Make the most of store cupboard staples and whip up this tasty week night meal in under 15 minutes. This Spicy Tuna Spaghetti is easily adaptable to add extra vegetables and different flavours and you can make a kid friendly version too. Spaghetti tossed with lemon juice and olive oil for the sauce and loaded with tuna, peas, olives and plenty of herbs.
We love a cupboard raid meal for something quick and easy when you just need dinner on the table quick. This tuna spaghetti ticks all the boxes, and it's easy to adapt too. Add in anything you have hanging around in the fridge that needs using up. Protein packed, comforting and full of flavour - this meal is a family favourite.
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Why should you try it?
- Made with store cupboard ingredients
- Protein packed
- Easy to adapt
- Kids love it
Step by step
One: Add the pasta to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes. 5 minutes before the pasta is ready, add the peas.
Two: Drain and spaghetti and peas (reserving a little of the water) and put back in the pan with the rest of the ingredients (including reserved water) and stir well.
Three: Serve.
Do I have to use tuna?
As not everyone is a fan of tuna, so you could use canned (or fresh) salmon, or even some mackerel or crab. Not a fan of fish? Throw in some leftovers shredded chicken, tofu or beans, or just leave it as a the peas and sun dried tomatoes with pasta to keep it vegetarian. It's really easy to adapt.
What vegetables to add
This is a good opportunity to get some vegetables into the dish. You could chop up some onions and garlic and as they are cooking, you could also add some chopped bell pepper, mushrooms, courgette (zucchini), baby corn or anything else you have in your fridge that needs using up.
We just used peas for a bit of a green boost, but you could wilt in some spinach too. We love adding a generous amount of sun dried tomatoes and olives, as they add so much flavour to a pasta dish.
Pasta sauce
There isn't a sauce in the traditional sense, however we have made a sauce using lemon juice, olive oil and some reserved pasta water. Never throw all the pasta water away, as not only does the salty and starchy water add lots of flavour, but it helps thicken a sauce and kind of glues it to the pasta. It's always our "secret" ingredient in pasta dishes.
What to serve it with
Garlic bread of course! Pasta and garlic bread are such a delicious match. Either buy some ready made, or make your own easy garlic bread by cutting up some French stick and spreading it with a mix of butter, crushed garlic and dried herbs. Then pop it in the oven for 10 minutes.
We like to serve this with a big green salad too. Because, you can never have too many greens in your life, right?
FAQs
You can freeze this, and it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container. However, spaghetti can lose it's quality and become quite mushy when defrosted and reheated.
You can store this in the fridge, again in an airtight container, and it will be good for 2-3 days.
Extra tips
- You can swap the spaghetti for any other type of pasta.
- We topped ours with shaved Parmesan, however you could use cheddar, goats cheese or feta.
- This pasta dish is topped with fresh chopped basil, however you could use parsley, dill or chives.
- You can make this dish even creamier by swapping the pasta water for some cream or creme fraiche.
- A few capers stirred in to this add so much flavour.
- Use tuna in olive oil for the best flavour. Tuna in water doesn't tend to have as much flavour.
- Add some spice with a sprinkle of red chilli flakes before serving.
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Recipe card
Spicy Tuna Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 140 g spaghetti
- 80 g frozen peas
- 110 g canned tuna drained
- 2 tbsp fresh basil finely chopped
- 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
- 20 kalamata olives halved
- 5 sundried tomatoes chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon juice only
- 0.5 tsp red chilli flakes Optional to serve
Instructions
- Add the pasta to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes. 5 minutes before the pasta is ready, add the peas.
- Drain and spaghetti and peas and put back in the pan with the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
- Serve.
Notes
- You can swap the spaghetti for any other type of pasta.
- We topped ours with shredded Parmesan, however you could use cheddar, goats cheese or feta.
- This pasta dish is topped with fresh chopped basil, however you could use parsley, dill or chives.
- You can make this dish even creamier by swapping the pasta water for some cream or creme fraiche.
- A few capers stirred in to this add so much flavour.
- Use tuna in olive oil for the best flavour. Tuna in water doesn't tend to have as much flavour.
- Add some spice with a sprinkle of red chilli flakes before serving.
Mike
Wow i will have to try that!
Jill
Fantastic. I have some tuna pouches in my pantry I need to use up. Thanks for the recipe!
Danielle Wolter
I've got a whole bunch of cans of tuna in my pantry - this sounds like the perfect use for them!
Jacqueline Meldrum
I love easy pasta dishes like this. I am going to try it without the tuna.
Kim Guzman
This is a great way to lighten up meals by using the tuna instead of another protein. Perfect for summer when I don't want to spend a lot of time cooking. Thank you!
Mahy
I love how easy it is adding veggies to this spaghetti - just perfect for this time of the year!
Jodie
Oh yum!! This looks really delicious and healthy.