Easy Garlic Lemon Tuna Pasta

This garlic lemon tuna pasta only takes 15 minutes to make but it’s a super flavorful dish everyone will love. It’s just the perfect budget recipe with canned tuna that doesn’t sacrifice taste!

I’ve been trying to nail the perfect canned tuna pasta recipe for ages, and I’ve finally done it.

This garlic lemon tuna pasta checks all my boxes — easy to make with a handful of ingredients, budget-friendly and delicious.

Making pasta with canned tuna is a bit challenging because you may end up with a bland dish. But this lemony tuna pasta is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.

It has plenty of flavor from the lemon and garlic, and it’s light enough for a quick summer lunch or even dinner.

There’s no heavy sauce involved, and the dish is almost like a tuna pasta salad.

Why you’ll love this garlic lemon tuna pasta

• It’s ready in just 15 minutes — you can prepare the ingredients and make the tuna sauce while the pasta is cooking.
• You can easily make it your own by adding olives, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes or anything else you want.
• It’s budget-friendly. Since it’s made with canned tuna and other staple ingredients, this lemon garlic tuna pasta is quite inexpensive.

What goes into this tuna pasta recipe?

Pasta — I used penne to make this tuna lemon pasta but any other kind of short or long pasta would do. Spaghetti and linguine are two other favorites of mine for this recipe.

Olive oil — You need two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to saute the veggies in. Don’t be tempted to reduce the amount of oil in this recipe.

Garlic — Freshly chopped garlic is best in this lemony tuna pasta.

Red chili flakes — Only add these if you want your pasta to have a bit of a kick.

Lemon — You’ll need the zest and juice of one medium lemon. An unwaxed lemon is always best for recipes that call for lemon zest.

Tuna — Chunky tuna is best for this recipe. You can use tuna in spring water or tuna in olive oil. Whichever you choose, make sure you drain it well before adding it to the pan.

Capers — Feel free to add more capers if you like them. You don’t have to rinse them but drain them well before adding them to the pan.

Arugula (rocket salad) — This is optional, but a handful of arugula is just perfect for extra brightness and flavor.

How to make pasta with tuna and lemon

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan and saute the onion for 2-3 minutes until softened.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then stir in the red chili flakes, lemon zest and juice. Simmer for 1 minute.

Add the tuna, capers and cooked pasta. Add a bit of pasta water if needed, then stir in the parsley and arugula.

Season to taste and serve immediately, with extra arugula and fresh parsley on top if you like.

Recipe notes and tips

• You can add some canned chickpeas or beans to this tuna pasta recipe for extra protein and texture.
• Sprinkle some toasted Panko breadcrumbs on individual bowls before serving for a bit of crunchiness.
• Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.

If you liked this easy garlic lemon tuna pasta, you might also like some of my other easy pasta recipes:

• Pink Sauce Pasta
• Pistachio Pasta Sauce
• Easy Kielbasa Pasta
• Pasta alla Norcina
• Pasta alla Papalina (Creamy Ham and Peas Pasta)

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