Tuna Pasta with Capers and White Wine Sauce

Tuna Pasta with Capers and White Wine Sauce is a fast, flavorful spring recipe. You can make this dish in just 20 minutes!

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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!

When it comes to canned tuna, you definitely want to select a high quality brand. My favorite is Federated Seafood - they hand-catch each Albacore tuna fish by rod & reel, cook once, and then seal immediately to retain its natural juices.

What you need to make this recipe

To make this recipe, you just need a few everyday cooking tools:

• Large stockpot
• Large skillet
• Wooden spoon
• Cutting board
• Knife

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!

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water, according to package directions.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

• Seared Scallops with Corn and Longganisa
• Grilled Shrimp Pineapple Skewers
• Easy Shrimp Tacos
• Easy Seafood Paella Recipe
• Seared Scallops and Pasta with Creamy Lemon Garlic Sauce (Dairy Free)
• Grilled Salmon with Lemon and Herbs

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

5 from 6 votes

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

In 30 minutes, you can enjoy this delicious spring seafood dish!

Servings: 4 people

PRINT PIN RATE

Equipment

• Large Pot for Pasta
• Large Skillet

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.

Notes

This dish is best enjoyed the day of. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. I do not recommend attempting to freeze leftovers.

Tried this recipe?Mention @UrbanBlissLife or tag #UrbanBlissLife!

This recipe is adapted from NYT Cooking

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