Y’all know I love a good pantry recipe and this month, I’ve been challenging myself to use the food I have at home before buying more groceries and be mindful of practicing FIFO (first in, first out) with myself to avoid food waste. Today, I wanted something light yet filling and couldn’t figure out what to make. You know the drill, when you tell yourself you don’t have anything to cook. So, before ordering take out, I decided to raid the pantry and see what I could whip up. Pasta is always a good choice, right?

All of these ingredients are actually pantry and fridge staples that I keep on hand, so I didn’t have to spend any additional money developing this recipe today and I’m so glad I went with my gut and wrote down what I did. Normally, when I cook like this, I don’t write anything down. You know the drill: no recipe, just vibes. I will say though, that Italian food always makes me appreciate a good “Reina, we got food in the damn house” moment and the cuisine doesn’t disappoint with just how delicious those meals can end up. Italians know what they’re doing, man.

Pasta al tonno (pasta with tuna) was something I remember making when I took a regional Italian course in culinary school, and although my take isn’t tomato-based, it’s still as addictive. This recipe doesn’t call for a lot so make sure you’re using high quality ingredients since there’s not much to hide behind. I talk more about the tuna in the recipe itself but as far as the olive oil, I prefer California Olive Ranch for everyday use. It’s super delicious, nice and fruity, and affordable! Win-win. This pasta dish will be in your dinner rotation in no time, so let’s get cooking!

Lemon Tuna Pasta

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2-4

1/2lb thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta

2 4.5oz cans tuna packed in olive oil (see note)

4 large garlic cloves, grated on a zester or finely minced

2 tsp capers

1/2 tsp anchovy paste (see note)

2 large lemons, zested and juiced (set half the lemon zest aside)

1 tsp cracked black pepper

Pinch kosher salt

Pinch red pepper flakes

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more as needed

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 small bunch parsley (flat-leaf or curly works fine), finely chopped

Note: I typically keep cans of high-quality tuna in the pantry (none of the stringy stuff most of us grew up with. When we know better, we do better, haha). Genova is usually my go-to and you can get the pretty gold paper-wrapped cans in gourmet markets and most grocery stores nowadays (I used Starkist for this recipe since that’s all the store had last time I went shopping and I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious and large the tuna flaked up). For this recipe, make sure you get tuna fish packed in olive oil since the oil is going to be used for the pasta “sauce” and shouldn’t be discarded. As for the anchovy paste, trust me here. It’s not going to be any fishier than tuna already is but it definitely adds a great punch of flavor to the dish. You can normally find this near the tomato paste section of the store. Try not to skip it if you can!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package instructions for al dente noodles. Thin spaghetti cooks very quickly, so this recipe is wonderful to make while the pasta is cooking for an insanely simple dinner.

While the water is warming up for the pasta, work on the tuna “sauce.” In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the tuna and its oil, grated garlic, capers, anchovy paste, the zest of one lemon and juice of two (the rest of the lemon zest will be used for the breadcrumb topping), cracked black pepper, pinch of kosher salt (easy on the salt since capers are salty), red pepper flakes, and the extra virgin olive oil.

Once the tuna mixture is bubbling, turn the heat off and set aside. Since the tuna is already cooked, there’s no need to overdo it here. We’re just warming it through and the carryover heat of the cooked pasta will make sure it stays warm for serving.

Next, in a small frying pan, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining lemon zest and a large pinch of cracked black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and toast over medium heat until golden brown. Keep your eye on the panko because it can burn quickly. Once it’s a golden color, turn the heat off, and place on a plate to cool slightly.

By now the pasta should be cooked. Drain the pasta and carefully put it back into the hot pot. Pour in the tuna mixture and chopped parsley. I prefer flat-leaf parsley but I had some curly parsley in the fridge that needed to be used up that I got in error at the beginning of the month from an Instacart delivery. Pro tip: I keep all of my herbs super fresh by cutting the ends off as soon as I get them and sticking them in a jar or cup of water to store in the fridge. They last so long this way!

Gently toss to coat all of the noodles with the tuna and parsley and add more extra virgin olive oil as needed (and to your liking).

Immediately serve and garnish with the toasty lemon pepper panko and enjoy! If you have any leftovers, they’re great cold the next day.

¡Buen provecho!