Simple Lemony Tuna Bucatini

Simple Lemony Tuna Bucatini mains A quick and delicious seafood pasta made from basic pantry ingredients. A simple pasta that is fresh and herby lemon pasta, seafood pasta, tuna bucatini Simple Lemony Tuna Bucatini lemons, tuna, pasta, Italian

Updated 6th August 2024

This buttery herby tuna pasta dish with crispy garlic Parmesan bread crumbs is one of those quick and delicious dishes you can make with what you probably already have on hand. I also love making this on evenings when you need something low maintenance but totally satiating. It’s also bursting with lemon flavours and this along with the freshness of the parsley - makes it the perfect spring/summer meal that comes together in no time. This and fresh salad and you have yourself a tasty yet quick and easy dinner!

Simple Lemony Tuna Bucatini Close up in a bowl

The key with a tuna pasta dish in my opinion is you either keep it light and fresh with loads of herbs and lemony flavours - or you go full force with it in a creamy and rich casserole - I love my tuna pasta shells for that. This particular dish is in the “lemony & herby” category. Parsley goes so well with this dish and adds some greens to your pasta as well. Feel free to add in a veggie if you wish. Some good veggie options to add would are - broccoli or rapini, baby spinach even asparagus or green peas.

What kind of tuna should I use in my pasta?

When it comes to the tuna - it’s really up to your taste and what you have in the pantry. I always tend to go for the solid white tuna. I usually have that stocked in my pantry and I prefer it. I like the pieces in the pasta to be a little larger as opposed to it being super flaky. The one I usually use is in water but a nice one with oil is also fine. Feel free to use the oil in the dish too especially if it’s a good quality tuna in oil - if so you may not need to add as much pasta water in the end. If not feel free to drain it.

Simple Lemony Tuna Bucatini with a breadcrumb topping

When it comes to the pasta just use what you like. We love the slurp factor of bucatini - but penne, shells or just plain spaghetti would work just fine - use the shape you like and have. What will make a difference though, is if you use gluten free pasta. Gluten free pasta can get a little gummy if it’s over cooked at times so make sure to under cook it as it will continue cooking in the pasta water.

What I love about this pasta is all the other add ins. What brings this tuna and pasta to life is the chilli flakes, extra flavor from the anchovies (trust me on that one - they add the perfect amount of saltiness and Unami: flavour that enhances the good taste of other ingredients in a particular recipe) the parsley, the bright lemony flavours and the perfect brininess from the olives and capers!! It’s a great Italian inspired dish that isn’t complete without those crunchy garlicky bread crumbs (I used panko for extra crunch plus that is what I had in my pantry) - they make the perfect crunchy topping. As you can see this is a very adaptable recipe and I think you guys will really love it!! See below for a breakdown of all the ingredients in this recipe.

Simple Lemony Tuna Bucatini Ingredients

Lemon Tuna Pasta Recipe Ingredients

  • TUNA: As mentioned above feel free to use whatever you like or have on hand - use canned tuna or jarred tuna. I usually drain my tuna especially if it’s in water. Some like to use the oil from the tuna if it is packed in oil instead of adding olive to the pan. I would still recommend draining just reserve the oil from the can and add it to the pan separately. I prefer using chunk light tuna but that is my personal preference.
  • PASTA: I used bucatini pasta but you can use any types of pasta you like - regular pasta, whole wheat pasta or gluten free. I do prefer long pasta for this recipe and recommend it
  • EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: For sautéing the garlic and anchovies - feel free to sub with more butter if you prefer
  • GARLIC: This really flavors the dish. If you prefer to not have the garlic in the final part of the dish simple slice your garlic instead of mincing, sauté until it starts to golden then use a slotted spoon to remove it before adding the rest of the ingredients - that way your oil is infused with garlic flavor but no garlic in the final pasta dish.
  • ANCHOVIES: Adds loads of flavour not fishiness - but feel free to leave out if you prefer
  • CAPERS: They add nice brininess and unique flavour to the dish
  • OLIVES: I used green olives specifically Castelvetrano olives because I love the flavor and texture of them. I pit them and rough chop them. Feel free to use any olives you like even Kalamata olives and even canned olives which might already be in your pantry. The olives add nice salty briny flavour and texture to the dish
  • CHILI FLAKES/RED PEPPER FLAKES: Use as much or as little as you prefer. If you would like to add other dried herbs and spices you can like oregano, thyme, rosemary or paprika
  • LEMON JUICE & LEMON ZEST: Freshly squeezed and zested is preferred for best flavor
  • PARMESAN CHEESE: Freshly grated is what I use for best flavor and it also melts into the sauce better than the pre-grated or dry Parmesan cheese you find in the grocery aisle. I finely grate it and serve this pasta with more of it on the side.
  • PARSLEY: Flat leaf Italian parsley is what I use for this recipe - fresh is always best. If you would like to brighten the flavours up further feel free use or include other herbs like fresh basil or even dill, chives or cilantro.
  • BUTTER: I like to add a knob or two of butter to finish off the dish as it adds richness to the pan sauce and loads of flavor - feel free to skip it for a lighter pasta. I usually use unsalted butter.
  • FOR THE BREAD CRUMB TOPPING (PANGRATTATO): This of course is optional but it elevates the dish giving a crunchy flavourful addition. If you do decide to include it all you need is unsalted butter, panko bread crumbs, garlic, lemon zest and parmesan cheese.
  • OPTIONAL ADD INS: If you would like to adds some sliced fresh cherry tomatoes for a little extra sauce and flavor you can or feel free to toss in some baby spinach to add some veggies to the pasta. For a little extra protein you could also toss in some white beans.

Simple Lemony Tuna Bucatini in 6 steps

How To Make Tuna Pasta

  1. TOAST bread crumbs for the bread crumb topping if using - toast bread crumbs in olive oil with garlic then season bread crumbs with lemon zest, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper
  2. COOK Boil Pasta - while pasta is cooking continue with recipe. (By the time the pasta is done cooking you will be ready to add it to the saute pan)
  3. SAUTE garlic in olive oil along with the anchovies and chili flakes
  4. DEGLAZE pan with lemon juice and add olives, capers and tuna
  5. TOSS Pasta into pan with some of the pasta cooking water then toss in the Parmesan cheese
  6. REMOVE from heat and toss pasta with butter, lemon zest, and parsley. Adjust seasoning as needed and add more pasta water as needed
  7. SERVE pasta topped with a little extra drizzle of olive oil, extra squeeze of lemon juice and the crispy bread crumb topping if desired or more Parmesan cheese.

Tuna Pasta Storage & Reheating

This tuna pasta is so easy to make and also whips up in minutes and is best eaten when it’s freshly made so there is no reason to make it ahead.

  • STORAGE: Leftover tuna pasta can be store in and airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • REHEATING: Reheat in the microwave or stovetop in a skillet with a little extra olive oil

Simple Lemony Tuna Bucatini

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Recipe

Servings: 2-4
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10-15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

For the Pasta

  • 2 tablespoons of Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 Anchovies
  • ¼ teaspoon Chili flakes
  • 2 tablespoons Capers in juice, rough chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped Green olives
  • 10oz Tuna drained (canned tuna or jarred)
  • 2 tablespoons Lemon juice
  • 8 oz bucatini Pasta (half lb or 226 grams)
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped Parsley, plus more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted Butter
  • Salt and Black pepper to taste

For the Bread Crumb Topping (pangrattato)

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted Butter
  • 1 small Garlic clove, minced
  • ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf Parsley
  • ½ teaspoon Lemon zest
  • Salt and Black pepper to taste

Directions

For the Bread Crumb Topping (pangrattato)

  1. In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil, then add the garlic and cook until it just starts to brown.
  2. Add the bread crumbs and continue to cook until the crumbs are lightly browned.
  3. Take off the heat and pour the mixture into a bowl. Add the Parmesan, parsley, and lemon zest, stir to combine, and set aside.

For the Pasta

  1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than package directions.
  2. While the pasta is cooking heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden at edges, about 1 minute. Add anchovies and chiles and cook, stirring, until anchovies are dissolved, about 1 minute.
  3. Stir in lemon juice. Then add the olives, capers and tuna and stir to coat without breaking up the tuna too much.*
  4. Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with sauce along with 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook, tossing often, until pasta is al dente, add cheese, tossing until melted and emulsified.
  5. Remove pan from heat, add lemon zest, parsley, butter, and toss until combined and butter is melted. If pasta seems dry, add more pasta cooking liquid and toss again.
  6. Season with salt and pepper, and more lemon juice if desired.
  7. Divide pasta among bowls. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice if desired. Top with breadcrumb mixture and extra fresh chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe Note

If you prefer to keep your tuna more chunky or larger pieces, I recommend stirring it it through at the end so it doesn’t get tossed around in the pasta and flake up as much.

Simple Lemony Tuna Bucatini