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Lemon Garlic Tuna Pasta with a side of Savory Tuna Toasts (feat. San Miguel Del Mar)

This easy Lemon Garlic Tuna Pasta plus the side of Savory Tuna Toasts really highlights the full flavors of San Miguel Del Mar Tuna!

Despite having a love for cooking and baking from scratch, I’m one of those people who take a lot of comfort in having my pantry well-stocked with ready-to-eat food items. I always try to make sure we have at least two cans of tuna at any given time, because you never know when you might need it. I’m sure most of us have experienced days when we suddenly find ourselves needing to fix something up fast. There are also those days when we’re in such a hurry we just want something we can grab and eat on the go. Either way, canned tuna is almost always a convenient and delicious choice.

Being a creature of habit and loyalty, I do have my go-to tuna brands in the supermarket. But to tell you the truth, I’ve began to feel kind of frustrated with them lately. It seems like there’s less and less tuna chunks and more and more liquid in the can. And that is why this introduction to a new canned tuna player is a very welcome development for me.

I wasn’t acquainted with San Miguel Del Mar before this, but I’m quite pleased with the quality. Bonus points for the easy-to-open lid! It means I can bring this as a baon and eat it with a pack of crackers in the car when I’m rushing.

Canned tuna is one of the most versatile things you can have in your pantry. You can use it to make anything from heavy dinners to light snacks, with a just a little bit of cooking or no cooking at all. Actually, if the quality of your tuna is anything like that of San Miguel Del Mar, you can even eat it straight from the can with just a piece of toast or some hot rice. And as I mentioned above, sometimes I just scoop the tuna chunks up with pieces of crackers!

In today’s post I’m going to highlight how adaptable tuna is with two very different recipes, using the two San Miguel Del Mar variants. Both are quite tasty so it’s really a matter of which variant is more “appropriate” for the recipe you’re planning to make.

I’m quite impressed with San Miguel Del Mar canned tunas. Both variants are filled to the brim with Omega 3-rich, 100% pure, quality tuna chunks. San Miguel Del Mar is made with no extenders and no preservatives, which means it’s a healthy choice. And it’s quite a delicious choice too.

Come to think of it, it’s actually no surprise how good these canned tunas are. San Miguel Del Mar is, after all, a product of a leading food company that is dedicated to providing top-quality and diverse products to consumers– whether in the aspect of quality, taste, or safety. And the really great part is that you can buy San Miguel Del Mar in 185-gram cans for only Php 61 SRP, in all leading supermarkets and major online shopping channels.

San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Vegetable Oil

When I was thinking about a recipe to make with San Miguel Del Mar, I knew I wanted to make an oil-based pasta. I wanted to show off how well the tuna flavors hold up in the pasta, and since San Miguel Del Mar has a variant in vegetable oil, it was perfect. I could use up everything in the can, including the flavorful oil.

On the ingredients list for this variant, there is only tuna, oil, water, and salt, with no extenders and additives included. This is a good option for health-conscious people. You basically just get honest-to-goodness tuna in here, ready to be made into whatever you please.

Opening my first can of San Miguel Del Mar, I noticed how the tuna chunks were intact. I personally like chunky tuna because I like being able to bite into them, so this was really up my alley. I excitedly began to prepare my recipe.

The first recipe is Lemon Garlic Tuna Pasta. It’s really quite easy and simple. You start by cooking your pasta according to package instructions, making sure to save up at least ½ cup of that pasta water after cooking, just in case you need it. You can use spaghetti or fettuccini or even the spiral fusilli. Cook pasta until al dente, drain, and keep inside the same pot as you move on to cooking the dish.

In a large pan, heat up some oil and cook your garlic until aromatic. I like to partly brown them but you don’t need to. Now add in a can of San Miguel Del Mar in Vegetable Oil, including the oil. I really loved the look of the tuna chunks in the pan!

The lemon zest and juice also go in at this point, plus some salt and pepper. Stir briefly and let everything heat up for about a minute. This also gives time for all the flavors to seep into that oil. At this point, add in your cooked pasta. Mix to coat everything with the flavorful oil you have just created.

Because this pasta doesn’t have a sauce, make sure to season this to taste. If you think the pasta is a bit dry, you can add in a splash of the pasta water you reserved. (I found I didn’t need to.) Remove from heat then add in a handful of basil, tossing to distribute.

Now it’s time to dish out the pasta. You’ll want to sprinkle on some grated parmesan for extra oomph. I like to add a few pieces of fresh basil too, just to add pops of green. You can serve this dish with more salt and pepper plus some chili flakes just on the side, so each person can add seasoning based on their preference.

As it is, I really love how this dish has that very distinct flavor of tuna and garlic. The tang of lemon kicks in with every bite! You also get to bite into these big chunks of tuna scattered throughout the pasta. SO GOOD. 

Lemon Garlic Tuna Pasta

A really easy pasta dish that features the flavors of tuna and garlic with a bright lemony zing. Make sure to use good-quality chunky tuna in vegetable oil (such as the San Miguel Del Mar brand) for best results.
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 225 grams pasta of choice, uncooked
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 185-gram can San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in oil
  • Zest from 1 whole lemon
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, plus more to top if desired
  • Grated parmesan and/or chili flakes, to top

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Once pasta is al dente, drain but reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water just in case it’s needed. Return the pasta to the pot to keep warm.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the Del Mar Tuna Chunks (including the oil), plus the lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper, and the olives. You can break some of the tuna pieces apart and keep some chunky, depending on your preference. Sauté for about 1 minute until heated through.
  • Add in the cooked pasta and toss until pasta is well coated. If the pasta looks dry or the oil seems a bit too thick for you, add a bit of the pasta water and toss again. Don’t add too much at a time or else the pasta will become watered down.
  • Garnish with basil, then sprinkle on some parmesan and chili flakes, if using. Serve with Savory Tuna Mini Toasts on the side if desired. (Recipe below)

Notes

San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Water

Because I’m really extra, I decided I wanted to make a “side” for my pasta. Local restaurants usually serve their pastas with garlic breads right? Maybe I should do one better. I made sure to use San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Water this time.

San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Water only has tuna, water, and salt listed in the ingredients list, which means it’s literally a blank canvas. Now I didn’t want to make anything too fancy as a side for my pasta; just something that goes well with bread. I couldn’t decide what to call this recipe at first, but I ended up naming it Savory Tuna Toasts. It’s basically a piece of bread topped with San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks and a special mayonnaise mixture. Sounds extra simple, but it’s tastier than you’d expect. 

First thing you need to do is to mix together your mayonnaise, a bit of lemon juice, and some chopped green onions. Now toast your bread. You can use normal sandwich bread, or sliced baguettes, or even a halved croissant if you want!

Meanwhile, drain your San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Water. Also make sure to properly wash some whole basil leaves or some lettuce. You can choose your greens depending on what is available. I decided to go with whole basil leaves because they are the perfect size for my sliced baguettes, and because I had some leftovers from the pasta recipe above.

When all your ingredients are ready, all you need to do is to layer them. Lay a piece of vegetable on your toasted bread, then carefully place some San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks on top. Add a good dollop of your mayo mixture, then sprinkle some extra green onions. You can crack some black pepper on top for added flavor. And that’s it!

Aside from the simplicity, what I love about these Savory Tuna Toasts is that they really give you a sense of the good flavors of the San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks. Around that, you get some savory onion notes and that bright flash of lemon within the mayo. It’s really such a simple but wonderful way to enjoy tuna on toast!

Because of the complementing flavors, these Savory Tuna Toasts are pretty good eaten with the pasta. (I also found that adding my leftover mayo mixture into my leftover pasta works beautifully!) I also recommend making these Savory Tuna Toasts for breakfast because the recipe requires very little work, but it will definitely brighten up your morning!

Savory Tuna Toasts

You don’t necessarily have to serve these with pasta. These Savory Tuna Toasts can also be great for breakfast, considering how easy they are to whip up!
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions or scallions, plus more to top
  • 1 185-gram can San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in water, drained well
  • 8 small slices of baguette, or other bread of choice in the same size
  • Butter or oil, if desired
  • Whole basil leaves, or other green of choice, portioned into the same size as your bread
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and green onions/scallions. Set aside while you prep the rest of ingredients.
  • Spread a bit of oil or butter onto your bread if you like, then toast until golden brown. Place a piece of basil on top of the warm toast, then add the Del Mar Tuna Chunks in an even layer. Dollop some of the prepared mayonnaise mixture on top.
  • Crack a touch of pepper and sprinkle on extra green onions or scallions, if desired. Serve with Lemon-Garlic Tuna Pasta.

Notes

San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Vegetable Oil and San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Water are both available in leading supermarkets nationwide. They are also available in all our favorite online shopping channels. (I have checked!) For only Php 61 SRP, you can get a 185-gram can of delicious, good quality, 100% tuna, made with no extenders, just pure goodness. Try it out!

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This post is brought to you by San Miguel Del Mar.

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