Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake - a classic meal that everyone loves - made with mostly store-cupboard ingredients!
There's something about a pasta bake that just seems to make everyone so happy. Possibly the implied promise of a luxuriously filling meal, topped with cheese and oozing with some kind of sauce.
Let's take a closer look at a couple of scenarios:
Scenario 1
My kids:
'What're we having for dinner mummy?'
Me:
'Baked cod' / 'ceasar salad' / 'parmesan & asparagus risotto'
Kids:
'Blurgh! do we get pudding if we eat it?'
Scenario 2
Kids:
'What're we having for dinner mummy?'
Me:
'Creamy Tuna pasta bake' / 'Chicken pasta bake' / 'Tomato and bacon pasta bake'
Kids:
'Yesssss!' (with added fist pump)
No requests for pudding as a reward for eating it. Dinner is a reward in itself. They'll even eat the salad that goes with it - no cajoling necessary.
This creamy tuna pasta bake is a store cupboard saviour. Pasta, sweetcorn, tuna fish - all make up the bulk of the meal. Frozen peas are a great addition too - but you can use canned or fresh if you like.
Apart from that, we're really just talking milk, cheese and a bit of butter from the fridge.
I serve it with a big plate of salad leaves (usually romaine and pea shoots or spinach) to add some fresh crunchiness.
If you can get hold of albacore tuna, it's definitely worth paying a bit more for it. We don't see it very much in the UK (in fact I'd never had it until we went to the US a couple of years ago and I had the best tuna-cheese toasty I've ever experienced!). If you're in the UK, they sell it in tins in Sainsburys.
Don't worry if you can't get hold of it though, any regular good-quality tinned tuna will do. If Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake is not your thing and you are after some other one pot or pasta bakes why not try my Big Batch Beef Ragu with pasta or Spaghetti Bolognese.
More Pasta Bakes
Still hungry for more pasta recipes?? Why not take a look at some of these:
- Cheesy Pasta Bake with Chicken and Bacon < A reader favourite!
- Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
- Tomato Tuna Pasta Bake < A tomatoey version of this one which we are loving at the moment!
- Cajun Chicken One Pot
- 30 Minute One Pot Chicken Pasta
- Lasagne
We have LOADS more pasta recipes in the pasta section so be sure to check it out.
The Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake Recipe:
Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 14 oz (400g) rigatoni pasta
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 onion - peeled and chopped finely
- 1/3 cup (40g) plain/all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups (600ml) milk
- 2 1/2 packed cups (250g) strong cheddar, grated
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 11 oz (320g) canned tuna (albacore tuna if possible) - drained and flaked
- 11 1/2 oz (330g) canned sweetcorn drained
- 1 cup (150g) frozen petit pois
- large handful chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat oven to 180C/350f.
- Boil a large pan of water, add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes.
- Whilst the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan, add in the onion and cook on low for 6-8 minutes until the onions are very soft.
- Turn up the heat to medium and stir in the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, using a whisk to stir (just stir, don’t whisk) it in. Once all the milk is incorporated, continue to heat whilst stirring until the sauce thickens. Then stir in 2/3 of the cheese until melted. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Drain the pasta and pour into a 20x30cm baking dish. Pour over the white sauce, then add the tuna, sweetcorn, petit pois and all but 1 tbsp of parsley. Mix together, then sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins until the cheese is golden brown. Top with the reserved parsley before serving.
✎ Notes
Nutrition
Equipment:
In order to make this Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake you will need:
- A good Kitchen knife. I have recently bought this Dalstrong one and love it.
- Chopping Board
- Rectangular Pyrex Dish
- A Silicone Whisk
- Measuring Jug
- Large Pan
- Colander
- Cheese Grater
- A frying pan/skillet
- Wooden or Silicon Coated Spoons. We have just bought these and love them.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Michael says
I’m absolutely a novice in the kitchen and there’s been plenty of times when I’ve followed a recipe online and it’s come out nothing like it’s supposed to.... not this time tho it was absolutely gorgeous everybody who tasted it said how nice it was!!
Christine says
First try came out real tasty. So am now making it again, the family really liked this dish.
Oliver Brooks says
The elephant never forget - my mum used to cook this dish when i was very small - thanks for the memories ! Preparation time - until the pasta is cooked - lol - then into the oven for half an hour or so - ima cooking with gas !
peter walker says
Iam going to make in a minute, my wife doesn't like pasta, so my replacing with small Jersey potatoes,hope it works
Chris Corbishley says
Hi Peter,
Ooooh that sounds like an interesting swap. How did it go?
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
[email protected] says
Yes it was quite nice having again tonight leftovers
Kristina Hajjar says
This recipe looks delicious! When my husband and I were in college, we used to make this and called it "college night tuna casserole." After all these years, we still love it!
Nicky Corbishley says
Thanks Kristina - that's so sweet to hear 🙂
We love this one too!
Ely says
Beautiful meal my family really enjoyed it i added to ingredients with peas and chopped tomates to pasta before topping with this wonderful cheese sauce thank you
M walker says
Enjoyed this simple to make recipe. Different to other tuna bakes I have made. I found it easier to mix everything up in the large pan I had, before putting it i the cooking dish
Bree says
Can you freeze this meal?
Nicky Corbishley says
Hi Bree, yes you can.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Take out of the refrigerator an hour before you want to cook it, to take the chill off, then place in the oven covered in foil at 190C/375F for 20 minutes, then a further 10-15 minutes uncovered. Check it's piping hot in the middle before serving.
Ali Hazell says
I made this today but used FRESH Atlantic salmon, skinned & cut into small chunks, & added frozen peas as I had no corn - it cooked beautifully & was left with an empty casserole dish! No leftovers for lunch tomorrow😪
Chris Corbishley says
Thanks Ali,
So glad you enjoyed it. Fish Pie is on our menu this week, Not sure how successful we are going to be at saving some for leftovers either 🙂
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
Jess says
Cooked this as surprise for my partner, it’s quite simple and as long as you stay in the kitchen you can get away with not following recipe steps with too much precision. We added a quarter can of mackerel (in natural oil), labour 3/4 an onion, 125 g of corn kernels and 125 of creamed corn (on hand), more peas and a stable spoon extra of butter.
But I think this recipe is quite unforgiving and will definitely try the written recipe when I have more energy, as I suffer from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.