Spaghetti with Tuna & Olives
Spaghetti with tuna and olives is a unique dish. Not only is it perfect for a weeknight meal due to its simplicity, it is also perfect when your fridge is empty. I have a handful of dishes like this one that I rely on when I have no time for the market. PhillyBoy and I rarely eat take out; in fact I can count the number of times we have ordered in on one hand. When we run out of fresh produce and need dinner in a flash we rely on dishes like this one!
Spaghetti with Tuna & Olives
Serves 2
Ingredients:
5 oz spaghetti
1 large can of albacore tuna in water (if you buy the kind in oil omit the next ingredient)
2 tbs olive oil
8 kalamata olives, sliced
2 tbs pasta water
kosher salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated parmigiano reggiano to taste
Directions:
Prepare the pasta according to al dente instructions. Meanwhile put the tuna in the bottom of your serving bowl and pour the oil over it. Break it up with a fork. Add the kalamata olives, pasta, and pasta water and mix to combine. Add a bit of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. Taste. If needed, add kosher salt and pepper. Enjoy!
*Note: I prefer to use the Flott brand of tuna which is imported and in oil. The tuna is so moist and tender from the oil, and after draining the can a bit it is not greasy or oily at all. You can find it in your local import market or Italian market. The last time I found it I was in NYC and bought 5 cans!
15 Responses to “Spaghetti with Tuna & Olives”
Comments
Read below or add a comment...
this sounds salty and amazing…just the way i like it! mmmmmmm 🙂
We make a similar version of this… it is a childhood favorite of my husband! A few additional ingredients we add (in addition to your recipe above) includes diced onion (maybe a quarter of an onion?), a minced clove of garlic, a teaspoon or so of anchovy paste, and a tablespoon or two of capers.
@Laura, The other version I make is simply canned tuna in water, crushed tomatoes, and capers. DELICIOUS! I love pasta with tuna!
My mom used to make a similar dish with tuna and capers…i LOVE it!
I totally bet you can find Flott, or other quality imported canned tuna in the Italian market. Have you been to Claudio’s yet? Big Philly debates over whether Claudio’s or DiBruno’s is superior 😉
@Holly B, I have never been to Claudio’s! I will have to check it out- DiBruno’s does not carry the tuna!
Really?! I’m shocked! Check out the one(s) in the Italian Market….might be a little more authentic (there are 2 DiBruno’s down there….one is more of a sandwich shop, the other has products, etc. They are a LOT different than the one in Rittenhouse).
Tuna seems to be coming back in a big way. This recipe looks awesome!
Hi, just stumbled upon this spaghetti recipe as I am about to prepare dinner! Woohoo! And I have tuna in my pantry!
I love all the great easy things you can do with tuna. I’ll have to try to remember this when my cupboards are getting bare.
This sounds great, and so simple!! I don’t eat meat but I love seafood, so this would be a wonderful filling dinner. Thanks for sharing!
I never think to combine tuna with spaghetti, but why not, right?? And olives make everything 10 times better!
I loooooooove pasta.
Love.
Love.
Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Mmmm, Sabrina, that looks delicious – thank you for sharing! I never would have thought of combining tuna and spaghetti, but it looks and sounds like it works. It reminds me of a white macaroni and tuna dish my aunt made when I was little (littler than I am now!). I have all the ingredients on hand but the olives so I need to pick some up asap! 😉
Very interesting combo…looks amazing though! I don’t do much tuna these days, but I agree about buying quality in oil, it gives it so much more flavor that you don’t really need to add anything to it!