Across Italy
Tuna and Lemon Pasta
Tuna and Lemon Pasta
Short pasta with briefly cooked tuna, lemon juice, fresh zest and basil.
Dishes in this family
Each dish keeps its own guide; compare the ingredient and preparation differences here.
Pasta al LimoneA simple dish where lemon zest and juice emulsify cheese and fat into a light cream. The key divides are whether cream is used, and whether the emulsion is built with butter, olive oil, or a cacio e pepe-style cheese-and-water method — spanning everything from Amalfi's rustic home cooking to richer modern takes.Read this dish →
Smoked salmon and lemon farfalleFarfalle is drained one minute early and warmed for less than two minutes with smoked salmon, butter, and lemon zest; the dish contains no cream.Read this dish →Meet the dish
A modern Italian home pasta using preserved tuna and citrus
Oil-packed tuna is cooked briefly with garlic and fresh chilli, then loosened with lemon juice. Add al dente sedanini and a little pasta water before finishing off the heat. Fresh oil, lemon zest and basil lift the richness of the canned fish.
Pasta shapes to use
- sedanini
- penne
Key ingredients
- oil-packed tuna
- lemon
- fresh chilli
- basil
Follow the cooking scenes
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Step 1: Warm the aromatics
Gently heat garlic and fresh chilli in olive oil.
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Step 2: Loosen the tuna
Cook drained tuna over high heat for one minute, then add lemon juice for two minutes.
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Step 3: Combine with pasta
Add al dente pasta and a splash of pasta water, then turn off the heat.
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Step 4: Lift with citrus
Finish with fresh oil, lemon zest and basil.
What to watch for
- Grate only the yellow zest; the white pith tastes bitter.
- Do not simmer the tuna for long, and leave a few flakes intact.
What sets it apart
Compared with tomato-based tuna pasta, this version leads with acidity and fragrance, using juice during cooking and zest at the finish.