This is how you can turn tinned tuna into a proper dinner dish. When you need a tasty dinner ready in a flash, this 15-minute Garlic Chilli Tuna Pasta Recipe is the perfect solution. It’s really easy and cheap to make, and it’s gourmetly delicious. If you have a few tinned tuna stocked up at home, make sure to save this flavour-packed recipe to your repertoire!
Why You’d Love This Garlic Chilli Tuna Pasta Recipe
The fact that it only takes 15 minutes to whip up from start to finish should already be a good enough reason to love this recipe. It’s all pretty much pantry ingredients required, making it one of the easiest recipes to make at home, especially for quick weeknight dinners or lunch.
Additionally, I love the vibrancy of this pasta dish. Chillies & garlic already make such a robust flavour combo and I also add anchovies to give the dish an additional savoury umami and flavour depth. The cherry tomatoes then add sweetness and a light tang to cut through the dish’s savouriness.
Looking for more quick & easy pasta recipes? Check these out too:
How to make this Easy Garlic Chilli Tuna Pasta
Ingredients You Need
- Tinned Tuna – either brine or oil-packed is fine
- Pasta – any pasta shape of your choice but we especially like to use Linguine for this recipe
- Garlic, Chilli Flakes – the aromatics
- Anchovy Fillets – the flavour booster
- Chicken/Fish/Vegetable Broth – for deglazing the pan
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Fresh Coriander Leaves – or parsley leaves
Recipe Notes
- It’s completely your choice of what type of tinned tuna to use for this recipe. We personally prefer oil-packed tuna more but, cooking-wise, it makes no difference to use brine-packed tuna. In our opinion, oil-packed tuna tends to have a meatier bite. Hence the preference.
- Anchovies can splutter all over the pan quite easily. If you don’t want to make a mess in your kitchen, start with medium-low heat to prevent the pan from overheating for the anchovies. You can turn the heat up a bit after the aromatics are done.
- As per any pasta recipe, it’s crucial to reserve your pasta water. The pasta water lends flavour to the dish and also helps to bind everything together with the pasta.
Looking for more tuna recipes? Check these out too:
15-minute Easy Chilli Garlic Tuna Pasta
This is how you can turn tinned tuna into a proper dinner dish. With anchovies for extra umami, this easy garlic chilli tuna pasta is a total win!
- 250 g Pasta of your choice (we like to use Linguine)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Anchovy Fillets
- 3 cloves Garlic sliced
- 1 tsp Chilli Flakes (add more if you like it spicy!)
- 200 g Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 1 tin Tuna
- ½ cup Fish Broth or Chicken / Vegetable Broth
- Fresh Coriander Leaves
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt and cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve about ½-1 cup of pasta water.
250 g Pasta of your choice
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat.
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Add anchovy fillets into the pan. Stir to break up the anchovy fillets and cook for a minute until sizzling & fragrant.
2 Anchovy Fillets
Stir in chopped garlic and chilli flakes. Cook for another minute till fragrant.
3 cloves Garlic, 1 tsp Chilli Flakes
Turn the heat up to medium and add in the cherry tomatoes. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes start to burst.
200 g Cherry Tomatoes
Stir in tuna, then deglaze the pan with the fish broth. Let simmer till slightly reduced.
1 tin Tuna, ½ cup Fish Broth
Add cooked pasta into the pan together with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss to combine and let cook until the liquid is reduced.
Toss in fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately.
Fresh Coriander Leaves
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- It’s completely your choice of what type of tinned tuna to use for this recipe. We personally prefer oil-packed tuna more for its slightly meatier texture but, cooking-wise, it makes no difference to use brine-packed tuna.
- Do not overheat the pan as anchovies splutter easily. Start with medium-low heat and then turn the heat up a bit after the aromatics are cooked.
- As per any pasta recipe, reserving your pasta water helps to lend flavour to the dish and also binds everything together with the pasta.
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