• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Go Cook Yummy
  • Browse Recipes
    • Air Fryer
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Easy Dinners
    • Desserts
    • Soups
    • Sauces
    • Collections
  • Cooking Tips

Sicilian Tuna and Anchovy Pasta

By Victoria · On: Jun 11, 21 · Last Modified: Apr 19, 23

676 shares
  • 95

Today I have for you an easy Sicilian-style tuna pasta recipe that you will get in love with. All these simple ingredients like garlic, anchovies, capers, tuna, and pasta combine so well that you will think that all these ingredients were created especially for each other. This Italian tuna pasta is an ideal midweek dish when you need to cook something delicious and quick.

Jump to Recipe • Print Recipe
Sicilian Tuna pasta with chili on a gray plate.

This simple Italian recipe is one of my go-to recipes when I need to prepare something quick and delicious without using a lot of ingredients.

You will get surprised by how easy this recipe is and what taste you will get on your plate.

Are you ready? Let’s get started!

In This Post: show
1 Why you will love this recipe?
2 What type of tuna should I use?
3 What type of pasta should I use?
4 Tips for making a better tuna pasta
5 Ingredients Needed for The Sicilian Tuna Pasta?
6 Ingredients Swap:
7 👩‍🍳 Step-by-step Directions
8 Answering Your Questions:
9 Recipe Card:

Why you will love this recipe?

  • It is a classic Italian pasta recipe that you can put on the table in under 15 minutes.
  • You can make it from ingredients that we usually keep in the pantry. So this recipe is a lifesaver when your refrigerator is empty, but you need to prepare something simple, quick, and delicious.
  • The ingredients are easy to find and not expensive, but you will be surprised by the taste you will get in the end.

What type of tuna should I use?

I used canned tuna preserved in oil because I had it under my hands, but you can also opt for tuna preserved in its own juice. If you opt for the second variant, add an extra tablespoon of oil.

Sicilian Tuna pasta with chili on a gray plate.

What type of pasta should I use?

You can use any type of pasta you have at home. I prefer linguini or spaghetti.

Quick Note: I would not advise you to use pasta with eggs. Because these types of pasta do not go well with fish sauces.

Tips for making a better tuna pasta

  • If you want to get a more flavorful taste, remove the pasta 2 minutes before the time indicated on the package, and these 2 minutes, prepare the pasta in the sauce you have prepared. By doing that, the pasta will get a more intense taste.
  • Be careful not to boil the pasta too much because it will become sticky, and the Sicilian pasta will lose all its charm. It is best to prepare them “al dente.”
  • Use a minimum of 34 fl. oz (1 liter) of water and a teaspoon of salt for every 3 ½ oz. (100 grams) of pasta.
  • Be careful not to burn the garlic and hot peppers because they will give a bitter taste to your food.
  • Even if you are not a fan of anchovies, I will recommend not exclude it this ingredient completely because during the preparation, it melts, but it will give an extra taste to the food that will be incomparable.
  • You can also add to the recipe zucchini and broccoli. They fit perfectly in this recipe, and you will get extra nutrients into your plate.

Ingredients Needed for The Sicilian Tuna Pasta?

Ingredients for sicilian tuna pasta on white table
  • 7 oz. (200 grams) of Pasta.
  • 3 ½ oz. (100 grams) of Canned Tuna.
  • 2 tablespoons of finely Chopped Parsley
  • Lemon zest from one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon of capers
  • Chili Peppers to taste
  • 2 Garlic Cloves
  • 3 fillets of Anchovies
  • Salt & pepper to your taste.

Ingredients Swap:

  • Chili pepper. You can replace it with dried chili flakes.
  • Pasta. I used linguini pasta, but you can replace them with any other shape you prefer.
  • Capers. If you can’t find capers, you can replace them with olives.
  • Parsley. I consider this one of the cases in which parsley cannot be replaced with other aromatic herbs. If you don’t have parsley, then you better avoid it altogether.

👩‍🍳 Step-by-step Directions

For two servings, take a large saucepan, pour about 9 cups (2 liters) of water, and boil it in the pan.

When the water starts boiling, add a tablespoon of salt and put the pasta in the water.

Read the instruction on the back of the pasta package to find the time for how long it should be boiled.

Boiling Spaghetti Pasta on hot water.

Meanwhile, while the pasta is boiling, take a frying pan and pour in it 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2-3 anchovies fillets, garlic cloves, a tablespoon of salted capers, and hot pepper to taste (you can also use dried chili flakes).

Lightly fry all these ingredients until you feel a pleasant smell of garlic (usually, it will take you no more than 2-3 minutes).

Quick Note: Be careful not to burn the garlic as it will become bitter.

Olive oil, chili pepper, garlic cloves frying on a pan.

When the above ingredients have flavored the oil, add the tuna and lemon zest to the pan.

Mix the ingredients well and remove the pan from the hob.

Sicilian tuna pasta with garlic, capers and chili.

Let’s go back to pasta. When you have ready the pasta (al dente, watch the cooking time on the box), put the pasta over the tuna and the rest of the ingredients that we just prepared.

In this frying pan where we have all our ingredients, pour about ¼ – ⅓ cup of water in which we just boiled the pasta.

Quick Note: Adjust the amount of water depending on how liquid you want the sauce to be.

Pouring water over spaghetti pasta.

Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice into the pan to balance the taste and add extra freshness to the dish.

A hand squeezing the lemon over the pasta

In the end, add a little finely chopped parsley over the pasta and mix well all the ingredients.

Sicilian Tuna pasta with parsley and chili.

Our Sicilian-style tuna pasta is ready to be served.

Sicilian Tuna pasta with chili on a gray plate.

Answering Your Questions:

Can You Freeze the Tuna Pasta?

Not really. There is no point in this. Because the cooking time is so short that it will be faster to make it from 0 than to wait for it to thaw.

How to Heat This Dish?

You can use a microwave or just heat it on a pan, adding a few tablespoons of water and a tablespoon of oil.

But I still recommend eating it freshly cooked, because re-heated pasta is not as good.

What to Serve With Tuna Pasta?

You can serve the pasta near a green salad seasoned with plenty of lemon juice and olive oil. A glass of white wine would also be a perfect fit.

Recipe Card:

Sicilian Tuna Pasta on gray plate

Sicilian Tuna and Anchovy Pasta

Victoria
Delicious and easy Sicilian Tuna Pasta that you can make in 15 minutes using only capers, anchovies, garlic, lemon, chili pepper, and parsley. This recipe is a life saver if you’re looking for a quick and delicious midweek recipe.
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Italian
Servings 2 servings
Calories 447 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 7 oz Pasta
  • 3 ½ oz Canned Tuna
  • 2 tablespoons Parsley finely chopped
  • Lemon zest from one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
  • 1 tablespoon Capers
  • Chili Peppers to taste
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 3 fillets Anchovies
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  • Take a large saucepan, pour about 9 cups (2 liters) of water, and put it on the pan to boil. When the water starts boiling, add a tablespoon of salt and then put the pasta in the boiled water.
    Salt, 7 oz Pasta
  • Meanwhile, while the pasta is boiling, take a frying pan and pour in it 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2-3 anchovies fillets, garlic cloves, a tablespoon of salted capers, and hot pepper to taste. Lightly fry all these ingredients for 2-3 minutes until you will feel a pleasant garlic smell.
    1 tablespoon Capers, 2 cloves Garlic, 3 fillets Anchovies, Chili Peppers
  • After that, add the tuna and lemon zest into the pan. Mix the ingredients well and remove the pan from the hob.
    3 ½ oz Canned Tuna, Lemon zest
  • Back to our pasta. When you will have ready the pasta, put the pasta over the tuna and the rest of the ingredients that we just prepared.
  • Pour about ¼ – ⅓ cup of water in which we just boiled the pasta.
    Adjust the amount of water depending on how liquid you want the sauce to be.
  • Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice into the pan to balance the taste and add extra freshness to the dish.
    1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
  • In the end, add a little finely chopped parsley over the pasta and mix well all the ingredients.
    2 tablespoons Parsley
  • Our Sicilian-style tuna pasta is ready to be served.

Quick Note

I highly recommend reading the entire recipe to find more tips and notes about this recipe. Read Full Recipe ⇑

Notes

  • Use a minimum of 34 fl. oz (1 liter) of water and a teaspoon of salt for every 3 ½ oz. (100 grams) of pasta.
  • Be careful not to burn the garlic and hot peppers because they will give a bitter taste to your food.
  • If you want to get a more flavorful taste, remove the pasta 2 minutes before the time indicated on the package, and these 2 minutes cook the pasta in the sauce you have prepared. By doing that, the pasta will get a more intense taste.

Nutrition Estimates

Serving: 100g.Sodium: 313mgCalcium: 49mgVitamin C: 7mgVitamin A: 356IUSugar: 3gFiber: 4gPotassium: 400mgCholesterol: 24mgCalories: 447kcalSaturated Fat: 1gFat: 3gProtein: 26gCarbohydrates: 76gIron: 2mg
Keyword italian, pasta, sicilian, tuna
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
We are participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
676 shares
  • 95

About Victoria

Hey, I'm Victoria, the blogger behind the Go Cook Yummy. I'm running this blog with my husband, Alex, where we share our family recipes that actually work.

Previous Post: « Chinese Salt and Pepper Chicken Breast
Next Post: Authentic Homemade Sicilian Sausages (3 Recipes) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katherine

    Jun 21, 21 at 2:54 PM

    I love all the bold flavours in this pasta! And so simple too. Win-win.

    Reply
  2. Annissa

    Jun 22, 21 at 4:48 PM

    Great easy to make recipe! Definitely looks so tasty!

    Reply
  3. Claudia Lamascolo

    Jun 25, 21 at 1:49 PM

    5 stars
    All these years I made it with just tuna, it was pretty blah but the addition of anchovies made all the difference fabulous recipe!

    Reply
  4. Gina

    Jun 25, 21 at 3:16 PM

    5 stars
    This is the perfect way to get some healthy fatty fish into your diet, such a delicious pasta recipe!

    Reply
  5. Toni

    Jun 25, 21 at 4:51 PM

    5 stars
    This was so good and so flavorful! My kids loved it too!

    Reply
  6. Jonathan

    Jul 07, 21 at 5:17 PM

    5 stars
    You just can’t beat a quick and delicious pasta dish for those busy weeknight dinners. I tried this tonight and it turned amazing! Thank you!

    Reply
  7. Anthony

    Jul 18, 21 at 1:59 AM

    5 stars
    This looks fantastic! My favorite pasta dishes all start with garlic, anchovy, and a little chili in some olive oil. Such good flavor.
    FYI – didn’t see the chilis listed in the ingredient list…

    Reply
  8. Lenora

    Oct 03, 21 at 1:27 PM

    5 stars
    Love the recipes that are very easy to make and that turn very delicious! This one is one of those! Thank you! It’s so yummy!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Meet Alex & Victoria!

A couple passionate about home cooking. Our mission? To inspire you with our handcrafted, healthy recipes, whether it's a family dinner, a festive celebration, or a quick snack, we've got a recipe for every occasion. Read more...

Footer

Follow Us:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok

Copyright © 2023 GoCooYummy • Stories • Contact Us • Privacy Policy