The 20-Minute Dinner I Make for Pennies on the Dollar

Dinner at my house looks a little different every night depending on who’s at the table. Most nights, it’s the four of us—my husband and our two kids—sharing a meal all together. On those evenings, I usually make some chicken or fish and a couple of healthy sides to keep everyone happy. 

But on occasion, when my oldest kiddo has rehearsal, my youngest is at a friend’s house, and my partner is working late, I have a rare night to enjoy dinner alone. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, my 20-minute spaghetti with tuna and white beans is exactly what I crave.

This is the quintessential affordable pantry dinner, made exclusively with staples I keep stocked at all times: pasta, canned tuna, and canned white beans. It’s delicious with just those simple ingredients, but I also love adding a few extra garnishes to make it even more satisfying. 

I usually keep a deli container of toasted breadcrumbs in the fridge, so I’ll add those, plus fresh parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, and maybe a handful of capers for some brininess. It’s the kind of dinner that’s meant to be eaten out of a big, shallow bowl while bingeing your favorite guilty pleasures on the couch like no one’s watching.

Even though I’m usually flying solo when I make this dish, I developed this recipe using a 1-pound box of pasta because I dislike putting half-used boxes of pasta back in the cupboard. So, you could still serve this for family dinner, or better yet, invite your bestie over to share this dish, the latest goss, and a bottle of wine. But you can easily halve the recipe if you’d prefer to make less.

Tips for Making My Spaghetti with Tuna and White Beans

• Use your favorite pasta shape if you don’t have spaghetti on hand. Linguine and orecchiette are both excellent choices.
• Reserve a splash (about 1/4 cup) of the pasta cooking water and add it to the pan with the pasta to create a saucier dish.
• Use your best canned tuna for this one—like, break out the good stuff—because it is really the star. I like Fishwife Albacore Tuna in Spicy Olive Oil or Bumble Bee Prime Solid White Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil.
• This dish works great as leftovers. I prefer it at room temperature, so I take it out of the fridge and let it come up to temp for 20 minutes before calling it lunch.

How To Make My 20-Minute Spaghetti with Tuna and White Beans

To make four to five servings, you’ll need:

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (3.2 to 5-ounce) cans albacore tuna, drained and flaked with a fork
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Optional toppings: roughly chopped fresh parsley, toasted breadcrumbs, drained capers, and/or crushed red pepper flakes

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until just fragrant and soft, but not brown, about 30 seconds. Add the drained cannellini beans and tuna and stir to combine. Cook until the flavors are combined and the tuna warms through, about 2 minutes. 

When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, and add it directly to the sauté pan. Use tongs to coat the noodles in the olive oil, beans, and tuna. If you want a saucier dish, add the reserved pasta water, a little bit at a time, until it’s the desired consistency. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish as desired and serve immediately.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can serve leftovers cold or reheat them. To reheat, I recommend heating 1/4 cup of water with a pinch of salt in a sauté pan, then adding the leftovers and using tongs to toss them in the hot water until everything is heated through. Reheating in the microwave doesn’t do your pasta any favors, and we all know how problematic microwaved fish can be.

Bonus Recipe: Toasted Breadcrumbs

If you are inclined to add the breadcrumbs as a topping, here’s how I make mine: Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add 1 cup of breadcrumbs and a pinch of kosher salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs are a toasty golden brown. Serve immediately, or allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

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