15 Minute Tuna Pasta with Pangrattato

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This 15 minute tuna pasta is light and healthy plus it’s so simple to make thanks to the canned tuna. It’s great served hot or cold and makes perfect leftovers for lunch the next day.

I don’t know about you guys but any dinner that takes just 15 minutes goes straight to the top of my ‘must make’ list.

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I’ve been getting a lot of that ‘I just can’t be bothered to cook’ feeling recently. Because of that I’ve been trying to come up with recipes that take the absolute bare minimum of prep but obviously they still need to taste incredible!

So this is the start of a new little series of recipes here on the blog which can all be made in 15 minutes. I’ve already got a handful of 15 minute recipes here on the blog like these 15 minute soy peanut noodles or 15 minute salmon pasta with broccoli.

It’s so nice to get home and know that you’re only 15 minutes away from an awesome dinner especially when it’s this super simple canned tuna pasta sprinkled with a pangrattato that’s bursting with flavour.

Why we love this 15 minute tuna pasta with pangrattato:

• First of all let’s state the obvious it’s so quick to make, in just 15 minutes you can have a bowl of pasta in front of you and that’s pretty much the best thing ever, right?
• It’s also easy as anything. As long as you can boil some pasta and toss some things in a bowl you can make this dish
• You need mostly store cupboard ingredients to make this recipe and I like to keep spaghetti, tins of tuna and jars of capers and olives on hand so that I can make even a basic version of this delicious recipe at any time 
• This recipe is also just as good for entertaining as it is for a weeknight. That sprinkle of pangrattato on top makes it all the more impressive

When I was growing up the tuna pasta dish I was used to was a super rich and creamy tuna pasta with a white sauce and sometimes a baked crispy topping. That was a school dinner classic and, I can’t lie, one of my favourites.

However, for this easy tuna pasta recipe I really wanted to make something light and fresh. Instead of a creamy sauce I went with a dressing of lemon juice and olive oil which combine with a little pasta water to coat the strands of spaghetti and loads of flavour coming from olives, capers and parmesan.

Then of course there’s that pangrattato which adds a ton of extra flavour and an amazing crunch.

15 Minute Tuna Pasta with Pangrattato Ingredients:

• Spaghetti: You could use a different pasta if you prefer but I really think a long pasta works so much better than a short cut in this dish
• Tuna: One of the best things about this recipe is that you can use canned tuna which makes it such a quick and easy recipe, just make sure you get one that’s sustainably sourced
• Capers: These add an amazing briney tanginess to this dish which I cannot get enough of
• Green Olives: I like to keep a jar of these in the fridge for an easy added salt hit to so many dishes. Use leftovers to make this olives and tomatoes on toast
• Lemon: For that citrusy kick
• Parmesan: For adding so much cheesy flavour
• Parsley: If you’re not a fan you could switch out for another green leafy herb like fresh basil leaves. Use any extra in this pressure cooker creamy mushroom pasta
• Olive Oil: This is a key ingredient to add flavour and moisture to the dish
• Pangrattato: This slightly spicy pangrattato is made from a mixture of breadcrumbs, chilli flakes, garlic and parsley

15 Minute Tuna Pasta with Pangrattato Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta: Cook according to packet instructions and reserve 100ml of pasta water before draining.
2. Mix: Add all the other pasta ingredients to a bowl with the spaghetti and pasta water and toss well.
3. Make the pangrattato: Fry the breadcrumbs in the olive oil until browned, mix with garlic, chilli flakes and parsley. Sprinkle over the pasta and serve.

Equipment you need to make this recipe…

What is pangrattato?

Pangrattato in English translates as ‘grated bread’ and is the word used for breadcrumbs. Here breadcrumbs are simply fried until crispy with chilli flakes and garlic for a huge amounts of flavour and a crunchy element to this tuna pasta.

Can you freeze pangrattato?

If you wanted to freeze any extra pangrattato you can do so in an airtight container once it is cooled. If it needs crisping up again after defrosting then you can return it to a hot pan for a couple of minute before serving.

Is tuna pasta good for you?

This recipe is full of healthy ingredients like tuna (which has plenty of omega-3 fatty acids and protein), parsley and lemon. Thanks to the dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and pasta water rather than a creamy or tomato sauce this pasta is definitely on the healthier side!

Want more? Try these other simple pasta recipes!

• Easy Chorizo Pasta
• Easy Roasted Tomato Pasta Salad
• Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta
• Tomato Pasta with Goat’s Cheese
• Simple Shrimp Linguine
• Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Thyme
• Tuna Pasta Salad with Feta & Pine Nuts

15 Minute Tuna Pasta with Pangrattato

This 15 minute tuna pasta is light and healthy plus it's so simple to make thanks to the canned tuna. It's great served hot or cold and makes perfect leftovers for lunch the next day.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 658kcal

Author: Amy Fulwood

Ingredients

• 400 g Spaghetti
• 200 g Tinned Tuna drained
• 50 g Capers
• 50 g Green Olives sliced
• 1 Lemon juiced
• 50 g Parmesan grated
• 15 g Fresh Parsley chopped
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt and Black Pepper

Pangrattato

• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 100 g Fresh Breadcrumbs from about 2 pieces of stale bread, blended in a food processor
• 1 tsp Chilli Flakes
• 2 cloves Garlic crushed
• 10 g Fresh Parsley chopped
• Salt and Pepper

UK Measures - US Measures

Instructions

• Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions. Reserve a mugful of pasta cooking water (approx. 100ml/1/2 cup) then drain the spaghetti.
• Put the tuna in a large bowl and add the capers, olives, lemon juice, parmesan and parsley and mix. Add the pasta, olive oil and pasta water and toss.
• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat and add the breadcrumbs, chilli flakes and a big pinch of salt. Saute for 5 minutes then add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and mix through chopped parsley.
• Serve the pasta sprinkled with the pangrattato.

Nutrition Facts

15 Minute Tuna Pasta with Pangrattato

Amount Per Serving

Calories 658 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 4g20%

Cholesterol 26mg9%

Sodium 1066mg44%

Potassium 454mg13%

Carbohydrates 97g32%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 865IU17%

Vitamin C 23.6mg29%

Calcium 253mg25%

Iron 4.3mg24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the ingredients used.

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