What cook hasn't come home from a long day, tired and hungry, to find the refrigerator bare, offering poor prospects for a good, quick dinner? Yet a simple can of tuna paired with a box of dried pasta can come to the rescue even faster than the pizza delivery guy. The trick is to choose the right can of tuna and use it properly to make a fast, satisfying dinner; otherwise, the sauce can be murky, mealy, and unappetizing.

A side-by-side tasting of different types of tuna made into sauces got us going. The lineup was comprised of water-packed solid white StarKist (which won our tasting of leading brands of canned tuna packed in water), its vegetable oil–packed counterpart, and a tuna packed in olive oil (after the Italian style), which, like the other tunas, is available on many supermarket shelves. The surprise winner was the water-packed tuna, preferred for its toothsome texture and light, clear flavor. Several dissenters favored the rich flavor of the tuna packed in olive oil, but everyone frowned on the off flavor and mushy texture of the tuna packed in vegetable oil. (If you like the stronger flavor of tuna packed in olive oil, we found it best to drain the tuna and use fresh oil to make pasta sauces.) Draining the tuna well prevents it from tasting waterlogged and diluting the sauce. We also found it useful to use our fingers to shred large chunks to a fine and uniform texture, thereby ensuring even distribution of the tuna.

These techniques add but a minute to the preparation time yet make real improvements to the overall consistency of the final dish. We wondered about the right time to add the tuna to the other sauce ingredients and found that adding it late in the game was best. If sautéed from the start, the tuna dried out and became gritty, dragging down the texture of the whole dish with it. If the tuna is added to the sauce at the last minute and allowed to just heat through, it remains moist and tender. Because these sauces are relatively thick, we pair them with stubby, open, or tubular pasta shapes that can trap the sauce effectively. Penne, fusilli, radiatore, and gemelli are particularly good choices.

Pasta and Red Pepper Tuna Sauce with Anchovies, Garlic, and Basil
Serves 4 to 6

6 tablespoons olive oil6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons) ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes2 anchovy fillets, minced1 cup (about 7 ounces) jarred roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1?2-inch pieces ½ cup dry white wine2 (6-ounce) cans solid white tuna in water, drained well and chunks broken up with fingersSalt 1 pound penne or fusilli1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or fresh parsley leavesGround black pepper

1. Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon garlic, and the hot red pepper flakes in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and sizzling but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the anchovies and roasted red peppers and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly dry, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and bring to a simmer; simmer until the aroma bears no trace of alcohol, about 1 minute. Add the tuna and 2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the tuna is heated through, about 1 minute.

3. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to the boiling water. Cook until al dente. Drain, reserving ¼ cup cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and toss with the tuna mixture, remaining oil and garlic, lemon juice, basil, and reserved pasta water to coat. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

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