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An easy and delicious 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!
I love a quick and easy pasta sauce, especially during the summer, and this one is perfect because it can be eaten hot or cold.
It’s made with fresh cherry tomatoes and garlic that are sautéed very quickly until just 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 delicious pasta salad!
Ingredient notes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It- Tuna – I recommend using good-quality canned or jarred tuna in olive oil. We used Rio Mare.
- Pasta – I 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 – I 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 just 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 just as delicious 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
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Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
Summer Tuna Pasta Sauce with Tomatoes, Capers and Anchovies
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and finely chop the garlic.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Add 400g/14oz pasta and cook until al dente.
- 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.
- 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.
- When the pasta is cooked al dente, transfer it to the pasta sauce and stir until it’s fully coated.
- Serve with an extra sprinkling of fresh parsley.
Notes
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
