Spaghetti Peperonata with Tuna and Olives is a rustic Italian style pasta that’s easy to throw together on a weeknight. It’s an inexpensive, healthy 30 minute meal with that casual Mediterranean ‘let’s set up dinner in the vineyard tonight’ vibe. Not bad for a box of pasta, some fresh peppers, and a can of tuna!
This is a wonderful early fall meal when we’re not quite ready for full-on comfort food, but we’re definitely craving a little something more substantial for dinner.
I found my inspiration while flipping through Martha Stewart Living in bed the other night. When I came across this spaghetti peperonata with tuna and olives I ripped out the page, set it aside, and went to sleep, happily dreaming about how to make it my own for the next night’s dinner.
The Italians are masters at combining a little bit of this and a little bit of that into a simple masterpiece. They respect their ingredients ~ every one is top notch and earns its spot in the recipe. Be sure to use crisp colorful peppers, glossy black olives, great oil packed tuna, and fresh basil from the garden (or a living plant from the produce aisle.) Good quality evoo and fresh garlic are a given. With this cast of characters you can’t mess it up.
How to pit olives like an Italian ~
Fresh olives from an olive bar are so much better than jarred or canned. And olives with pits have better flavor and texture than those that have been pre-pitted. But how do you get those darned pits out? I like to smash the olive with the side of a chef’s knife, just like you do when you are peeling a clove of garlic ~ check out the video in this post to see me do it.
I’m a big believer in the power of peppers ~ my crisper drawer is packed with them at all times. I admit, I shop with my eyes and I’ll collect as many different colors as I can, I simply can’t walk by a pile of colorful peppers, whether it’s at the farmers market or in the produce aisle. I’m not afraid of a little heat, either, so anything goes (I like the surprise factor!) The result, in a meal like this, is a nice blend of peppery flavors ranging from very sweet to earthy, to hot and spicy.
In fact one of the keys to success with this spaghetti peperonata is to add a few hot peppers into the mix, a jalapeño, Serrano, or even a few red chile flakes. The little kick of heat makes a big difference and balances out the sweetness of the bell peppers.
TVFGI recommends: multi pot with strainer
Reader Rave ~
“We had this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely perfect! My only change was to add some lemon zest, as I was using some lemon juice for something else, and it worked beautifully. Thank you for this flavorful addition to our repertoire!” ~ Katie
Spaghetti Peperonata with Tuna and Olives is a rustic Italian style pasta that's easy to throw together on a weeknight. It's an inexpensive, healthy 30 minute meal with that casual Mediterranean 'let's set up dinner in the vineyard tonight' vibe.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 bell peppers, assorted colors, cored and seeded and sliced in thin strips
- 1 jalapeño or Serrano pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 small red chile pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatos, halved
- 2 Tbsp yellow raisins or currants
- 1/2 cup kalamata or oil cured black olives, pitted
- 5-ounce can albacore tuna in olive oil, lightly drained
- a large handful of fresh basil leaves, sliced into thin ribbons (reserve some for garnish)
- 3/4 lb spaghetti
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet and sauté the onion for a few minutes until it softens. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for a few minutes more.
- Add the peppers and cook for about 5-6 minutes, until they are glossy and softened. Add the tomatoes and cook for a minute more. Add the raisins or currants, olives, and tuna to the pan.
- Cook the pasta just until it reaches the al dente stage. Reserve some of the cooking liquid and then lift out the pasta straight into the pan with the peppers, bringing along a little of the cooking water with it.
- Toss everything gently together, adding half the cheese and a little more pasta water if it seems too dry. Toss until the cheese has melted.
- Serve topped with the remaining cheese. Garnish with some fresh basil if you like. I always do.
More Italian pasta meals ~
Shrimp Scampi Fra Diavolo
Sicilian Pasta with Almonds and Anchovies
Pasta Alla Norma
Spaghetti con Pignoli
22 Comments
Katie
March 27, 2019 at 7:45 pmWe had this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely perfect! My only change was to add some lemon zest, as I was using some lemon juice for something else, and it worked beautifully. Thank you for this flavorful addition to our repertoire!
Sue
March 27, 2019 at 7:49 pmI’m especially happy to hear good reports on this recipe Katie because it’s one of my personal favorites, I could eat it once a week for the rest of my life, good thing it’s healthy :)
Nadia Ashkenazy-Jones
October 21, 2018 at 3:39 amHi Sue, just wanted to say thank you very much for this recipe – just made it for lunch for me and my husband (we are currently living in Greece) and it was delicious; I love the mixture of flavours, just my thing! I came across your recipe about a week ago and as I was intrigued by the obviously contrasting flavours of this dish, I decided to subscribe, so thank you for that too. Best wishes, Nadia Ashkenazy-Jones
Sue
October 24, 2018 at 9:27 amWelcome into the ‘family’ Nadia ~ I’m so glad you enjoyed this!
Marissa
September 28, 2018 at 1:07 pmIt’s always dangerous to visit your site because, even if I’ve just eaten, I leave hungry! This pasta looks and sounds amazing and just went straight on to next week’s menu! Thank you, Susan!
Sue
October 24, 2018 at 9:27 amYou’re so welcome :)
John / Kitchen Riffs
September 25, 2018 at 4:48 pmI love the look of peppers too — and cook with them ALL the time! This is a terrific looking dish — loads of different flavors and textures working together here. Thanks!
Sue
October 24, 2018 at 9:28 amPeppers are so incredible, no other vegetable (or I guess I should say fruit) comes close to being so versatile.
Liz
September 25, 2018 at 9:18 amI spied some Italian tuna in my pantry and as a fellow pepper lover, this would make a fabulous, easy dinner. Wonder if I can convince Bill it’s tuna casserole, only better????
Sue
October 24, 2018 at 9:29 amIt’s worth a try!
Robert L
September 24, 2018 at 4:34 pmThis sounds good, my Dr. told me to start a Mediterranean Diet. So I have been eating a lot of olives and other veggies from olive bars like Fresh Market or Lucky’s. I just dice them up and add some other veggies that I might put in a steamer. I put some feta cheese from the olive bar on the plate than some hot spaghetti on top then all the olives and veggies and add some more EVOO, maybe some parmesan cheese on top. Adding tuna is a great Idea. I do use yellow and green squash too. Any veggie would work, well sauerkraut might not. Avocados are really good too.
I really like your recipes, I get a lot from them.
Sue
September 24, 2018 at 5:14 pmI love this kind of diet, too. You’ll find lots of Mediterranean inspiration here Robert!
Lynn A
September 24, 2018 at 2:46 pm“…dinner in the vineyard.” That just sounds sooo classy and sophisticated! Love it! Sadly, I’ll have to eat mine on my island. Kitchen island, that is! Dining room table is covered with a craft project! Hahaha! Thanks for another great recipe!
angiesrecipes
September 24, 2018 at 10:55 amA comforting and delicious meal! Love those gorgeous peppers.
Chris Scheuer
September 24, 2018 at 8:57 amI love this unique spaghetti dinner. I forget about tuna so thanks for the reminder. It’s unique, beautiful and loaded with so many wonderful flavors and textures!
And I’m glad someone else reads cooking magazines like other people read novels before falling asleep at night :)
Dean Jones
September 24, 2018 at 8:21 amPeppers an I don’t get along…. what about yellow and green squash as a substitute?
Sue
September 24, 2018 at 8:31 amYou could certainly do that, I would make sure they don’t get overcooked. You could also use more cherry tomatoes, or even eggplant.
Malcolm
September 24, 2018 at 8:07 amPitting olives should not be so much of a mystery. Where is the video? I’m starving.
Sue
September 24, 2018 at 8:15 amThe video is playing at the top of the post Malcom :)
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
September 24, 2018 at 6:46 amSo much flavour going on in this beautiful pasta dish! Can’t wait to try it :)
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
September 24, 2018 at 5:07 amI could live on this dish Sue. All my favorite ingredients and so easy to put together too! Can’t wait to give it a try!
Tricia
September 24, 2018 at 4:22 amLooks at those gorgeous peppers! What a great meal – with great flavors. LOVE it :)