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 05/19/20
Tuna Dan Dan Noodles

The Spruce / Todd Coleman
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 2 mins
Total: 12 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 serving

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 .

3:14

3 Surprising Ways to Use Canned Tuna

Ingredients

  • For the Sauce:
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter (smooth)
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (plus more for garnish)
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 1/4 pound cooked spaghetti (leftover, 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 chili paste (such as Sambal Oelek)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • Garnish: thinly sliced scallions

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, sambal, 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. 

  6. Enjoy!