Pasta With Tuna, Capers and Scallions

By Melissa Clark

Published November 11, 2022

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. (Photography and Styling)
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(4,350)
Comments
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There are about a gazillion ways to cook pasta using other pantry staples — things like garlic, bread crumbs, pecorino, capers, olives and especially, canned fish. This recipe, pasta with tuna, anchovies and capers, showered with lots of green herbs and scallions, is one of my family’s household favorites. I like it with a long, thin, twirlable pasta — spaghetti, linguine or bucatini — but you can use whatever pasta you have on hand. Even macaroni works just fine and might even persuade your finicky kid to eat this dish (though, so far, mine abstains).

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings

  • Salt

  • 12 ounces long, thin pasta, such as bucatini, spaghetti or linguine

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated

  • 6 to 10 anchovies, chopped

  • 3 tablespoons drained capers

  • 1 cup torn fresh herbs, such as parsley and dill, or celery leaves, plus more for serving (optional)

  • 1 (5- or 6-ounce) can tuna, drained

  • Red-pepper flakes, for serving

  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 to 4 servings)

67 grams carbs; 40 milligrams cholesterol; 514 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 13 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 535 milligrams sodium; 31 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a well-salted pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, saving 1 cup pasta water.

  2. Step 2

    In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add garlic and scallion whites, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add anchovies and capers and cook until anchovies melt and capers and garlic turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add ½ cup pasta water, let it reduce until there is just a little left in the pan, then add pasta and herbs and toss well to coat. Add tuna and toss well.

  3. Step 3

    Serve with red-pepper flakes on top, more herbs, scallion greens, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
4,350 user ratings
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Comments

ncm

This is very similar to a pasta that my friend, Cristina used to cook for us in Sardinia. She added a lemon rind, either julienned or zested, and had a different approach to cooking: In a bowl mix together the lemon rind,tuna,capers, olives and anchovies (or a dollop of anchovy paste) and set aside. Cook the pasta according to package directions and meantime, in a large frying pan cook the garlic and pepperoncino (red-pepper flakes) in olive oil till the garlic turns golden - don’t let it burn!

Jed

Nice, but double the garlic, double the scallions, and use the entire box of pasta - 16 ounces, which is how pasta is sold. Please, Melissa, write pasta recipes without weirdly oddball amounts of ingredients. Write for the way people shop and eat.

Diane from Philly

Great recipe, easily adapted, and most importantly, it follows Marcella Hazan's timeless advise to NOT COOK the canned tuna when used in such recipes. Makes a world of difference. Thanks!

A J

This was surprisingly very good.

Cheryl

I guess this is an “old” recipe because I don’t see any recent comments. it is a Melissa Clark recipe, however, and since I have a few cans of tuna in my cupboard, I thought I’d try it. We’re just two, so I only cooked 8 oz of pasta (and we have leftovers) but the full ingredients of everything else. I also garnished the dish with toasted panko bread crumbs. I added lemon zest to final cooking phase. And I garnished the dish with freshly cut chives from my garden. When, not if, I make it again, I will either add a little more olive oil somewhere in the process or used tuna in olive oil as opposed to tuna in water because even though we had less pasta than the recipe suggests, it was a little dry. Otherwise, a wonderful dinner!

Susan from Luxembourg

For those complaining about the instruction to use 12 oz rather than 16 oz of pasta - 3 oz of pasta is the standard serving size (cf oversized American portions and rising obseity rates). This dish is lovely and uses pantry staples. Reviewer who reminded us that you never "cook" canned tuna is so right. I will make this on repeat for an easy supper.

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