A plate of spaghetti topped with tomato sauce, black olives, and herbs sits beside two cans of Genova yellowfin tuna on a wooden surface.

Tuna Puttanesca

Puttanesca is one of my very favorite pasta dishes! The undeniably bold flavors make the sauce impossibly savory. Normally the dish uses anchovies to add umami flavor, but my family has a secret spin on this Neapolitan classic. I add high-quality Genova tuna packed in green gold (also known as olive oil!) which creates a sauce that is truly out of this world.

Not only does it add a ton of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, it gives the sauce an incredibly rich flavor. A good puttanesca sauce is all about the ingredients you use. They need to be of high quality. The sauce cooks quickly so any inferior ingredients have nowhere to hide. Whenever I’m using canned tuna in my recipes I reach for Genova Premium Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil.

We are talking wild-caught yellowfin, hand-filleted, packed in the most gorgeous olive oil, with absolutely zero additives or preservatives. Just pure, rich, Mediterranean flavor that you can taste the difference in immediately. I use it to elevate my salads, my pastas, my appetizers; anything that needs a little essence of the Mediterranean. From ocean to your plate, Genova has you covered — responsibly sourced, fully traceable, and honestly just gorgeous. This is the pantry staple you didn’t know you were missing. Nonna would be proud!

Tuna Puttanesca

Serves

Print Pin

Ingredients

Imperial or Metric

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, diced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, divided
Salt
2 (5-ounce) cans Genova Premium Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil
¾ cup small pitted olives, I like Gaeta and Kalamata
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 garlic cloves, minced (or 3-4 for if you love garlic!)
1 teaspoon Calabrian chili pepper paste
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (24 ounce) jar tomato passata (tomato puree or strained tomatoes)
1 pound spaghettoni (thick spaghetti)

Method

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and half of the parsley. Season with salt and reduce heat to low. Cook until the onion is softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the tuna (along with the oil in each can), olives, capers, garlic and calabrian chili pepper paste, flaking the tuna with a wooden spoon to break it up. Add the wine and increase the heat to medium-high. Once it reaches a simmer, cook until the alcohol aroma evaporates, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and tomato passata and simmer vigorously until the tomato loses its raw flavor, about 10 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta. When the water has reached a rolling boil, salt it so it tastes like a seasoned soup, then add the pasta. Cook until very al dente, which is half of the time listed on the package directions.
Reserving some of the pasta water, drain the pasta and transfer it to the skillet with the tomato sauce along with a ladle (about ½ cup) of pasta water. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring with the passion of an Italian and adding more pasta water as needed until the pasta is fully cooked. Taste after 3 minutes and remove from the heat if the pasta is perfectly al dente. If not, cook for a few more minutes, or until the perfect texture is achieved.
Taste, adding more salt if needed. Add the remaining parsley and serve.

Build a Meal

No dish stands alone! Elevate your meal with these hand-picked recipes that complement today’s creation—because every pasta needs a perfect sauce, and every bite deserves a little extra drama.

Browse all recipes