20-minute Tuna Pasta (Easy & Lemony!)
on Jan 28, 2021, Updated Aug 06, 2026
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To make this quick and delicious lemony tuna pasta, simply grab a can of tuna, a can of tomatoes and a package of pasta from your pantry. Toss them together with a few other simple Mediterranean flavors.
Within 20 minutes you’ll have a tasty and on-the-lighter-side dinner on the table that everyone will love!
A simple but elegant pantry dinner
Forget the tuna pasta from your student days! I’ve added a delicious lemony, Mediterranean twist to this simple dinner idea made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and fridge.
I feel like this version is quite elegant and interesting with the cherry tomatoes (although regular canned tomatoes are fine), touch of cinnamon, lemon, and basil, and yet essentially this is a pantry dinner – perfect for those days when there isn’t much left in the fridge.
The best (arguably!) thing about this is that it can be on the table in around 20 minutes, so it’s perfect for those evenings when it’s already 5 o’clock and you still have no idea what’s for dinner.
📌Recipe snapshot
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Cook: 15 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Key ingredients: pasta, onion, garlic, ground cinnamon, mixed Italian herbs, chili flakes (optional), tuna, lemon, parmesan cheese, fresh basil, feta cheese (optional)
- Why you’ll love this: 20-minute pantry dinner, budget friendly, made with canned tuna, interesting Mediterranean flavors, a crowd pleaser
5* Review
“Wow! This is so packed full of flavour. It’s the best tuna pasta I’ve ever tasted and I didn’t even have the Parmesan, feta or fresh herbs on hand.. can’t wait to try when I have all the ingredients! It was already unreal!” (Clara)
About the ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.
- Pasta: I like to use tagliatelle, spaghetti or similar for this recipe, but you can use any pasta you happen to have in your pantry.
- A can of tuna: You’ll actually only need a small can of tuna. A little goes a long way in the tasty sauce! I prefer tuna in water, but tuna in olive oil or brine (drained of course) works fine, too.
- A can of tomatoes: I think cherry tomatoes really adds elegance to this simple pasta, but regular chopped or crushed tomatoes is fine, too.
- A lemon: You could say this is one of the ‘secret’ ingredients in this. You’ll use both the zest and juice of the lemon for a nice hit of lemon flavor. It will brighten the whole dish and balance the richness of the tuna and cheese.
- An onion: Yellow or brown onions have the best flavor, but a milder, sweeter red onion would be fine, too (just use what you have!).
- Garlic: Crushed
- Fresh basil: This goes extremely well with the tuna, but fresh parsley would work well, too, if basil isn’t available. Alternatively, you could add a teaspoon of dried basil.
- Ground cinnamon: You might be surprised by this, but it adds subtle but interesting warmth that contrasts so well with everything else. Try it and see!
- Mixed Italian herbs: If you don’t have these in your pantry, just replace with a mixture of what you do have – basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, or anything else.
- Chili flakes: If you don’t have these, try a pinch of cayenne pepper instead. Or just leave it out.
- Parmesan cheese: If you can, grate it fresh for the best flavor.
- Feta cheese: I like to scatter some of this over each dish of tuna pasta at the end. If you don’t have it, don’t worry. Just sprinkle with more parmesan instead!
How to make 20-minute tuna pasta
Firstly, put the water on to boil for the pasta, and by the time it’s cooked the tuna tomato sauce can be ready too.
Here are the basic steps:
Step 1: Cook pasta. While it’s cooking, make the sauce.
Step 2: To make the sauce, soften onion and garlic. Add dried herbs and spices.
Step 3: Add tomatoes and let simmer with a bit of water for a few minutes.
Step 4: Stir through tuna, lemon (both zest and juice!), cheeses and any fresh herbs. Add optional spice!
Step 5: Transfer pasta straight from the water into the pan. Serve and enjoy!
Helen’s Top Tips
- The key to getting a thick, glossy sauce (instead of a watery one) is to use small kitchen tongs to transfer the spaghetti straight out of the cooking water and into the pan that you’ve cooked the sauce in.
- As a follow on from the above, once you’ve added the pasta add a bit more cooking water to get the consistency just right.
- Serve the pasta immediately while the sauce is still glossy. Sprinkle with a little extra parmesan and fresh basil if you like. It’s delicious served with a fresh green salad and olive oil toasts on the side. Or just serve it as it is.
- When eating up some of my son’s leftovers, I discovered that this tuna pasta also tastes pretty good cold. Leftovers would make a great school or work lunch!
Recipe FAQs
Tuna pasta ia best served immediately after cooking, when the sauce is silky and glossy. However, leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and are delicious reheated or even enjoyed cold as a pasta salad-style lunch.
It might sound unusual, but don’t skip it! You only need a small amount, and it doesn’t make the pasta taste sweet. Instead, it adds a subtle warmth that complements the tomatoes, tuna and lemon and gives the sauce a lovely Mediterranean-inspired flavor.
More pantry pasta recipes
20-minute Tuna Pasta (Easy & Lemony!)
Ingredients
- 5 ounces spaghetti, (or linguine, tagliatelle, or any other pasta)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon mixed Italian herbs, (or choose 1: thyme, oregano, basil)
- 1 can cherry tomatoes, (14-ounce or 400-gram can) Ordinary canned chopped tomatoes are fine too
- 1 pinch chili flakes, (optional)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 6.5 ounces tuna, (1 can or 185 grams) Drained. I usually go for tuna in spring water or in olive oil
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ bunch fresh basil, plus a little extra to garnish (or parsley if basil isn't available)
- salt and pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup feta cheese, optional, crumbled or cubed
to serve
- fresh green salad and toasted bread with olive oil and salt, (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the cooking instructions.5 ounces spaghetti
- Meanwhile, soften the onion in a little olive oil in a frying pan or large saucepan. After a few minutes, add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. Then add the cinnamon and dried herbs and cook for another few seconds.1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon mixed Italian herbs
- Add the tomatoes, chili flakes (if using), and around half a cup of water to the pan. Simmer for around 5 minutes or until the sauce has reduced slightly and the pasta is cooked. Stir in the honey.1 can cherry tomatoes, 1 pinch chili flakes, 1 tablespoon honey
- Now stir in the tuna, lemon zest and juice, parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. Grind in some salt and black pepper to taste.6.5 ounces tuna, 1 lemon, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ½ bunch fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste
- Use kitchen tongs (or a slotted spoon if not using long pasta) to lift the pasta straight out of the water and into the tomato sauce. Add the feta cheese (if using). Stir well, adding a ladle or two of pasta cooking water if needed.⅓ cup feta cheese
- Serve into bowls immediately. Sprinkle with extra parmesan and fresh herbs if you like. Serve with the green salad and bread or toast (if you like!).fresh green salad and toasted bread with olive oil and salt
Was lovely used a left over salmon fillet didn’t have feta so used cream cheese was delicious thanks lovely fresh lemony flavour
Very happy to hear you enjoyed it so much, Susan, and I’m so glad you adapted the recipe to suit you!
Wow! This is so packed full of flavour. It’s the best tuna pasta I’ve ever tasted and I didn’t even have the Parmesan, feta or fresh herbs on hand.. can’t wait to try when I have all the ingredients! It was already unreal! Thank you for publishing!
This is SO encouraging to hear, Clara! I think it’s the lemon that pushes it to over-the-top tasty, but you’re right it’s even better with the bit of parmesan and feta. So happy you liked it! 🙂
Absolutely love this – thank you so much. The cinnamon was a great boost in flavour. Great easy dinner. Cheers Audrie in New Zealand
Hello Audrie! Thank you SO much for the feedback. I really love this recipe too. It’s a great weeknight meal. If you get a moment would you mind rating the recipe for me? You just click the stars right next to the comments. Thanks again and have a great week! 🙂
Beaut Sunday night tea all done in the time it takes to cook your pasta!
Aw thank you so much, Audrie! 🙂