STEPS 5, INGREDIENTS 7, TIME 35 MINS
Tuna pasta recipes are, by definition, super healthy, and this mouth-watering meal is certainly no different. 
The pasta provides slow energy-releasing carbs, the tuna is packed with protein and brain-friendly Omega 3 oils, and the tomato in this tuna pasta recipe’s sauce helps avoid cancer – because tomato includes loads of lycopene.
So if you’re a gym-loving exercise bunny, try this dish after you work out – it should do the trick nicely.
You’re only looking at half hour to make this fresh feast, because as Marisa puts it – it’s ready “veloce veloce” (quick quick).
And of course, because it’s included here, you know this summery dish is unchallenging to make; you just mix some ingredients, make the sauce, boil the pasta, mix it all together, and plop a sprig of parsley on top.
Serves 2
Ingredients: (For a printable PDF shopping list click here, or right-click this link and choose ‘Save target/link as’ to save the list for later.)
180g/6.3oz tin of tuna (in brine or oil)
400g/14oz can of plum or chopped tomatoes
15g/0.5oz (20 stalks) of fresh parsley (or coriander if you prefer)
200g/7oz short pasta (fusilli/orechiette etc.)
2 cloves of garlic (or 1 if you’re less keen)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Optional: Tomato paste/purée (recommended)
Optional: Dried chili peppers/flakes or black pepper
Equipment
Frying pan (ideally deep with lid)
Large pan/skillet (for boiling pasta)
Colander/sieve
Mixing bowl
Optional: Garlic crusher
Timings
Preparation: 5 mins
Cooking: 30 mins
Overall: 35 mins
STEP 1 – First, we prepare:
– Peel garlic cloves and chop off ends.
Very finely chop one clove (or pass through garlic crusher), then drop in a mixing bowl.
Quarter second clove for later.
– Wash parsley and remove leaves. Chop these roughly and throw half of them in the mixing bowl.
– Drain tuna and add to mixing bowl with chopped garlic.
– Use fork to break tuna into small pieces, then thoroughly mix.
– Boil a kettle or two of water (2 – 2.5 litres), pour in a large pasta pan on a medium heat with two handfuls of salt. Keep hot for later.
STEP 2 – Cover half base of a frying pan in oil and put on medium heat hob. When hot, add quartered garlic clove and second batch of parsley.
Fry until garlic turns golden (roughly 4-5 mins). When golden, throw garlic chunks away if you don’t like crunching these.
STEP 3 – Add tin of tomatoes (and juice) to the frying pan, plus 2 teaspoons of salt and squirt of optional tomato paste (for stronger tomato flavour).
Cover if possible and fry for 4-5 minutes. If using plum tomatoes, they will now have softened, so break apart with a fork.
Uncover pan and cook sauce for another 10-15 mins, stirring regularly, until most of liquid has evaporated.
Tip: Taste sauce after 10 mins. Taste sour? If so, sprinkle in small pinch of sugar (this removes the remaining acidity).
When sauce is done, keep warm on a minimum heat hob.
(Don’t worry, because this tuna pasta recipe is so quick and easy it won’t be sat there long.)
STEP 4 – When your pan of pasta water is boiling, throw in pasta and cook as per packet’s instructions (usually 10 mins).
(Note: In the example here, I used fusilloni – a larger version of fusilli that’s great for catching chunky sauces like the one here.)
STEP 5 – When pasta is ready, drain.
– Spoon pasta into tuna-filled mixing bowl, pour sauce on top and gently stir through.
– Add a pinch or two of black pepper or dried chili flakes – as you like (not essential).
Done!
To serve: Serve with a ‘sprig’ (small piece) of parsley on top.
On the wine front, choose a clean white bottle such as Pinot Nero.
Buon appetito!
Related Tuna Pasta Recipe Facts:
– Tomato sauces for fish pasta generally use garlic but not onion (and vice versa for meat sauces).
– Parsley is a good ingredient for such dishes because this herb counteracts the odor of the garlic (meaning the next person you talk to after eating it won’t get a strong waft of garlic when you talk!).