Pasta With Tuna Sauce

Ok...so you already know I rated it four stars. But read on to how I got there. I am surprised and impressed with this dish. It is so simple that I thought, "How could this possible be good?!" But if the tough chefs at AllRecipes.com let it be posted that it must have merit; and it does! I prepared it mostly as directly with two exceptions. I used roasted red peppers sliced instead of red pepper and I used diced tomatoes instead of crushed. These were personal preferences and really not enough to change the essence of the dish. If you're looking for quick and surprisingly tasty and filling dish for your family, then click "Print Recipe" on this tasty tuna dish and get busy cooking.

I tried this out of curiosity - did not have capers and added 2 T. minced garlic in oil and the basil, oregano, and garlic diced can tomatoes, with asiago, romano, and parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. I would make this again. There are just some days when you need it this quick and easy.

This was surprisingly good, but I did make some changes. I cut the amount of sauce in half, and the amount of pasta by more, since those were huge portions! I deglazed the pan with a bit of red wine, and seasoned with italian seasoning (no capers). Hubby really liked it and said he couldn't taste the tuna, but that's OK with me. This was a very easy and economical meal which I will definately make again. Thanks!

For more flavor, use oil-packed tuna and add a little lemon zest along with the juice. I also throw in lots of kalamata olives.

This was a great time saver, I got home and was in a hurry, so I took some pasta and canned tuna out of my pantry and VOILA!!! I omitted the parsley (my husband doesn´t like it), used garlic olive oil, substituted the crushed tomatoes for tomato and herb concentrated sauce and the result was the best tuna spaghetty sauce EVER. I really enjoyed it and it smelled sooooo good while simmering. GREAT recipe, thanks for sharing! Moshi

nice and simple! I rinsed the tuna to take out some of the salty flavor.

I had my doubts about trying this, but we are trying to eat healthier, so I am expanding my horizons. This was pretty good. I followed the recipe except for the capers and even my picky husband ate it, but my five year old wouldn't. I will make it again.

My mom used to make this all the time when we were kids and I had totally forgotten about this dish until I saw it on the site. I was so happy to find it because it is really good. I used regular jarred sauce and then just added the other ingredients. Thanks so much Amanda!

Simple and easy to make. It is quite tasy, and very healthy. I have never used capers, since I never have any on hand.

Excellent combination of flavors. I used less pasta and more capers and lemons based on the other reviews. I also used whole wheat penne pasta. I really enjoyed it and will definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe!

this was great, instant favourite, whole family loved it

Easy, healthy and quick for busy family. Followed another posters suggestion of adding broccoli for extra veggie serving... worked well. I used whole wheat Penne pasta and diced tomatoes. Followed recipe nearly exact with a little seasoning (fresh basil and ground pepper) to taste.

There wasn't enough sauce to coat the pasta, so I had to double it. It was really bland, so I added a ton of salt and pepper and even that didn't help. Freshly grated parmesan cheese finally helped, but this is not something I will make again.

This was surprisingly....good! A cheap meal that I will likely make again. I did use Italian seasoning in place of just parsley...due to what I had on hand and I would also highly recommend using LESS THAN HALF of the pasta called for. I did as a mistake, and still ended up having a fairly dry dish as a result. Thanks for the recipe.

We LOVED this healthy recipe!! Followed exactly! Very tasty!

We used to eat this on Fridays during Lent. Only change I made was to use Italian style canned tuna packed in olive oil. Saute the tuna with the garlic and onion, add your tomato sauce and seasonings and simmer for about 20 mins. Serve over angel hair pasta.

Easy and delicious for a Friday meal. Used chopped olives instead of capers and was still great!

simple and delicious

My husband said it was not very good and gave it 1 out of 5 stars. I followed the exact recipe.

Delicious & healthy... it didn't taste 'fishy' at all and the acidity of the tomato actually made the tuna taste like chicken! I added canned mushrooms and a pkg of cooked frozen broccoli so I could get a serving of veggies when eating this for dinner. Once I added all that, I needed more 'sauce', so I also poured in a jar of marinara sauce (and tripled the capers, 'cause I love them!) It was really tasty on whole wheat penne sprinkled w/ a little fresh basil and feta cheese!

The sauce was way too thick. I had to use a 28 oz can of tomatoes to get the sauce to a mixable consistency. I think one can of tuna would be sufficient. I will not be making this again. Good idea, though.

My family and I found this pasta alittle bland and dry as written. I may try this again but I will add a can of tomato sauce and add more seasoning.

I eat lots of unusual things and there is little that I don't like but I was hesitant about tuna in tomoatoe sauce. Upon making this we really didn't like it for just that reason. Except I made a ton so I saved it for leftovers and a couple days later I thought it tasted 10x better. Still not sure I would make it again.

I thought this was very bland. Perhaps with some tweaking it could be more suited to my taste, but I probably won't make it again.

I probably tripled most of the spices, added a roasted yellow pepper, fresh basil, salt & pepper. I, also, used fresh tomatoes instead of canned, but I used more than one can's worth of tomatoes. I par cooked a package of whole wheat spaghetti, and then added it, along with approx. 2 cups of the starchy pasta water, to the sauce. I cooked until the pasta absorbed most of the sauce. Before I added more spices, this was very bland and tasted mostly like canned tuna. After, it was ok for a quick & cheap meal, but not great.

I was really scared to try this recipe b/c the ingredients don't seem like it'd be good together, but my friend convinced me that it was really good, so I gave it a try...and I liked it!! It was really good! I used 1/4 of an onion b/c I don't like a lot of onion, but other than that, I kept everything the same.

Delicious and easy. I was a little skeptical about putting in a whole onion, but it worked. Cooking it down till it's tender makes it nice and sweet. Also if you use solid albacore tuna and let it sit in the sauce for a little while the meat soaks up the juices and caused the fish to actually have a nice fishy texture.

I love pairing fish with pasta. This was easy and tasty. A little 'hot' though, so I toned down the heat with a Tbsp. of sugar. Didn't have any capers. I added some oyster sauce. I used chow mien noodles. I'll definitely be making this again.

This was surprisingly tasty. I followed the recipe except I used dried parsley and oregano. Then I topped with mozzerella and parmesan cheeses. I used mostaccioli for the noodles. Next time I will add a little bit of cream to the sauce and use fresh herbs. Very nice dish.

try adding fresh cilantro and 1/2 of a fresh chili if you want it a little more spicy and the cilantro i just thew it in there whole no chopping simple and added flavor.great recipe

Not bad, but it definitely needs more spices for me :) Still, as for the number of ingredients used it's good.

I would have given this three stars, but it is an inventive use of tuna and was half decent. Also I did not have capers real garlic or parsley so I take that into account. I used ziti and it turned out good it really only took like 30 minutes so it would be an easy weeknight meal. I think that next time I will try it as a cassarole with the ziti and topped with moz, parm, or other type of cheese.

It was "ok" at best. I used a can of diced tomatoes and added some Italian Seasoning and Parmesan cheese at the end. I used fettucini. I probably won't make it again unless I'm craving tuna for some reason. I felt like the amount of sauce wasn't enough for the pound of pasta that was required.

This is such a great last minute meal. Both my husband and I really enjoy it, especially on those days right before you go grocery shopping and have nothing left in the pantry!

This was very good - scaled down the recipe for just little ol' me and it cooked in the time my pasta did - 15 mins total cooking & prep time IMO. Was not bland but did season it with pepper (no salt as tuna was in brine) and added a bit of gravy granules to thicken it up. No capers so chopped some gerkhins. Would add lemon right at end next time as quite tangy. Would make again if Mr B is out.

3 reasons I like this recipe: quick, healthy and economical. This is a great recipe to use when you are watching your grocery budget! I only made a couple of changes: I used Italian seasoned diced tomatoes and I did not use capers. It turned out great and not too dry at all. I would recommend only lightly draining the tuna, leaving some of the liquid for the sauce. I served it over whole wheat spaghetti. Next time I will follow another reviewer's idea and use albacore tuna. Great alternative to tuna casserole!

This was really simple and tasty! I would make it for company. I used fresh tomatoes because I had some that needed using, but otherwise followed the recipe. I have also made it using a can of rotel for the tomatoes. That kicks it up. A keeper.

i made this because i had a bunch of canned tuna sitting around. definitely needed more lemon so added some lemon zest. the lemon is absolutely crucial, do not make this if you don't have lemon. sauce wasn't great, but it wasn't bad at all. if you are poor, and want a really meaty ragu, this is your ticket. too bad it's just not yummy enough to eat all the time.

This was actually very good. I didn't have capers though. I served it to my children and the children at my day home and they all loved it...as did I.

I like tuna as well as everything else in this dish. Just was not good....my son agreed.

I'm giving this recipe 4 stars, although I didn't really make the exact recipe. I had to use what was on hand tonight. I didn't have any capers and was all out of lemon juice. I started with the garlic (3 cloves crushed) & onion (1 medium sliced.) Simmered them in olive oil, then added some seasonings. I added some Mrs. Dash, some black pepper and some Italian salad dressing. Next I added the can of diced tomatoes (in sauce) and let simmer. I added 1-12 oz can of tuna & continued to simmer. Finally I added some jarred pasta sauce since I only had a small can of tomatoes. I finished with some chopped parsley. Served over bowtie pasta and sprinkled with mozz & parmesan cheese. It was a huge hit with my family & soooo easy! Loved it!

This was delicious. My boyfriend isn't big on tuna, but he really liked this.

This is not your mom’s tuna casserole, We loved this recipe, it was easy and quite tasty. We did not have capers so I chopped kalamata olives and they added a nice taste. I will definitely will make again.

This is a funny recipe. It's good while you're eating it but I don't think I would ever crave it (I'm not sure if that makes sense or not). More importantly my finace liked it. I know if he likes something cause he eats it at warp speed. For the ease in making this and for the fact that most / all ingredients are staples in my pantry I give this one five stars! PS - I added olives to my recipe for a bit more Mediteranean flavour ....mmmm

I love this! I couldn't find capers, though, sadly. It was perfect with whole wheat pasta after a long day of school and work. Oh, and I added a handful of fresh spinach. Yums!

I like every ingredient in this recipe, but I am not a fan of how it turned out. Very dry with a questionable flavor, like no thought was put into how the flavors would react with one another. I added most of another 28 oz. can of tomatoes to try to help the dryness of the sauce, but it just could not be salvaged. I will not make this again.

I am giving this four stars mainly because personally I am not a huge fan of tuna. But it was actually very good with a refreshing kick. I added more lemon juice and more fresh parsley, and unfortunately discovered too late that I was out of capers, although they would have made a good addition. It was still pretty yummy though.

My husband really like this. I didn't have red pepper flakes so I just added fresh ground black pepper. Wasn't saucy enough though. Next time I'll add two tins of tomatoes.

this was so easy to make and so delicious. I added a little more lemon juice and some black pepper. even my picky kids ate this :)

Simple and tasty! Good for a day when I don't have time to defrost something.

This was good for a quick, filling meal. I used diced tomatoes instead of crushed, and don't use capers. I will make this again when I am in a pinch for something cheap and fast for dinner!

I tried this for two reasons. 1) Because I had all the ingredients (except capers) on hand. 2) So many reviewers said they were surprised that this tasted so good. Honestly, the combo of ingredients just doesn't sound appealing, but this stuff is great! My whole family loved it except for my mega-finicky 7-yr-old. My only changes for the next time I make it will be to reduce the amount of pasta, double the tuna sauce (or maybe 1 1/2) and try fresh tomatoes because there was too much "canny" taste. Still, it was delish and there was just a smidge of leftovers.

I was suprised at how good this was! I only needed to use one can of tune - that was plenty. Even my one year old loved it.

Super easy, tastes great!

My husband gets really tired of tuna and fish. He wanted something different. I tried this on him, my oldest daughter and 6-yea-old grandson and they all raved about it. Mike, my husband, says it is a delightful change from the normal tuna salad or casserole.

Not impressed, very bland to me. It was easy to make though. I probably won't make it again.

A wonderful tasting dish that is very easy to make. I added black olives and used tomatoes that I had canned from our garden over the summer. The whole family loves it.

So easy and yummy! Don't let the simple recipe fool you. The flavor comes from the capers and crushed red peppers. I doubled the amount of both for an extra kick. I've also added sautéed veggies to this dish for some variation, but I cook the veggies separately and add together at the end (same time as tuna) to fold it all in as one. Superb! Love it so much that we have incorporated this into our Top 10 rotation that means we have it for dinner every two weeks (we eat leftovers, healthy take out or dine out on weekends).

Easy and yummy! This is a great recipe for college kids, it's economical and fast

This was very good. I was not sure that I would like it but it was very tasty and easy to make. I will definitly make it again.

Not too shabby! I was pleasantly surprised! I used 2 cans of italian-seasoned diced tomatoes, added plenty of black pepper, and omitted the onions. Topped with parmesan cheese before serving. Yummy :)

This is a great week-night meal (on the table in less than 30 minutes). We used a 28oz. can of good quality marinara sauce (Trader Joe’s), added a full Tablespoon of Italian seasoning & black pepper. We also used about ½ the pasta called for in the recipe which was more than enough. Healthy, good & easy. What more needs to be said?

I grew up eating a variation of this stuff and occasionally make it when I'm in a hurry. I never thought I'd see a recipe for it on the internet! I love this - it's comfort food. Sounds very, very weird but it's great. I use petite diced tomatoes, fresh basil/parsley and, depending on my mood, rosemary. I did put in the capers but wasn't impressed with them. I think some Kalamanta olives would be awesome. Thanks for a trip down memory lane!

Changes I made because of what I had on hand; only used 1/2 an onion, 3 medium fresh tomatoes, and did not add parsley. Flavor was great, and I think this is a versatile recipe. Will try it with mushrooms or peas next time. My family enjoyed it, as it didn't have a fishy flavor to it.

I liked this recipe- it was good- wasn't amazing, but nice and quick for a night when you don't have much time but don't want to eat out. I didn't have fresh parsely so I added dried and it was still good. I also wanted more of a creamy sauce so i whipped up a little bechamel sauce in another pot and poured it on- it was a nice addition.

I made this in the crock pot instead of on the stove. And, because other reviewers said that it came out to dry, I added a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes and used a 13 oz. package of angel hair instead of 16 oz. It came out perfectly--not too dry, not too soupy! It does have a very tomato-y taste, so beware if that's not your thing. Parmesan tastes good with this.

I had all the ingredients because I have guests from Italy and we all ADORED it!

It was decent, but not very bold. Next time I might add more pepper flakes, capers, or even add some olives.

I was really surprised at how good this was - I was expecting a fishy taste, but it was not. I HIGHLY recommend using albacore tuna rather than the regular mushy tuna. Much better taste and texture. The capers are fabulous! If you don't have them on hand, wait to make the recipe when you do. I sprinkled fresh grated parmesan on top for a perfect finish. Also, you can make this just from what you keep in your pantry. I made a special category called "Pantry" for recipes like these for when I'm low on fresh groceries.

Thank you for this recipe! I loved it! Very fresh taste and a nice change from the usual heavy pasta dish. I made these changes: used 3 cloves minced garlic, diced tomatoes instead of crushed, added 1 tsp fresh lemon zest and 1 Tbsp fresh sliced basil w/ the parsley to the sauce, salt & pepper to taste, and then added 1/2 cup reserved pasta water and 1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley when tossing. I like to use linguine (but spaghetti works great in a pinch too!) and top w/ grated fresh parmesan cheese before serving. It is yummy! Will definitely make again!

Delicious! I used 4 cups of pasta, skipped the capers, used parsley flakes and doubled it up. Added a dash of salt and 2 tablespoons of butter. Even my picky toddler was asking for more. Thanks.

delicioso! i didnt have capers (what are they?) so i left them out. didnt have the canned tomatoes so i cut two romas and added tomato sauce and water, i also didnt have parsley or cheese? forget if that was in the recipe, but anyway it was soooooo good! i added salt although it didnt call for it and it too salty. go figure no salt next time

Basically, I just used the recipe as a starting point. I ended up omitting the capers and the lemon juice and adding in fresh chopped celery and red pepper. I also used the "spice rack" equivalents of parsley, onions and garlic. Plus added dill and chives (for a milder onion taste). All in all though, it was a very enjoyable lunch for me!

Very nice recipe as is. One thing you can do is add a cup or so of frozen peas to the sauce, and toss it all together with the pasta. It looks great, you get a bit of extra flavor with the peas, and you get the extra nutrition benefits.

This was a little bland to begin with, so I doubled the lemon juice and added another squirt right before serving. I also had to double the capers, and added black pepper. The sauce was a bit thick for my preference. But, it was easy and quick. I will try again with tuna in olive oil, and double/triple the lemon and capers.

Disappointing. If I ever make this again, I'll add peas or broccoli, more capers, and fresh parsley on top when served. I used canned minced garlic; it definitely needs fresh garlic. I'll probably find some other use for tuna and pasta though.

Changes I made because of what I had on hand; only used 1/2 an onion, 3 medium fresh tomatoes, and did not add parsley. Flavor was great, and I think this is a versatile recipe. Will try it with mushrooms or peas next time. My family enjoyed it, as it didn't have a fishy flavor to it.

Made it for 3 servings. Used only 1 can tuna, but, for all other ingredients , used same amounts. For ONCE, I followed the recipe except for substituting crushed tomatoes with petite diced tomatoes. It was so easy, fast and so tasty!

This came out so good! We used Roma's from our garden, instead of canned, and chopped them up in the food processor. No capers or lemon juice and used about 3 cloves of garlic. Used 1T of dried parsley and 1t each of oregano and basil. Cooked it down with the tuna to evaporate most of the water and we had a delicious dinner.

I WAS NOT VERY IMPRESSED WITH THIS RECIPE...IT WAS KIND OF BLAND IN MY OPINION...THO THE TASTE WAS OKAY I DOUBT I WILL EVER MAKE THIS AGAIN.

I used angel hair for my dry pasta. I've had only a big can of crushed tomatoes and not a small can. I'm not a big fan of onions and garlic, and would make it with less next time. Overall, it was pretty delicious for one serving.

My husband loved this dish, and so did I. It was delicious and easy to make. I didn't have the fresh parsley so I omitted that, but besides that I followed the recipe exactly. Will definitely make this again.

This was a wonderful quick meal. My family likes things a little spicy so instead of two cans of tuna, I added two packages of Bumble Bee Spicy Thai Chili tuna, a little basil and a little extra red pepper.

This was really bad. The ingredients do not go well together. Sorry.

This turned out decent. I don't know if I can really rate this properly though. I thought I had all ingredients on hand but realized at the last minute I didn't. So I read another review where they just used jarred sauce. So that's what I did. I added more garlic to the sauce and still used 2 cans tuna. The tuna flavor wasn't overpowering but it wasn't really special either. I will try this agian with the recipe as stated and update then!! Thanks....

As a busy mom was a great solution for a quick meal.

I followed the recipe to a degree.... had no capers, so used oregano, basil and white pepper. Halved the pasta amount and tuna as only cooking for 2. very enjoyable and very easy.

This was a really great recipe for a quick lunch. I didn't have any capers, but it was still really good. This is definitely a keeper for the lunch menu.

Ky kids really liked this recipe. I did tweak it a little and used fire roasted diced tomatoes and did extra sauce with tomato paste, otherwise it would be too dry. I liked how simple it was and the tasty result.

The ingredients just didn't go well together. I won't make it again.

Pretty yummy, cheap, and easy to make. Not spectacular but I'll probably make it again. The only change I did to the recipe was add 1/2 a bunch of parsley instead of the one tablespoon.

This was really good . I was so excited that I had all the ingredients. Due to what a few reviewers said about it being bland, I added tabasco sauce and shredded cheddar cheese, I do live in Wisconsin after all. Cheese and bacon make everything better, just sayin!!

YUM-O!!! I loved this! I don't like the taste of fish too much so I loved that even though you use 2 cans of tuna it does not come out fishy. I used a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes and added spicy red pepper paste to make it have that extra special something. I added an extra spoonfull of capers and when the dish was done added the sauce and topped it with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Everyone thought it was great! It is an excellent and quick dish that tastes yummy. Thank you!

Except for diced tomatoes instead of crushed, I made this exactly as written. Paired with a salad, it's a quick, delicious meal and we loved it. Thanks for sharing!

So with what the ingredients are, is ok, but something was missing, kinda dry, so what goes with tuna? Mayonnaise, I added 2 tablespoons, or to liking. It gave a creamer taste, and it was good. Give it a try. Cheers !

Easy to make and delicious

This was very good! I don't tend to keep much canned stuff, so I used fresh roma tomatoes, and I used pouched tuna, which I believe has a slightly stronger flavor. My family really liked it! Also good old for a small lunch the next day.

This is pretty good, especially for a really quick dinner. I added some parmesan cheese to the sauce because after tasting it as is, I felt it needed something a little extra.

This one's a classic. We recently had an Italian exchange student who offered to make us an authentic dish while she stayed with us––and this was what she came up with. Look at RPIPPY's take on this. The comments were right on for best tasting results. Oh, looking at the photo of this, I see it garnished with grated cheese. In Italy, cheese is not used with seafood sauces. They use dried breadcrumbs instead. Try it. It's good.