Pasta Tonno e Pomodoro

Tuna and tomato pasta — canned tuna folded into a quick garlic-tomato sauce. All-pantry meal ready in 20 minutes. ~€1.20/serving. Distinct from pasta e tonno (no onion, tomato-based sauce).

Serves: 4Prep: 5 minCook: 20 minTotal: 25 minDifficulty: EasyCuisine: Italian
→ Calculate ingredient cost for this recipePrices are editorial estimates (Q1 2025). Confidence rating shown after calculation.

Pasta Tonno e Pomodoro

Tuna in tomato sauce — the cooked version of pasta e tonno. Where pasta e tonno uses onion and no tomato, this version builds a quick arrabbiata-style tomato base and folds the tuna in at the end. The result is a fuller, more structured sauce. Still a complete pantry meal with no fresh ingredients.

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • 320g dry pasta (spaghetti or rigatoni)
  • 160g canned tuna in oil (2 × 80g cans, drained)
  • 400g canned peeled tomatoes
  • 10g garlic (2 cloves), crushed
  • 25ml extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to 2 minutes less than package time.

2. Build the tomato sauce Heat olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and cook 1–2 minutes until golden. Add the canned tomatoes and break them up. Season with salt. Simmer uncovered over medium-high heat for 10–12 minutes until thickened.

3. Add tuna Drain the tuna. Add it to the sauce in chunks — do not over-stir. Heat through for 2 minutes.

4. Combine Drain the pasta, reserving 100ml pasta water. Add pasta to the pan. Toss over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, adding pasta water as needed to loosen.

5. Serve Serve immediately. No cheese.

Notes

This is a different dish from pasta e tonno. Pasta e tonno uses onion, no tomato, and leaves the tuna barely heated. Pasta tonno e pomodoro uses a cooked tomato base and no onion — the sauce structure is fundamentally different. Neither is a variant of the other; they are distinct recipes that happen to share an ingredient.

Tuna in olive oil is required. Tuna in brine or water will produce a drier sauce with less coherence.

Cost Context

At Italian supermarket prices (Q1 2025): pasta (€1.65/kg), canned tuna (~€20.00/kg drained, €1.60/can), canned tomatoes (€1.90/kg), garlic, olive oil. Total for 4 servings: approximately €4.80 — roughly €1.20 per serving. Tuna dominates at approximately 67% of ingredient cost.

Compare to pasta e tonno (€1.05/serving, onion-based) and pasta al pomodoro (€0.38/serving, no protein). Use the Recipe Cost Calculator for the itemised breakdown.