Pasta Aglio e Olio With Tuna
Updated November 3, 2025
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
- Ready In
- 40 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
Salt
2 (5- to 7-ounce) cans or jars tuna, drained
1 small lemon, zested and juiced
1 pound spaghetti (or other long pasta)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more for serving
5 ounces arugula (about 5 packed cups)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
59 grams carbs; 20 milligrams cholesterol; 421 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 11 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 399 milligrams sodium; 22 grams protein; 3 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Step 2
In a small bowl, combine the tuna, lemon zest and juice; set aside.
- Step 3
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook 1 minute less than package instructions for al dente. Reserve 2 cups of pasta cooking water then drain the pasta.
- Step 4
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet with high sides over medium-low. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant and the garlic just begins to turn pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Step 5
Add the reserved pasta water to the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer until reduced by about half, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the pasta and continue to simmer, tossing frequently, until the pasta is al dente and coated in a glossy sauce, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step 6
Remove from the heat and stir in the tuna as well as the arugula, handfuls at a time, until the arugula just wilts. Taste and season with salt.
- Step 7
Divide among bowls and serve garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and more crushed red pepper, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
I've been making almost this exact recipe for years, and it's definitely a last minute what to cook favourite. Definitely use tuna in oil for more flavour... drain the oil into a large fry pan and use it to slowly saute the garlic and pepper flakes. I add a couple of tablespoons of crushed baby capers . Add the drained pasta to the fry pan, not the contents of the fry pan to the drained pasta to make sure I don't miss out on any flavour. Finally, you can't add too much arugula. Twice as much as the recipe here says. it wilts to nothing. And I finish with a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.
I always use the olive oil from the jar of good tuna when making a dish like this. Extra umami, less waste.
@Sloejelly I always buy tuna in water, drain and add the best EVO
Hmmm. Never tasted a dish that’s both too bland and too spicy. Weird.
I made this as written with a high quality tuna in olive oil. I think it needed double the tuna and arugula but was delicious!
This has been in my rotation. My husband usually doesn’t love lemon with tin fish, but he loves it! This last time I was out of pasta and made it with 2 cans of great northern beans and spinach. I used the water from one can of beans. To make the sauce. It was lucious! Oh and we broke a few almond crackers in top for crunch and carbs!