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Refreshing Summer Tuna Pasta Sauce Recipe for Light Weeknight Meals

An easy and delicious summer tuna pasta made with cherry tomatoes, capers, anchovies, basil and parsley. Fresh and full of flavour, this sauce is ready in 20 minutes and works beautifully served hot, at room temperature or chilled as a pasta salad.

Pasta in a tuna tomato sauce in a blue and white spotted plate sitting on a travertine surface.

I love quick sauces in summer, and this one is versatile: the tomatoes and garlic are sautéed briefly until just softened, then blended with tuna, capers and fresh herbs for a bright, silky sauce.

Below you’ll find ingredient notes, step-by-step guidance and tips to turn this into a tasty pasta salad if you prefer it chilled.

Ingredient notes

All the ingredients needed to make a tuna pasta sauce in bowls on a rustic wooden surface.
  • Tuna – Use good-quality canned or jarred tuna in olive oil for best flavour.
  • Pasta – Choose a short pasta shape if serving cold or at room temperature. Gemelli, fusilli or rigatoni all work well.
  • Anchovies – They add depth; omit if you prefer a milder taste.
  • Herbs – Fresh basil and parsley are recommended because they keep the sauce bright when blended; dried herbs won’t give the same result.

Visual walk-through of the recipe

Step-by-step photos are provided to illustrate each stage. The complete written recipe and tips follow.

Step 1 – Sauté the tomatoes and garlic in olive oil until the tomatoes begin to soften but still hold their shape.

Four photos in a collage showing how to make a tuna pasta sauce with sauteed tomatoes.

Step 2 – Add the cooked tomatoes, anchovies, capers, basil and parsley to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth.

Step 3 – Return the sauce to the pan. When the pasta is ready, toss it into the sauce with a splash of reserved pasta water to emulsify. Mix until the pasta is evenly coated, then serve.

Two photos showing the sauce consistency and pasta being tossed in the sauce.

Recipe tips

Adjust the consistency – If the sauce seems thick, add a little reserved pasta water to loosen and emulsify it.

Prep in advance – The sauce can be stored in the fridge for 2–3 days.

Serve hot, cold or at room temperature – It’s equally delicious chilled; cool the pasta before refrigerating if making ahead.

To make a pasta salad – Stir through extras like sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, bocconcini, grilled peppers or other vegetables to create a more substantial salad.

A close up of fusilli pasta with a tuna and tomato sauce in a blue and white bowl.

More Italian recipes with tuna

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Salads

Chickpea Tuna Salad

Tuna stuffed cherry peppers in a small dish with olives and a glass of wine at the side.

Antipasti

Italian Tuna Stuffed Cherry Peppers

An overhead shot of cannellini beans, tuna and onion on a white platter.

Salads

Cannellini Bean Salad with Tuna and Tropea Onions

Vitello Tonnato on a serving platter topped with sauce, capers and parsley.

Mains

Vitello Tonnato (Veal with Tuna Sauce)

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Step By Step Photos Above

Most recipes include photos and helpful tips to get great results the first time.

Summer Tuna Pasta Sauce with Tomatoes, Capers and Anchovies

5 from 2 votes

By Emily

Prep:
10 mins
Cook:
10 mins
Total:
20 mins
Servings:
4 servings
A cropped close up of tuna pasta sauce with gemelli pasta in a blue and white speckled bowl.
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An easy and delicious summer tuna pasta sauce with tomatoes, capers, anchovies, basil and parsley. Ready in 20 minutes and perfect hot, warm or cold.

Ingredients

  • 400 g (14 oz) short pasta (we used Gemelli)
  • 400 g (14 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 can tuna in olive oil (about 160 g / 5.5 oz)
  • 2 anchovies (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon capers in brine
  • Small handful fresh parsley
  • Small handful fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  • Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and finely chop the garlic.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil and salt it well. Add 400 g (14 oz) pasta and cook until al dente.
  • Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and, when they release their juices, add the garlic and a pinch of salt. Sauté about 5 minutes until the tomatoes have softened but not completely broken down, then remove from the heat.
  • Transfer the cooked tomatoes to a food processor with the tuna (drained but keeping some oil), anchovies, capers, basil and parsley. Blitz until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan and taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed.
  • When the pasta is cooked al dente, transfer it directly to the sauce and toss, adding a splash of reserved pasta water to emulsify and coat the pasta evenly.
  • Serve immediately with a sprinkling of fresh parsley. If serving cold, allow the pasta to cool before refrigerating and toss with the sauce just before serving.

Notes

Storage – Leftovers keep well for up to 3 days in the fridge. The dish is delicious served hot, at room temperature or chilled.

Helpful Info for All Recipes

  • I typically use extra virgin olive oil unless stated otherwise.
  • When using canned tomatoes, choose high-quality brands for better flavour.
  • Vegetable sizes are assumed to be medium unless noted.
  • All recipes are developed with a fan (convection) oven unless indicated.
  • Nutrition is automatically calculated and should be treated as an approximation.

Nutrition

Calories: 478 kcal | Carbohydrates: 79 g | Protein: 27 g | Fat: 5 g | Fiber: 4 g

Nutrition information is an estimate and for guidance only.



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