Tuna and Olive Pasta
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And it’s time for another classic Italian recipe.
Have you heard of Tuna and Olive Pasta? It’s a staple Italian dish that mixes pasta, tuna, and olives with a light garlic white wine sauce, and is garnished with of course, some parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. I’ve never made it before (obviously), but my mother-in-law makes this for the family so I thought I would give it a try and come up with my own recipe.
I’m so glad that I did because this recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes. Woot woot! I’ve made it twice for dinner in the past few weeks and we have loved it. It’s a light yet filling one-pot meal. It doesn’t get much easier and better than that, right?
I’m excited to share that I have partnered with California Ripe Olives to bring you this delicious Tuna and Olive Pasta today! Let’s check out exaaactly how this simple meal comes together.
To start off, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to package directions.
While the pasta is doing its thing, add some olive oil and chopped white onions to a large saute pan. Saute them until translucent, ohhh about 3 minutes.
Next, add zee garlic and saute for an additional minute. Your house is going to smell amazing.
Time for some vino! Next, add lemon juice and white wine (I mixed them together). And now your house is going to smell even more amazing. Let that simmer for about 8-10 minutes.
Don’t forget about your pasta! Check to see if it’s done. If so, drain and reserve some pasta water for later.
Then of course we need to add some butter after the sauce simmered and reduced. The butter adds a nice silkiness to the sauce.
ahhhh silkaaay silkaaay!
Now simply add the good stuff, California Ripe Olives, parmesan cheese, parsley, tuna and a pinch or two of black pepper. Mix and taste for additional seasoning. If the pasta seems dry, add a ladle of pasta water to help thin it out a bit.
How simple was that? It’s a pretty dish, eh? It’s also a one-pot meal – yay for those!
Ok so Vin loooooves olives. They’re a staple ingredient in Mediterranean food and since there’s quite a bit of Italian cooking and eating going on in this house, we eat olives a lot. He along with his family often eat olives straight out of the can or as s snack with cheeses, crackers, etc. etc. I happen to love olives on some pizza and in salads…and of course pasta. They add a nice salty chewy bite and I love their shiny black color. You know…pretty food is good food.
If you don’t currently cook with olives, you totally should! Like I said, they’re great for snacking or mixed into several types of dishes. Oooo and you can make them into a spread and put it on some garlicky bread. Just some thoughts. To learn more about California Ripe Olives and how you can incorporate them into your daily diet, click here!
There are so many benefits to including olives into your daily diet. Yes, olives are fatty, but it’s the good fat! We like the good fat, right? Click here to read more about these benefits and why you should incorporate olives and other Mediterranean foods into your daily diet!
California Ripe Olives is doing a special give away! You can win a fabulous prize package to help you you enjoy your own Midsummer Mediterranean feast at home! It’s simple – to enter the Midsummer Mediterranean Sweepstakes with California Ripe Olives, click here!
So, is this on your dinner menu for next week?
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- 1 box whole wheat bow tie pasta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 small white onion, minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3/4 cup white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup Sliced California Black Ripe Olives
- 1, 5 ounce can tuna
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
- 2 pinches black pepper
- Pasta water
- 1 tablespoon salt for pasta water
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling add 1 tablespoon salt and cook bow tie pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- While pasta is cooking, add 3 tablespoons olive oil to a large saute pan and place over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Next, add garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Mix together whine and lemon juice and add it to the onions and garlic. Reduce heat and simmer sauce for about 8-10 minutes. Stir in butter and pepper.
- Finally, add pasta to the sauce along with tuna, parmesan cheese, parsley and olive and mix. Taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper as needed. If pasta seems dry, add a little pasta water to loosen it up. I used about 1 ladle.
- Garnish with additional parmesan cheese.
hi when you say one box how much is in one box three cups or more
a box of pasta is usually about 16 ounces. enjoy!
Had to use a few substitutions to avoid going to the store: quinoa (instead of pasta), marsala cooking wine, and a purple onion. I also cooked the tuna in the sauce and added mushrooms over heat for a few minutes before serving. And we added fresh tomatoes to the top. It was GREAT! My 4 year old even loved this! Will be making this weekly 🙂
Love your substitutions! Glad you liked it!
I omitted the cheese and butter (due to a lactose intolerant in the family). I added Peas and Zucchini because I am obsessed with veggies, and it turned out really tasty.
Can i do it with green olives??
Sure!
How much is 1 box of pasta, please? Ours comes in bags of different weights.
Hi Deborah – 1 box is usually around 12 ounces. I will update this in the recipe, too. Enjoy!
I love this easy dish! What a great way to use tuna!