and don’t skip the garlic bread.
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Lemony Tuna Pasta
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Ingredients
- 12 ounces bucatini pasta, or spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 1 shallot, minced or finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 (5 ounce) cans canned tuna, in spring water, drained
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup capers, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons Fresh thyme
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, following the package instructions. Before draining, scoop out ½ cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to keep it from sticking. Cover and set aside.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, shaking occasionally, until golden and fragrant, 3–5 minutes. Immediately transfer to a dish. Don’t leave them in the hot pan or they’ll keep cooking and burn.
- Increase the heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the shallots to the skillet; cook until softened, 1–2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the white wine, bringing to a boil and scraping the pan to deglaze. Cook until the wine has nearly evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Pour in the cream, stirring until well blended. Increase the heat to medium high until it begins to boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-6 minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- While the cream is simmering, drain the tuna and place in a bowl breaking it up with a fork. Add the tuna to the cream sauce along with the pine nuts and capers, stirring gently to combine.
- Add the pasta to the skillet tossing to coat well, adding a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water if necessary.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl and garnish with the thyme leaves and lemon wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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