Spaghetti Tonno e Burro (Spaghetti with Tuna and Butter)

Allow me to introduce you to Spaghetti Tonno e Burro – literally, spaghetti with tuna and butter. A three-ingredient, 10-minute recipe, this will have you literally jumping for joy at both its ease and comforting, simple taste. A minimalist Italian pantry meal that requires literally only three ingredients: olive oil-packed tuna, butter, and spaghetti. This is a perfect easy pasta recipe for hot summer evenings and busy weeknights.

You’ll also need some salt and pepper, as with almost any recipe. Freshly ground black pepper is pretty important (unless you are my children, who like black pepper unless you can *see* it – commence eye rolling). And, depending on the brand of tuna you use and how much you salt the pasta water, you may need some extra salt on hand.

Spaghetti Tonno e Burro is reminiscent of a tuna casserole, but light years better in my opinion. It’s not as heavy, and it’s SO much easier to make. But if you like a tuna casserole – or *kind of* like tuna casserole but wish it was a bit lighter – you’ll definitely like this.

This tuna pasta recipe is gorgeous in its simplicity. But far be it from me to limit you to these three ingredients. Capers or olives, lemon zest, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped parsley or dill – these would all be delicious additions. And some toasted breadcrumbs would be excellent to top it off, and maybe some crushed red pepper for a little zing.

But really, I’d encourage you to make this recipe as is at least once before experimenting. Tuna, spaghetti, and butter – those three ingredients are all you need to get a delicious dinner on the table in 10 minutes!

Tips for success for Spaghetti Tonno e Burro

I’ll dive into more detail later, but here are three major things that will help make this this tuna pasta recipe the BEST:

1. Use high quality ingredients. A really good tuna in olive oil (I’ll suggest some brands below), good salted butter (I always love Kerrygold) and a nice starchy pasta (I almost always go for DeCecco for dry pasta – look for “bronze cut”).
2. HEAVILY SALT your pasta water. I literally grab a fistful of kosher salt and toss it in the pot whenever I make pasta. It’s your only chance to flavor the pasta from the inside out, and we’ll use that lovely salty starchy pasta water to help thicken the sauce. Which brings me to my last point…
3. USE the pasta water! The water contains starch from the pasta that, when mixed with the final dish, helps make a nice thick sauce the coats every bite. We’re going to leave it in the pot so we can ladle as much out as we need. I also like to add a little bit to any leftovers I have, which helps it not dry out in the fridge.

What brand of tuna packed in oil is best?

Because this Spaghetti Tonno e Burro recipe is so minimalist, every ingredient really stands out. So I recommend getting high-quality tuna packed in oil.

This article from Bon Appétit highlights the best canned tuna in oil, and is a great starting place.

I personally used Tonnino tuna packed in olive oil. It comes in a jar and was available at my very generic in-town grocery store. It is a bit pricey at around $8 per jar (less if you buy in bulk on Amazon). But since we’re only spending a few more dollars on the spaghetti and butter for this recipe, I believe it’s worth it. Other brands that come highly recommended are Genova (which is less expensive) and Ortiz (a bit more expensive).

That said, everyone’s financial situation and personal tastes are different! Use whatever tuna packed in oil you can – just do be sure it’s OIL-PACKED, not water-packed – and solid, NOT chunk. It makes a huge difference!

How to make Spaghetti Tonno e Burro

First, cook the spaghetti. Remember to heavily salt the water!

While the pasta is cooking, dump the tuna AND the oil it’s packed in into a large bowl. Flake it apart with a fork. Then, add butter, cut into cubes (this will help it melt faster and distribute more evenly into the sauce), followed by a healthy dose of fresh cracked black pepper. When the pasta is done cooking, transfer it directly into the bowl using tongs. Toss it together.

Then, add a little of the pasta water from the pot using a ladle (that starchy, salty water will help thicken the sauce so it sticks to every piece of pasta, as well as add flavor). As you’re tossing, you can assess whether you need to add more pasta water, if it all seems a bit dry. If you add too much by mistake, no worries. Just let the warm pasta sit in the bowl for a few minutes – it will continue to absorb the water. This will also buy you some time to round up your family or set the table if you need to!

Once the butter has completely melted and the sauce is the consistency you desire, you’re ready to go! One final tip – make sure you add any pieces of tuna and extra sauce on top of each serving. Don’t leave any of that good stuff behind.

Ta-da! Spaghetti Tonno e Burro! Told you it was easy.

Storing leftovers for pasta with tuna

Spaghetti Tonno e Burro makes for fantastic leftovers. Store it in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.

When you add it to a container for storage, I recommend adding just a little of the extra pasta water. This will help keep it from drying out. Yes, the pasta will absorb some of it and get a bit softer – not mushy or anything, just not al dente anymore – but I prefer this to a dry leftover situation. Zap it in the microwave for a minute or so and you’ll have an amazing lunch the next day!

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