Lemony Tuna Caper Spaghetti
A bright pantry pasta with tuna, capers, and lemon that tastes fancy but cooks fast.
Prep: 10 · Cook: 15 · Total: 25 · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.8/5 (214 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
A pantry take on lemony pasta that leans on tuna and capers for big flavor with almost no prep.
Story
Some nights I just need dinner to show up without a lot of planning, and pantry pasta is my safety net. This one tastes bright and a little fancy, but it is really just tuna, capers, and a lemon doing the heavy lifting. If your kitchen is anything like mine, you probably have most of this on hand already. The best part is how the pasta water turns everything silky so it feels like a real sauce.
By Casey
Ingredients
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 can (5 oz) tuna in olive oil or water, drained
- 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup pasta cooking water, plus more as needed
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until just al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
- While the pasta cooks, warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper, cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in tuna and capers. Cook 1 minute, breaking the tuna into bite-size pieces.
- Add lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon, and 1/3 cup pasta water. Simmer 1 minute, stirring, until it looks a little creamy.
- Toss in the drained spaghetti and butter. Add splashes of pasta water until the noodles look glossy and coated.
- Turn off the heat and fold in parsley. Serve with Parmesan and an extra squeeze of lemon if you like.
Chef Tips
- Rinsing capers keeps the dish bright instead of overly salty.
- If you have it, a pinch of lemon zest on top right before serving makes it pop.
- No parsley, try a handful of baby arugula stirred in at the end.
- Leftovers reheat best with a splash of water in the pan.
Cook's Notes
- **Pan:** Use a wide skillet so the pasta can toss easily.
- **Salt:** Salt the pasta water well, then taste before adding any extra salt.
- **Sauce:** Keep adding pasta water a tablespoon at a time until it looks glossy.