Easy Lemon Tuna Spaghetti

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Quick and easy meals are a must in our house. I like things that require just a few dishes but still taste great and offer lots of flavor too. This lemon tuna pasta meal is so easy and uses just a few simple ingredients to create an easy dinner that is packed with flavor. 

This tuna pasta dish is extremely versatile and perfect for substitutions based on what you have in the pantry. From linguine to fettucine to spaghetti, any long strand pasta will do. You could also do a short cut pasta but the sauce definitely works a little better with the longer strands.

Another substitution to make this lemon pasta just a little bit healthier is to sub a vegetable noodle like zucchini noodles or hearts of palm noodles.

Tuna Pasta Recipe Ingredients

For the protein in this tuna pasta recipe, I use canned tuna that is packed in olive oil. If you want to go a little lighter, feel free to substitute tuna packed in water. Of course, salmon would make a fabulous weeknight pasta dish too!

Other key ingredients include:

• Pasta: I love spaghetti in this recipe but you choose your favorite shape.
• Olive Oil
• Garlic Cloves: Be sure to use fresh here because they are a key component in this tuna pasta meal.
• Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice will offer the brightest flavor.
• Capers: These salty, briny little bites are perfect with the other flavors in this tuna spaghetti.
• Fresh Parsley

More Great Pasta Recipes

If you love this recipe for Lemon Canned Tuna Pasta, be sure to check out these other amazing pasta recipes:

• Roasted Asparagus Carbonara
• 15 Minute Thai Peanut Pasta
• One Pot Bruschetta Pasta
• Sausage Parmesan Pasta with Broccoli
• Pasta and Peas

Lemon Tuna Spaghetti

Grab a few pantry essentials and turn them into a delicious dinner with this easy lemon tuna pasta recipe.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Shannah Coe

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
• 1 can tuna
• 1 Tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoons capers
• 2 Tablespoons parsley finely chopped

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Instructions

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water and then drain pasta.
  1 pound spaghetti
• Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
  2 tablespoons olive oil, 4 cloves garlic
• Add lemon zest, capers and tuna and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  1 Tablespoons lemon zest, 3 Tablespoons capers, 1 can tuna
• Add remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, cooked pasta, 2 Tbsp reserved pasta water, and lemon juice. Toss to combine. Add additional pasta water if necessary to form the "sauce."
  2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• Remove from heat and top with chopped parsley just before serving.
  2 Tablespoons parsley

Notes

• You can substitute vegetable noodles for the pasta. For zucchini noodles, add immediately after cooking the garlic.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 161mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

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