Canned tuna and pasta is the definition of a cheap, fast pantry dinner — protein and carbs you can keep on the shelf for months. These five recipes prove the humble tin can go from creamy bakes to fresh, lemony salads. Got a few extra ingredients? DinnerForToday will build a tuna pasta recipe around exactly what you have.
A 20-minute creamy pasta from store-cupboard staples.
Ingredients 300g pasta 2 cans tuna, drained 1 cup cream 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic 1/2 cup peas 1 tbsp oil, salt, pepper Method 1 Cook the pasta until al dente. 2 Soften the onion and garlic in the oil. 3 Add the cream and peas; simmer 3 minutes. 4 Stir in the tuna and drained pasta, season and serve. A bubbling, cheesy bake that feeds the whole family for pennies.
Ingredients 350g pasta 2 cans tuna, drained 1 can chopped tomatoes 1.5 cups grated cheese 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic 1 tbsp oil Method 1 Cook the pasta until just under al dente. 2 Soften the onion and garlic, add the tomatoes and simmer 8 minutes. 3 Stir in the tuna and pasta, then transfer to a baking dish. 4 Top with cheese and bake at 190°C for 20 minutes. A fresh, no-cook-sauce pasta salad — great cold for lunch.
Ingredients 250g pasta 2 cans tuna, drained 1 lemon, juiced 3 tbsp olive oil 1/2 red onion, sliced Handful of olives Salt, pepper, parsley Method 1 Cook the pasta, drain and cool under cold water. 2 Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. 3 Toss the pasta with the tuna, onion, olives and dressing. 4 Finish with parsley and serve cold. Tinned tuna meets a fiery tomato sauce — bold and ready in 20 minutes.
Ingredients 250g pasta 1 can tuna, drained 1 can chopped tomatoes 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1/2 tsp chilli flakes 2 tbsp olive oil Salt, parsley Method 1 Cook the pasta until al dente. 2 Warm the garlic and chilli in the oil, then add the tomatoes. 3 Simmer 10 minutes, then flake in the tuna. 4 Toss with the pasta, season and finish with parsley. A kid-friendly, mayo-based pasta that needs no cooking beyond the pasta.
Ingredients 250g pasta 2 cans tuna, drained 1 can sweetcorn, drained 1/3 cup mayonnaise 2 spring onions Salt, pepper, lemon Method 1 Cook the pasta, drain and cool slightly. 2 Mix the tuna, sweetcorn, mayonnaise and spring onions. 3 Fold through the pasta, season with salt, pepper and lemon, and serve. Add what’s already in your fridge and DinnerForToday’s AI builds the perfect recipe around it in seconds.
