EN DE FR ES PT IT
Spaghetti with Garlic, Lemon & Tuna (Aglio e Limone)
Recipe

Spaghetti with Garlic, Lemon & Tuna (Aglio e Limone)

Quick & Easy

Quick pantry pasta: garlic-infused olive oil, tuna and lemon tossed with spaghetti and a splash of starchy pasta water for a light, glossy sauce.

Why smarter

15 minutes is realistic: pasta cooks in ~10–11 minutes while you slice garlic, zest/juice lemon and warm tuna; final tossing and plating takes ~2 minutes.

Chef tip

Keep the garlic pale and use the pasta water gradually—starchy water plus vigorous tossing is what makes the sauce cling without cream. Shortcut: Use canned tuna (in olive oil or drained).

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 200 g spaghetti 200.000 g spaghetti
2 1 can tuna 1.000 can tuna
3 1 lemon 1.000 lemon
4 2 cloves garlic 2.000 cloves garlic

Method

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente.
  2. Meanwhile thinly slice garlic. Zest the lemon, then juice it. Drain tuna well (or use tuna in olive oil and spoon off excess oil).
  3. In a large pan, warm 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant, not browned.
  4. Add tuna to the pan and break it up. Stir 30 seconds to warm through.
  5. Reserve 120 ml pasta water, then drain spaghetti. Add spaghetti to the pan with lemon zest, 2–3 tbsp lemon juice and a splash of pasta water. Toss hard over medium heat, adding more pasta water as needed, until glossy and lightly emulsified (about 1 minute).
  6. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper and more lemon if needed. Plate immediately.