Canned Tuna Dan Dan Noodles

Written by
Todd Coleman

Todd is the Creative Content Director for social media at Dotdash, working across The Spruce Eats, TripSavvy, Liquor.com and TreeHugger.

Todd has seen every side of the media and food world—behind the lens, on the page, and beyond. He has been everything from executive food editor at Saveur and creative director at Tasting Table to producer at the Food Network and shooter-writer-editor for everything from travel stories to cookbooks. He’s also an Instagram star (with over 100,000 followers!)

Todd received an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America.

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Todd Coleman
Updated 05/20/21
Tuna Dan Dan Noodles

The Spruce / Todd Coleman
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 2 mins
Total: 12 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 serving
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
1076 Calories
68g Fat
59g Carbs
65g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 1076
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 68g 87%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 72mg 24%
Sodium 2530mg 110%
Total Carbohydrate 59g 22%
Dietary Fiber 10g 35%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 65g
Vitamin C 4mg 21%
Calcium 195mg 15%
Iron 8mg 44%
Potassium 1258mg 27%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This riff on the Chinese-inspired dan dan noodle—typically made with ground beef—substitutes canned tuna for a quick and satisfying meal. Incorporating soy sauce, peanut butter, the spice of chili paste, and pasta, it's a great way to combine ingredients you may already have on hand, but in a new way.

If you can't find chili paste, Sriracha is also a good substitute .

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Ingredients

For the Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, plus more for garnish

  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce

  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil

  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar

  • Salt, to taste

  • Black pepper, to taste

  • 1/4 pound leftover cooked spaghetti, reheated in the microwave with a little water

For the Spicy Tuna:

  • 1 (5-ounce) can oil-packed tuna, not drained

  • 1 tablespoon hot paprika

  • 2 tablespoons chile paste (such as Sambal Oelek)

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce

  • 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

  • Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Whisk together, in a large bowl, the peanut butter, water, sesame seeds, soy, sesame oil, and vinegar until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  3. Add the re-heated cooked spaghetti and stir to amply coat the noodles. Set aside.

  4. Place tuna in a small bowl, and break into small pieces using a fork. Add the paprika, chile paste, oil, soy and sesame oil and stir vigorously to make a chunky sauce. 

  5. To serve, divide the spaghetti into a bowl and spoon over the spicy tuna. Garnish with scallion and sesame seeds.