Summer Tuna Pasta Sauce

An easy and good summer tuna pasta made with tomatoes, capers, anchovies, basil and parsley. It's fresh and full of flavour, plus it's ready in 20 minutes or less. Enjoy this pasta hot or cold for dinner or as a pasta salad!

We love a quick and easy pasta sauce, especially during the summer, and this one is solid because it can be eaten hot or cold.

It's made with fresh cherry tomatoes and garlic that are sautéed quickly until soft, then it's blitzed into a yummy sauce with tuna, capers and fresh herbs.

See the recipe below plus our top tips on ingredients and how to transform this into a good pasta salad!

Ingredient notes

• Tuna – We recommend using good-quality canned or jarred tuna in olive oil. We used Rio Mare.
• Pasta – We recommend using a short pasta shape especially if you plan on serving this cold or at room temperature as a pasta salad. We used Gemelli which is similar to fusilli but other short shapes will work well such as rigatoni.
• Anchovies – if you're not a fan of anchovies you can leave them out.
• Herbs – We highly recommend using fresh herbs especially since they are blended into the sauce. Dried herbs are not a good substitution for this recipe.

Visual walk-through of the recipe

See our step-by-step photos below to give you a visual representation of the recipe. The full written recipe can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1 – Saute the tomatoes and garlic in a little olive oil until the tomatoes are starting to soften but still holding their shape (photo 1 and 2).

Step 2 – Add the cooked tomatoes, anchovies, capers, basil and parsley to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth (photos 4 and 5).

Step 3 – Add the sauce back to the pan, when the pasta is done, add it to the sauce with a splash of pasta water to emulsify the sauce. Toss until combined then serve (photos 5 and 6).

Recipe tips

Adjust the consistency – if your sauce feels too thick you can emulsify it with a little pasta water.

Prep in advance – can can prepare the sauce and keep it stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.

Serve it hot, cold or at room temp – this pasta is as good served cold. Prep the pasta in advance and let it cool then store it in the fridge.

To make a pasta salad – You can add extras such as sun-dried tomatoes, arugula/rocket, mozzarella bocconcini, grilled peppers or other veggies to turn it into a pasta salad.

More Italian recipes with tuna

Salads

Chickpea Tuna Salad

Antipasti

Italian Tuna Stuffed Cherry Peppers

Salads

Cannellini Bean Salad with Tuna and Tropea Onions

Mains

Vitello Tonnato (Veal with Tuna Sauce)

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 400 g (14oz) short pasta ((we used Gemelli))
• 400 g (14oz) cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
• 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 can tuna in olive oil ((160g/5.5 oz))
• 2 anchovies
• 1 tablespoon capers in brine
• Small handful fresh parsley
• Small handful fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt

Method

1. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and finely chop the garlic.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Add 400g/14oz pasta and cook until al dente.

3. Meanwhile, heat a large pan on a medium heat and add around 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add 400g/14oz of cherry tomatoes when the juices start to release, add 1 finely chopped garlic clove and a pinch of salt. Saute the tomatoes and garlic until the tomatoes soften but haven't broken down (about 5 minutes), then turn off the heat.

4. Add the cooked tomatoes 160g/5.5oz tuna, 2 anchovies, 1 tablespoon capers and a small handful of both fresh basil and parsley to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the sauce back to the pan, taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.

5. When the pasta is cooked al dente, transfer it to the pasta sauce and stir until it's fully coated.

6. Serve with an extra sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Kitchen notes

Storage leftovers will keep well for up to 3 days stored in the fridge. You can enjoy this pasta hot, cold or at room temperature.