You do put cheese in tuna pasta although it's not a required ingredient.
Cheese is often added to tuna pasta dishes which makes it taste much better and make it more enjoyable.
Some tuna pasta recipes such as tuna melts or tuna casseroles also incorporate cheese as an ingredient for flavor and texture.
Although some recipes for tuna pasta omits the cheese to allow the flavor of the tuna to stand out.
To upgrade tuna pasta you can add some fresh herbs such as basil, parsley or dill or even add some green onions which gives the tuna mayo pasta a burst of freshness as well as aroma.
Adding some Dijon mustard or whole grain mustard or even some simple regular yellow mustard can add a tangy bite to your tuna pasta.
Even some lemon juice and zest can add flavor and brighten the tuna pasta dish.
Adding some Mexican seasoning, ground mustard, melted cheese and or some chopped boiled eggs or even shredded cheese to the tuna pasta can also make the tuna pasta much better and you can even melt the cheese on the tuna pasta as well if you want too.
Mayo or mayonnaise is a common ingredient in tuna pasta and especially in tuna pasta salad.
Mayonnaise acts as a binder and adds a creamy texture to the tuna pasta or tuna pasta salad and is a key ingredient in many recipes for tuna pasta.
The mayonnaise helps hold the tuna, pasta and other ingredients together and creates a chohesive pasta salad or tuna pasta dish.
You can also use Greek yogurt or a combination of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt for a lighter flavor or different texture.
Or you can also use olive oil or a vinaigrette and omit the mayonnaise entirely in the tuna pasta or tuna pasta salad.
The tuna that you should use for tuna pasta is Albacore tuna in olive oil or even Yellowfin tuna in olive oil.
Although you can use any tuna in your pasta including other canned tunas and even fresh tuna if available.
Tuna that is packed in oil is the best for pasta dishes, especially pasta dishes with sauces in which the oils can also contribute to the flavor and texture.
The tuna in oil provides the pasta dish with a richer and more pronounced flavor when compared to tuna that is packed in water.
Oil packed tuna offers a richer flavor for the pasta and water packed tuna is milder and allows for other ingredients to stand out.
And oil packed tuna is also ideal for pasta dishes in which you want the oil to act as part of the sauce.
Water packed tuna though is better for pasta dishes with creamy sauces or where the tuna is mixed in with other ingredients.
You can mix tuna into hot pasta as the heat from the hot pasta will help warm the tuna and blend in the flavors.
If making a hot pasta dish you can add the tuna to the pasta while it's still hot.
After the pasta is cooked you can then drain the pasta and add the pasta to a bowl and mix in the tuna and evenly distribute the tuna into the hot pasta.
You can also enhance the flavor of the tuna pasta by adding olive oil, lemon juice, capers, garlic or other herbs.
For tuna pasta salad you should let pasta cool down before adding the tuna.
Allowing the pasta to cool down before adding tuna to tuna pasta salad prevents the pasta from getting mushy and helps the tuna pasta salad maintain it's desired texture.
If making pasta dishes that are served hot like a casserole or Tuna Pasta that is served hot you should add the tuna into the pasta while it cooks or while it's still hot.
To make Italian tuna pasta start by cooking the spaghetti until it's al dente.
Then as the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce by heating some olive oil in a skillet and sauteing of some chopped onions and anchovy fillet if using anchovy fillet.
Then add in some crushed red pepper and garlic, and stir in crushed tomatoes.
Next reduce the heat and add the capers and canned tuna, breaking up any large pieces.
After the pasta is cooked then you can drain the spaghetti and toss the spaghetti with some tuna sauce.
Then garnish it with some fresh herbs before serving or eating.
You can also add a small amount of starchy pasta water to the sauce which can help it coat the pasta better.
You can also enhance the flavor with some ingredients like chopped olives, fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice or lemon zest.
If you want added texture you can top the dish with some garlic and fried breadcrumbs.
A simpler version of Italian tuna pasta is combing cooked pasta with tuna packed in olive oil, olives and a drizzle of olive oil.
The ingredients for Italian tuna pasta include.
Chopped fresh parsley or basil to garnish.
Canned tuna in olive oil.
Capers.
Crushed tomatoes.
Anchovy fillet which is optional.
Crushed red pepper flakes.
Chopped onion and minced garlic.
Olive oil.
And spaghetti.