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An easy pasta bake with tuna and creamy tomato sauce, all topped off with lots of lovely cheddar cheese! This is a great dish to serve to a crowd. Simple to make and you can even prep it ahead.
“Nicest tuna pasta bake I’ve ever eaten! I made mine without the cream and it still tasted delicious. Thank you!”
Nicky’s Notes
Pasta bakes really do make the best comfort food!
Simple ingredients that come together for a brilliant family dinner.
Yes, it’s got cheese, cream and pasta in there, but there are loads of nutritious goodies included too. It’s also one of those meals that works really well with a big side salad. So it ticks all the boxes for me.
- Uses store cupboard ingredients – tinned tuna, tinned tomatoes and pasta
- It’s filling and tasty – with good amounts of protein and fibre
- It makes great leftovers, and you can also make it ahead and/or freeze it.
Oh, and if you fancy a creamy tuna pasta bake instead of tomato, I’ve got you covered.
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients for Tuna Tomato Pasta Bake
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
What type of tuna should I use?
I prefer to use albacore tuna for this, as it’s firmer and creamier than regular tuna fish. However it is a little on the expensive side, so you can sub it for regular canned tuna fish if you like and it will still taste delicious!
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.
Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Soften a chopped onion in a large frying pan, add peppers, tuna fish, seasoning, garlic, tomato puree and oregano and cook for 3 mins. Add tinned tomatoes and cream, simmer, then stir in cooked pasta. Top with cheese and bake until golden.
Recipe Tip
- If your pan isn’t ovenproof, transfer to an oven-proof dish before topping with cheese and baking.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It🍽️ What to serve it with
Your favourite side-bread and/or salad. How about one of these:
- Garlic bread or Dough balls
- Simple dressed salad or a Butter lettuce salad
Make ahead and Leftovers Guide
- Make up the dish and sprinkle with the cheese (but don’t bake in the oven). Cover and refrigerate for up to two days.
– Take out of the refrigerator an hour before you want to cook it, to take the chill off the dish (and to help prevent cold spots upon heating) then place in the oven, covered in foil, at 190C/375F for 10 minutes, then a further 20-25 minutes uncovered. Check it’s piping hot in the middle before serving. - Make up the dish and sprinkle with the cheese (but don’t bake in the oven). Cover and freeze.
– Defrost fully 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 10 minutes, then a further 20-25 minutes uncovered. Check it’s piping hot in the middle before serving.
📺 Watch how to make it
Tomato Tuna Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) dried pasta shapes I used shells
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper de-seeded and chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper de-seeded and chopped
- 300 g (10.5 oz) canned tuna albacore tuna if possible, drained and flaked
- pinch salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 2 tbsp tomato puree paste for US
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 x 400 g (2 x 14 oz) tin finely chopped tomatoes
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream
- 100 g (1 cup) grated/shredded strong cheddar cheese
- 100 g (1 cup) grated/shredded mozzarella
- small bunch parsley roughly torn
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F (fan). Boil a large pan of water and cook the pasta for 1 minute less than recommended on the pack. Drain.400 g (14 oz) dried pasta shapes
- Whilst the pasta is cooking, heat the oil on a medium heat, in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion is softened.1 tbsp oil, 1 large onion
- Add the chopped peppers, tuna fish, salt, pepper, garlic, tomato puree, and oregano. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 300 g (10.5 oz) canned tuna, pinch salt and pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tsp dried oregano
- Now add the tinned tomatoes and cream, bring to a gentle bubble, then add the pasta. Stir everything together, then transfer to a large baking dish.2 x 400 g (2 x 14 oz) tin finely chopped tomatoes, 120 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream
- Top with the cheddar and mozzarella and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.100 g (1 cup) grated/shredded strong cheddar cheese, 100 g (1 cup) grated/shredded mozzarella
- Take out of the oven and top with a sprinkling of parsley before serving.small bunch parsley
Video
Notes
Can you make it ahead?
Yes, make up the dish and sprinkle with the cheese (but don’t bake in the oven). Cover and refrigerate for up to two days. Take out of the refrigerator an hour before you want to cook it, to take the chill off the dish (and to help prevent cold spots upon heating) then place in the oven covered in foil at 190C/375F for 10 minutes, then a further 20-25 minutes uncovered. Check it’s piping hot in the middle before serving.Can you freeze it?
Yes, make up the dish and sprinkle with the cheese (but don’t bake in the oven). Cover and freeze. 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 10 minutes, then a further 20-25 minutes uncovered. Check it’s piping hot in the middle before serving.Use up those veggies
Pasta bakes are great for using up those slightly sad-looking veggies in the fridge.This version includes onion and bell peppers but you can add in or swap:
- Mushrooms – Add chopped large or whole baby mushrooms at the same time you add the peppers.
- Green beans – Add roughly chopped green beans at the same time you add the peppers.
- Spinach – Use baby spinach and stir it in at the same time you add the pasta to the sauce
- Sundried tomatoes – add in at the same time as you add the pasta to the sauce.
- Frozen or canned peas or sweetcorn – drain if using canned, and add them in at the same time as you add the pasta to the sauce.
- Add chopped spring onions at the same time as the pasta, or you can sprinkle them on at the end for a bit of crunch.
Which pasta shapes?
I used pasta shells, but any large pasta shapes will work. Spiralli, rigatoni, fusilli and penne are all good options.Gluten free option:
Use gluten free pasta and ensure your tomato puree (paste) is gluten free and you’re good to go. Nutritional Information is per serving (this recipe serves 6)Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was first published in January 2014. Updated later with new photos, tips, video and for housekeeping reasons.
🍲 More fantastic Pasta recipes
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I don’t mean to sound silly but do you add cooked bacon to the dish or raw?
There isn’t any bacon in this dish, maybe you’re thinking of the chicken pasta bake dish? In which case yes, it’s cooked bacon.
Tomato Tuna Pasta Bake
why is this in ingredients
1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
not used
Not sure what you mean – there’s no thyme in this recipe (just oregano).
not now it not!!!!!
here what i copied and save
Ingredients for the tuna pasta bake:
400 g dried pasta shapes I used shells
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper de-seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper de-seeded and chopped
pinch of salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
2 tbsp tomato puree or 6 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
10 1/2 oz 300g canned tuna (albacore tuna if possible) drained and flaked
28 oz 800g tinned chopped tomatoes
½ cup 120ml double (heavy) cream
1 cup 100 g strong cheddar cheese grated
1 cup 100 g mozzarella grated
ll bunch parsley roughly torn
does that look familiar
now i enjoyed the devil out of it
but not willing to admit your mistake you go to try to make me one of two things
dumb or can not read
that is low
Hi Richard, I’m not trying to call you dumb or tell you you can’t read at all, I was simply confused as I didn’t remember thyme ever appearing in that recipe.
I’ve checked wayback machine (which shows websites as they were on different dates) and the earliest I can see the page on that website is 25th April 2020 (here’s the link: https://web.archive.org/web/20200425195210/https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/tomato-tuna-pasta-bake/#wprm-recipe-container-21399) it doesn’t show thyme there.
I also checked the video and recipe ingredients on you tube. I can’t see thyme there. I also checked yummly (where people often save the recipe – https://www.yummly.co.uk/recipe/Tomato-Tuna-Pasta-Bake-9185501) and the ingredients don’t show it there.
It’s possible when the recipe was first published back in March 2020 that it had the thyme in, but it wasn’t there in April 2020 – so if I updated it, it would have been between those two dates.
Did you maybe save during that time last year?
If not then please let me know as I would like to get to the bottom of it if it’s some kind of issue with the site when you were copying and pasting.
13 year old made this tuna bake! Really easy. Everyone loved it and she was over the moon her dish was a hit. Definitely a keeper recipe.
Very quick easy recipie to follow. Many thanks!👍 1st time I tried cooking something from your website and have to say I will be returning very often!! Love the easy layout, the tick boxes are epic, plus the explained videos are THE BEST for a young learner cook like me! Thank you Nicky.
Hi Nicky,
Do you suppose I could possibly use milk and a bit of cornstarch or flour and butter (in the way of a roux) if I dont have double cream? Covid times and all, dont usually buy cream.
Hi Mercy, yes a good splash of milk and a little cornstarch slurry would be fine 🙂
Made this last night, very tasty dish. I used the oil from the tuna to fry the veg and then tore the mozzarella in chunks and stirred it in to make even creamier.
Simply Delicious
Absolutely delicious! Even the picky toddler devoured two bowls of it! Thanks for the new family favourite!
Made this last night for my family, everyone LOVED it. I’m off to try your chicken bacon one next.
Very nice recipe. We have to try. So easy, flavorful and delicious.