Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake – tuna with pasta, peas and sweetcorn in a a lovely creamy, cheesy sauce. It’s an easy meal that everyone loves – made with mostly store-cupboard ingredients!
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There’s something about a pasta bake that just seems to make everyone so happy. Possibly the promise of a luxuriously filling meal, topped with cheese and oozing with some kind of sauce 😍.
📋 What do we need?
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.
📺 Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
👩🍳PRO TIP Use albacore tuna if you can – it has a lovely creamy-meaty taste. If you haven’t got it, don’t worry, regular tuna works great too.
I would always suggest using tuna fish in oil (drain it before adding to the dish) as it has more flavour and a richer texture. However, you can use tuna in water or brine if you prefer.
🍽️ What to serve it with
- Parmesan Carrot Fries or Oven-Baked Potato Fries
- Homemade Garlic Bread
- A nice crisp salad
🍲 More fantastic Pasta Bakes
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Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) rigatoni pasta
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 onion peeled and chopped finely
- 40 g (1/3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) milk
- 250 g (2 1/2 packed cups) strong cheddar grated
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 320 g (11 oz) canned tuna albacore tuna if possible, drained and flaked
- 330 g (11.5 oz) canned sweetcorn drained
- 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas
- chopped parsley to serve
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180C/350F (fan).
- Boil a large pan of water, add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes.400 g (14 oz) rigatoni pasta
- 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.1 onion
- 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.3 tbsp butter, 40 g (1/3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) milk
- 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.250 g (2 1/2 packed cups) strong cheddar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
- Drain the pasta and pour into a 20x30cm baking dish. Pour over the white sauce, then add the tuna, sweetcorn, and frozen peas.320 g (11 oz) canned tuna, 330 g (11.5 oz) canned sweetcorn, 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas
- Mix together, then sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins until the cheese is golden brown. Top with a sprinkling of parsley before serving.chopped parsley
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was first published in Feb 2016. Updated in May 2021 with new photos, video and FAQs.
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.
Love this it is so easy to make and tastes delicious.
You have to have butter in mostly equal parts to flour to make a roux in order to make the home made cheese sauce. No need to be insulting.
I enjoyed this as a family meal I added some garlic and capsicum. Thanks for the recipe I might have made a bit extra but leftovers always great just put it in a bigger dish!!
Why oh why do we have ‘tablespoons’ of butter?? Positively obtuse.
This recipe was OK – it did taste good, with a few tweaks, but I found the volumes in general were way out. Using the ingredients as directed (including the preposterous ‘tablespoons’ of butter…) this actually filled up TWO 20cm by 30cm dishes.
Sorry to be so ‘obtuse’.
I have a lot of US readers, and I’m told they often measure volumetrically rather than by weight. I figured 3 tbsp was easier for people to figure out whether they had scales or not.
Just trying to be helpful when providing my free recipes.
How rude!!
Obtuse? What an absurd choice of words to use to criticise a recipe. Maybe you meant obscene? Either way, no one is forcing you to make it so no need to be so ‘obtuse’ about it.
I made this for dinner and my husband loved it!! Though I sauted the onions with garlic and green pepper . My best tuna bake to date! Thank you for the recipe.
Great idea with the onions, garlic and green pepper – I’ll have to try that 🙂
We have this meal on a regular basis. We use canned sweetcorn with peppers and add crushed ready salted crisps to the top near the end of cooking. Sometimes I also add a dash of Tabasco or cayenne pepper to the cheese sauce for a little kick. Thanks for the recipe!
We have meal on a regular basis. We use canned sweetcorn with peppers and add crushed ready salted crisps to the top near the end of cooking. Sometimes I also add a dash of tobacco or cayenne pepper to the cheese sauce for a little kick. Thanks for the recipe!
First, I must confess that I have not eaten this, as I don’t particularly like tuna! I made this in advance so that my partner (who does not enjoy cooking) could put it in the oven in my absence to feed herself and two children. Reports back this morning were extremely positive, however! I have been told that it was “Really tasty” and “Really, really good”, and that they’d all like it again. If that’s anything to go on, five stars is very much deserved.
I’ll definitely be making this again (and I might even try some next time!)
A recipe that really works! The extra ingredients of sweetcorn and lots of parsley set this recipe apart from the others. Thank you for sharing.
Best tuna pasta bake ever.