Spaghetti al tonno (tuna, tomato and caper pasta)
20 min · 36 g protein · 373 cals / serving
The Italian store-cupboard dinner: garlic, chili and a few anchovies melted into olive oil, crushed tomatoes simmered while lentil or chickpea spaghetti cooks, then plenty of canned tuna, capers, olives and a big bag of spinach folded through so the tuna stays in flakes. Lemon zest and parsley keep it bright.
Ingredients
- 6 1/2 oz dry red lentil or chickpea spaghetti red lentil pasta, cooked al dente (about 425 g cooked), a cup of water saved
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 fillets anchovies, oil-packed, drained, chopped
- 1 can (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus salt for the pasta water
- 4 cans (5 oz each), drained canned tuna
- 2 tbsp capers, rinsed
- 12 kalamata olives, halved
- 7 packed cups baby spinach
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Steps
- Boil a full kettle first and pour it into a large pot over high heat, so it is back at the boil in a minute or two. Salt it and cook the spaghetti 1 minute less than the packet says, until just al dente; most lentil and chickpea spaghetti takes 7–9 minutes, which keeps this inside 20 minutes. Scoop out a cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, warm the oil, garlic, chili flakes and anchovies in a large skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring until the anchovies melt and the garlic is pale gold. Add the tomatoes and salt and simmer 8 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Stir the spinach into the sauce until it wilts, then fold in the tuna, capers and olives and warm for 1 minute, keeping the tuna in large flakes.
- Toss the drained spaghetti through the sauce with a splash of the pasta water until glossy. Finish with parsley and lemon zest.
Good to know
With ordinary spaghetti?
Wheat spaghetti is the classic and works the same way; cook it to the packet's al dente time. It scores about 63 instead of 68.
Tuna in oil?
Many Italian cooks use oil-packed tuna for its silkier texture; drain it well and leave out the tablespoon of olive oil. It is a bit richer, at about 60 instead of 68.
Per
- Calories
- 95
- Protein
- (40%)
- 9 g
- Fat
- (21%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (38%)
- 10 g
- of which sugar
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 285 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1490 kcal goes into the pot and 1586 g of ingredients comes out as about 1575 g of food: 95 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.