Pasta
Lemon Tuna Pasta
The tuna goes in at the end, off a hard boil, so it stays in pieces. Lemon and pasta water make the sauce. There is no cream in this one.
Prep: 5 minutesCook: 15 minutesServes: 4Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried pasta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 cans (5 ounces each) tuna, drained
- 1 lemon, zest and juice, or 1 tablespoon mild vinegar plus a little extra oil
- Salt and black pepper
- Optional: a handful of parsley, or a pinch of dried herbs
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in salted water until just tender. Save 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain.
- In a wide pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and the chili flakes if you are using them. Stir about 1 minute, until the garlic smells strong.
- Take the pan off the heat. Add the tuna and break it into chunks. You are warming it, not frying it hard.
- Add the pasta, the lemon zest and juice, and about 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Toss over low heat until it looks glossy. Add more pasta water if it seems dry.
- Taste. Canned tuna is salty, so you may only need pepper. Stir in the herbs if you have them.
Substitutions
- Tuna: a can of salmon, or leftover chicken torn into pieces.
- Lemon: mild vinegar, used by the teaspoon so it does not take over.
- Parsley: a small pinch of dried oregano, added with the garlic.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water. The lemon taste gets quieter the next day, so add a few fresh drops if you still have the lemon.