Tuna Pasta with Capers and White Wine Sauce is a fast, flavorful spring recipe. You can make this dish in just 20 minutes!
Canned tuna is an amazing pantry staple. It's packed with healthy protein, and Omega-3s. I love tuna salads, sandwiches, on crackers as a snack. And, I LOVE canned tuna in this new pasta recipe!
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What you need to make this recipe
To make this recipe, you just need a few everyday cooking tools:
Gather your ingredients
For this recipe, you'll need:
Pasta - use a thin, long pasta, such as linguini, spaghetti, fettucine, or bucatini.
Extra-virgin olive oil - Use the best quality extra-virgin olive oil you can afford. This brand is a good one.
Garlic - I use three cloves, but you can use just two cloves if you prefer.
Capers - these teeny tiny cute little unripened green flower buds of the caper bush pack a lot of salty, briny flavor.
White wine - Use a dry white wine you enjoy drinking, as this flavor permeates throughout the sauce.
Dill - If you have fresh dill, it will impart the greatest flavor. But you can also use dried dill.
Canned tuna - When it comes to canned seafood, I'm very, very picky. As I mentioned earlier, Federated Seafood Canned Albacore Tuna is my absolute favorite. It's the freshest tuna I have ever found in a can, and SO delicious! If you can't have this tuna delivered where you live, go for the best canned tuna you can find at your local grocery store. Federated Seafood Canned Albacore Tuna doesn't contain water or oil, so there's nothing to drain. If you are using almost any other brand, you'll likely need to drain the water or oil before adding the tuna to the pasta.
Lemon - The citrus adds a bright, light flavor to this dish. You'll need lemon juice for the sauce and lemon wedges for serving.
Breadcrumbs - Breadcrumbs add a nice bit of crunch to this pasta dish. You can omit this ingredient if you prefer.
Exact measurements are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step-by-step instructions
Making this pasta dish is super easy!
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water, according to package directions.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until softened and fragrant. Add the capers and stir, cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium, then slowly pour in the white wine and add the lemon juice. Add ½ cup of the starchy pasta water and allow the sauce to reduce slightly.
- Add the pasta and breadcrumbs and coat with the sauce. Add the tuna and stir to mix in. Remove from the heat, and serve with a sprinkling of more chopped dill and lemon wedges.
Wine pairing for tuna pasta
My favorite wine to pair with this tuna pasta dish is Pinot Gris. I use Pinot Gris in the actual sauce, so it makes sense that a glass of the same wine helps enhance the flavors of the dish. With tropical and stone fruit flavors, Pinot Gris beautifully brings out the citrus and capers in this pasta.
More seafood recipes you might love
Dairy-free? Here are more resources and recipes for you
- My favorite dairy-free food products
- The BEST Dairy-Free Fettuccine Alfredo
- Creamy Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese
- Healthy Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
- Easy Dairy-Free Spinach Dip
- Thai Red Curry Noodles
- Dairy-Free Mixed Berry Ice Cream
Tuna Pasta with Capers and White Wine Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces thin, long pasta like spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, bucatini
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup plain or Italian breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving (or 2 tablespoons dried dill)
- 1 can (6-ounces) albacore tuna drain if it comes in water or oil
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water, according to package directions.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until softened and fragrant. Add the capers and stir, cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium, then slowly pour in the white wine and add the lemon juice. Add ½ cup of the starchy pasta water and allow the sauce to reduce slightly.
- Add the pasta, breadcrumbs, and dill; coat everything well with the sauce. Add the tuna and stir to mix in, using the wooden spoon to break up any large chunks of fish. Remove from the heat, and serve with a sprinkling of more chopped dill and lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
This recipe is adapted from NYT Cooking
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Carrie Robinson says
I just love how simple this is to make! I am always a sucker for capers too. :)
Beth says
This is perfect for our dinner tonight! So excited to make this! My family is going to be all over this recipe! Looks so tasty and so yummy!
MIchelle says
I had the ingredients on hand and tried this for dinner and it was a hit! Can't wait to make this again
Mahy says
This is my go-to recipe for those days when I don't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Always yummy, too!