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    Tuna Pasta Bake

    Tuna Pasta Bake in a rectangular glass casserole dish of tuna pasta bake with melted cheese on top.

    Tuna Pasta Bake is one of my children's favourite meals and is a great Winter Warmer. It's one of my favourites too because it's so easy to make and I usually have everything in my store cupboard and fridge for an 'emergency' meal.

    Tuna Pasta Bake in a rectangular glass casserole dish of tuna pasta bake with melted cheese on top.

    Tuna Pasta Bake

    Jump to Recipe

    When you need a meal in a hurry

    I remember once, when I was newly married, that some friends had come for tea with their children. I had assumed tea and cake, which is what I provided. The children were clearly waiting for a meal. So I quickly made a  cheese sauce, added a couple of cans of tuna, one of sweetcorn and some cooked pasta. Voila!  Tuna Pasta Bake.

    Since then I have always kept the necessary ingredients around, although these days I add a few more vegetables in my constant striving to at least attempt to get at least some of their five-a-day into my family.

    Bake or eat from the pan

    If you're in a real hurry, dish up straight from the saucepan, but this Tuna Pasta Bake does benefit from half an hour in the oven to kind of solidify it. That sounds a bit unattractive, but it does give a different texture - plus a reason to add more cheese on top.

    This is a good dish to make and freeze for Christmas or other family gatherings. For me, it's ideal because it's one child's favourite, and another one doesn't eat meat. One meal sorted.

    Tuna Pasta Bake uses Cheese Sauce as its base. Other variations are Everyday Lasagne and Luxury Macaroni Cheese.

    Tuna Pasta Bake in a rectangular glass casserole dish of tuna pasta bake with melted cheese on top.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Tuna Pasta Bake

    Tuna Pasta Bake is a wonderful combination of cheese sauce, pasta and tuna, with some grated carrot and sweetcorn providing the vegetable element.
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time45 mins
    Total Time1 hr 15 mins
    Course: Supper
    Cuisine: British
    Keyword: Comfort food, tuna pasta
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: [email protected] Cooks

    Ingredients

    Cheese Sauce

    • ¾ litre Cheese Sauce, defrosted if previously frozen. See Foolproof Cheese Sauce

    Using:

    • ¾ litre milk
    • 75 g butter
    • 75 g flour
    • 150 g strong Cheddar cheese
    • 1 teaspoon mustard powder (5ml)
    • grated nutmeg
    • salt and pepper

    For the Tuna Past Bake

    • 200 g wholewheat pasta spirals, or whatever you have
    • 3 carrots
    • 320 g canned tuna, 2 medium cans
    • 340 g canned sweetcorn
    • 25-50 g grated cheese to finish
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    Equipment

    2–2.5-litre/4-pint ovenproof pie dish

    Instructions

    Preparation

    • Put the pasta on to cook according to the packet, but slightly undercook
    • Peel and grate the carrots
    • Drain the tuna and sweetcorn into a colander
    • Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan/ gas mark 6/ 400°F

    For the Tuna Pasta Bake:

    • Make the cheese sauce (see Foolproof Cheese Sauce for details) or gently heat the sauce if made earlier
    • Add the drained tuna, grated carrot and sweetcorn and mix well. Add the cooked pasta and stir gently to combine - you don't want to break up the pasta
    • Turn into a casserole or gratin dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese
    • Cook for 30 minutes until the cheese is beginning to brown
      If the cheese sauce is not hot when you put the Tuna Pasta Bake into the oven, cook for an additional 10-15 minutes
      Leaving it for up to an extra 20 minutes won't hurt
    • If time, let it stand for 15 minutes.

    Notes

    Everyday Cooks tip:

    • TPB freezes well and can be reheated in the microwave or the oven
    • Add more vegetables such as tiny florets of broccoli or cauliflower if you like

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tom says

      September 13, 2020 at 12:39 am

      5 stars
      So easy! On a rainy day we wanted something warm and comforting that we could eat together with our 1yo son and this was perfect. Doubling the recipe was no extra effort, and although we didn't have enough sweetcorn, peas worked great too. We skipped baking this time because we were too hungry but have frozen one that's ready for the oven. My son devoured it and went back for seconds! Now we've got some in the freezer for an even easier dinner.

      Reply
      • Susie Collings says

        September 15, 2020 at 5:11 pm

        Hi Tom. Glad you liked the recipe 🙂 Sometimes it's hard to feed toddlers, so I'm pleased that your son liked it too. Cheers - Susie

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Susie. Mostly I love cooking and baking, but combining work and home life often leaves me feeling that providing healthy, tasty food for my family is a chore. On those days I am decidedly an Everyday Cook...

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