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Tomato Sauce with Tuna and Green Olives

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 14, 2011

Time

35 minutes

Yield

Enough for 1 pound of pasta

Tomato Sauce with Tuna and Green Olives

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil 2 medium cloves garlic, minced1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped coarse, with liquid reserved1 (6-ounce can) tuna packed in olive oil, drained and flaked12 pitted green olives, chopped (about ⅔ cup)2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves Salt and ground black pepper

Before You Begin

This pantry sauce relies on canned tomatoes, green olives, and Italian-style canned tuna packed in olive oil. Serve it with farfalle, fusilli, or other shapes that will trap small bits of the sauce.

Instructions

  1. Heat oil over medium heat in large saucepan. Add garlic; sauté until golden, about 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes and 3/4 cup tomato liquid; simmer until tomatoes soften and sauce thickens somewhat, about 15 minutes.
  2. Add tuna and olives; simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss sauce with cooked pasta and serve immediately.
Tomato Sauce with Tuna and Green Olives

Tomato Sauce with Tuna and Green Olives

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

35 minutes

Yield

Enough for 1 pound of pasta

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped coarse, with liquid reserved
1 (6-ounce can) tuna packed in olive oil, drained and flaked
12 pitted green olives, chopped (about ⅔ cup)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and ground black pepper

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped coarse, with liquid reserved
1 (6-ounce can) tuna packed in olive oil, drained and flaked
12 pitted green olives, chopped (about ⅔ cup)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and ground black pepper

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped coarse, with liquid reserved
1 (6-ounce can) tuna packed in olive oil, drained and flaked
12 pitted green olives, chopped (about ⅔ cup)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and ground black pepper

Why This Recipe Works

It took very little work to turn canned tuna into a quick pasta sauce. We simply made a quick sauce with garlic and canned tomatoes and stirred the tuna and olives in before tossing with pasta. We chose farfalle or fusilli for our tuna sauce recipe, since those shapes trapped small bits of the sauce.

Before You Begin

This pantry sauce relies on canned tomatoes, green olives, and Italian-style canned tuna packed in olive oil. Serve it with farfalle, fusilli, or other shapes that will trap small bits of the sauce.

Instructions

  1. Heat oil over medium heat in large saucepan. Add garlic; sauté until golden, about 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes and 3/4 cup tomato liquid; simmer until tomatoes soften and sauce thickens somewhat, about 15 minutes.
  2. Add tuna and olives; simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss sauce with cooked pasta and serve immediately.

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