Tuna Marinara Pasta is a quick and easy dinner idea that comes together in 30 minutes or less. There are nights when I stare into my refrigerator and just don’t feel like cooking. I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Thankfully, I always stock a few cans of tuna fish and tomatoes in my pantry. This tuna marinara pasta dish is a great pantry recipe for days when you’re short on time and haven’t had time to get to the supermarket.
I first made this easy recipe for Tuna Marinara Pasta in 2011 right after hurricane Irene hit our area. Many supermarkets were closed for several days. Thankfully, my pantry was stocked with emergency canned food, including tons of tuna fish that my husband bought.
This recipe is based off of a recipe from Rachel Ray, the queen of 30 minute meals. I had to make a few adjustments to the recipe as the cooking time was way off. She serves this dish using ravioli, so for a lighter take on this recipe, I used plain pasta. Cooking is not an exact science, so the lesson learned is that you should use your instincts when cooking. Follow recipe directions, but be ready to make adjustments along the way based on your own observations (eyes and nose wide open).
This would be a great meal for busy families or college students. It’s budget-friendly, quick, easy and healthy.
Tuna Marinara Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole grain pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 ounces tuna fish in oil, drained
- 1/4 medium onion finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons kalamata olives pitted, chopped
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes or chopped
- sea salt
- black pepper
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley or basil chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Cook pasta according to instructions on package.
To make the Tuna Marinara Sauce, heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil, then add onion and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add tuna, breaking and mashing tuna up; cook 2 minutes, stirring often. Add olives and tomatoes, and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add chopped parsley.
7. Toss with cooked pasta and serve.
Recipe Notes
6 Freestyle points if served with whole grain pasta.
227 calories, 4 Freestyle points, 15 grams carbs if served with steamed cauliflower in place of pasta.
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This looks delicious! Rachael does like her pasta dishes, doesn't she? I made one last evening that had hazelnuts, arugula, onions, garlic, and her ever-present Parm-Reg cheese. Simple and delicious like your dish of pasta!
This sounds like a pasta dish my household would love. Going off of how many servings she says the recipe makes I know in advance I better up the time on the treadmill or cut the portion in half. Haha!
Susan – would love to try the pasta dish you made – Yum-O!
Rochelle – yes, Rachel Ray's portions are huge, so either cut back, be prepared for leftovers, or double the workout routine!
looks great! I will have to give it a try
Thanks for the recipe ^^ I'm trying this, because it's super easy and I have almost all the ingredients (except for the olives >:3)
What a great choice. This really sounds delicious and I know my family would love this. I hope you have a great weekend. Blessings…Mary.
this one looks so mouth-watering and easy to prepare…delicious!
i LOVE rachel ray! tuna marinara sounds awesome!! i bet your sons loved it too 😀 have a wonderful long weekend!
You know I'm a big Rachael Ray fan!! I love how you made this healthier. And what a great recipe from pantry staples! Thanks for submitting to Saturdays with Rachael Ray!
I love using tuna in pasta dishes. This looks great, Jeanette! 🙂
Shirley
I'm not a big fan of canned tuna but it would be easy to substitute some other kind of fish or protein.
Love her or hate her, in the last ten years she's accomplished more than most of us will in our lifetime.
I just love that she is so versatile…you can pretty much count on her to have a recipe for some of the ingredients you have around the house. This dish looks beautiful and sounds delicious 😀
This pasta dish is chock full of goodness. I like how Rachael Ray can turn a dish into a meal!
I don't even know what Italian tuna is, but this dish looks great!
Thanks everyone for your comments – we have plenty of tuna fish left from stocking up for Hurricane Irene, so I have a feeling I'll be making this for the next year!
I find Rachel Ray infectious, in a good way. She makes things so simple … just like this recipe : ) Looks YUM!
Jeanette, this pasta looks great. I am a huge fan of those minion shells.
I would love if you added this and any other links to my "Happy Post" today. http://su.pr/1bZ8fp
This does sound really good. We always do a lot of pasta dishes in my house. This one is sure to be a winner at the dinner table.
I'm the choir in terms of being a RR fan, but this one looks great! She does write recipes with huge portions, doesn't she? I often have to cut the pasta in half, or we end up eating the same leftovers forever!
This is the first Rachel Ray recipe I've made in a quite a while, but now I am reminded of why I liked her recipes – they're simple and accessible (although the portions are enormous!). I'm going to have to take a look at her more current recipes, I'm sure they're probably healthier than when she first started out.
Looks great – never thought of making marinara with tuna before!
Nice pasta dish, and a fun cooking group, will check out what the others made too!
I like how you worked with what the storm threw at you, great dish!
Very tempting! I love anything with tuna.
My TUNA MARINARA recipe is slightly different from yours. But instead, it will be a way of changing. I have a new idea to change the familiar TUNA MARINARA in a healthier way. Thank you