• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Mrs Jones's Kitchen logo

  • ALL RECIPES
  • BUDGET
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • HOME
  • ALL RECIPES
  • BUDGET
  • eBooks
    • Welcome To ME
    • 10 Soups
    • 10 Muffins
    • 12 Christmas Cookies
  • About
  • Contact
  • Services
  • Recipe Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Budget Dinners

    Tuna Pasta Bake

    By Robyn | Published: May 24, 2023 | Modified: May 24, 2023

    TO THE RECIPE

    This creamy tuna pasta bake recipe is a comforting classic family dinner on the table in 45 minutes. Pasta is mixed with a homemade creamy sauce, tuna and sweetcorn, sprinkled with cheese then baked until golden in this versatile recipe.

    tuna pasta bake in oval baking dish with a portion taken out.

    This easy tuna pasta bake casserole – or tuna mornay – is my go to recipe when I am stuck for what to make for dinner or am due a trip to the shops and have nothing in the fridge. Made with basic pantry ingredients, this family friendly budget dinner takes just 10 minutes to prepare. It’s creamy, cheesy and everyone goes back for second helpings!

    Whilst we love tuna pesto pasta and the simple one pot tomato pasta, there is something comforting about a pasta bake – there are never any leftovers of my sweetcorn mac and cheese, or pesto lasagna.

    Jump to:
    • Why we love this recipe
    • Ingredient notes and substitutions
    • How to make tuna pasta bake from scratch
    • FAQ
    • My recipe tips
    • Serving Ideas
    • Make ahead/storage
    • Variations
    • Ideas for leftover pasta bake
    • Why not try…
    • Tuna Pasta Bake

    Why we love this recipe

    • Economical Dinner – like my tuna and cauliflower pasta bake, this simple pasta bake uses tinned tuna, one of my favourite budget friendly ingredients. From tuna nachos to tuna melt croissants, it makes easy lunches and dinners.
    • This simple pasta bake is an easy family dinner that takes 10 minutes to prepare. You can also make the sauce and cook the pasta up to 3 days ahead, store in the fridge and then mix and bake for a fuss free dinner on busy weeknights.
    • This creamy pasta bake is toddler and kid friendly – my 5 year old has been enjoying every spoonful for years.
    • Easy recipe that you can customise to what you have in – or what leftovers are sat in the fridge and need using up. I find this pasta bake a great base recipe to add to: if there are any leftover cooked veggies in the fridge like cooked broccoli or cauliflower, or some roasted vegetables I add them into the sauce with the tuna.
    • Tuna mornay pasta bake is easily halved to feed 2, or you can double the recipe to feed a crowd.

    Ingredient notes and substitutions

    Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient quantities.

    • Pasta – I tend to make this tuna bake with spirals or penne pasta, however you can use any dried pasta shapes in this pasta bake, from macaroni to ziti. You can even make it with smaller pasta shapes such as orzo / risoni.
    • Butter – you can use salted or unsalted butter, or use margarine.
    • Plain flour – all purpose flour
    • Milk – I use full fat milk as that’s the milk we always have in the fridge, but you can use half fat milk. You can also make this sauce using half milk and half homemade vegetable stock to keep the cost down.
    • Tinned tuna – tinned or canned tuna. Use an unflavoured tuna in water or in oil, and tuna chunks rather than tuna flakes.
    • Tinned sweetcorn – tinned / canned sweetcorn or frozen sweetcorn.
    • Worcestershire sauce – this sweet and tangy sauce is optional, but adds a unami taste to the sauce.
    • Cheese – grated cheddar or tasty block cheese, grated.
    ingredients needed to make the recipe weighed out and placed in individual bowls.

    How to make tuna pasta bake from scratch

    Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.

    1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour until well combined and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. TIP: This helps cook the flour and stops the sauce from having a raw flour taste.
    2. Add the milk a little at a time, using a balloon whisk to whisk the sauce in between. With the first addition of milk it will still look lumpy (like the image below). Don’t worry!
    Melted butter and flour mixed into it in a saucepan
    Melted butter and flour with a little of the milk whisked in.
    1. Add all the milk and whisk with a balloon whisk whilst cooking for 4-5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened
    2. Add the Worcestershire sauce, if using, grated cheese and then lightly stir in the drained tuna and drained sweetcorn.
    The cooked creamy white sauce in a pan.
    1. Tip the drained cooked pasta into the sauce and stir well to combine.
    2. Pour the pasta and sauce in to an 28 cm x 21cm (11 x 8 inch) oven proof dish, and sprinkle with optional extra grated cheese.
    Cooked pasta stirred into the sauce with corn and tuna.
    The pasta and sauce in an oval baking dish sprinkled with cheese ready for the oven.
    1. Place the pasta bake in the preheated oven for until the top is bubbling and golden. Leave for a couple of minutes before serving – it’s super hot!
    close up of tuna pasta bake in baking dish.

    FAQ

    Why is my pasta bake watery?

    The sauce you make should be thick. Also, make sure you drain the pasta, tuna and sweetcorn well to avoid adding too much extra liquid to the pasta bake.

    Can you freeze tuna pasta bake?

    Yes! Tuna pasta bake freezes well. Freeze for up to 3 months then defrost in the fridge overnight. It’s best reheated in the microwave. If you reheat it on the stove or in the oven you will need to add a little more liquid.

    Can you reheat tuna pasta bake?

    Yes! Although it won’t have the crispy cheesy top, it will be more like stove top mac and cheese.

    My recipe tips

    • For a smooth, lump free sauce: add the milk a little at a time, whisking well in between each addition and use a balloon whisk to make the sauce, this really helps get rid of any lumps.
    • Cooking the pasta slightly less than the instructions on the packet helps you get beautifully cooked pasta rather than overcooked mushy pasta.
    • When stirring the tuna into the sauce, don’t beat it in. Leave chunks of tuna rather than flakes.
    • Let the pasta bake cool for a few minutes before serving. It will be very hot when it first comes out of the oven!

    Serving Ideas

    This cheesey tuna pasta bake is more than a meal in itself, but if you want to add some greens a simple crisp salad like this pear and walnut salad, rocket salad or German cucumber salad is always a tasty addition, as are some steamed green beans or broccoli. If you want to add some extra carbs on the side, a slice of air fryer garlic bread is always popular! (This is something I do if we have unexpected guests – it helps the pasta bake go further!)

    tuna pasta in the baking dish with a portion removed and placed on a serving plate in the top left corner.

    Make ahead/storage

    The pasta bake is most delicious fresh from the oven, however you can reheat leftover pasta bake.

    There are a couple of ways I reheat tuna pasta bake:

    1. Stove top: spoon the tuna pasta into a saucepan and add a splash of milk or stock. Reheat gently, stirring every so often to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Don’t stir it too much otherwise the pasta can break up and it can become stodgy. If you have a microwave reheat it in the microwave until piping hot.
    2. Oven – place leftover pasta bake bake in to a baking dish, stirring though a little more liquid – approx 75ml – 120ml (⅓ – ½ c) Sprinkle extra grated cheese on top and place in a medium oven for 10-15 minutes until piping hot.

    Variations

    • Spicy tuna pasta bake – For a mild spice I like to add 1 teaspoons of mild curry powder to the sauce. Or if you have younger family members, you can drizzle a little Sriracha or add a spoonful of quick pickled chillies on top of those that want a little spice, leaving the rest without spice.
    • Crunchy topping – half way through baking, sprinkle over some pangrattato (Italian breadcrumbs) or panko breadcrumbs.
    • Other vegetables – swap the sweetcorn for frozen peas or frozen mixed vegetables, or fry some sliced mushrooms, roughly chopped of frozen capsicum / bell pepper, or lightly fry a coarsely grated carrot. Or use some broccoli – blanch some broccoli florets for 3 minutes before stirring through the sauce.
    • Less pasta – I often mix leftover pasta with some cooked rice, or even leftover potato. Or you can add and more vegetables.

    Ideas for leftover pasta bake

    • If you have a small amount of tuna pasta leftover, use it to top toast: grill a couple of slices of toast on one side then flip over and lightly grill the other side, to crisp it but not to get any colour on it. Meanwhile, heat the pasta bake in a small saucepan over a low heat, adding a little more milk if needed. Spoon this over the toasted bread, top with a little grated cheese and place under the grill until golden and bubbling.
    • Add a spoonful or two to an omelette (it won’t be a neat omelette but it tastes soo good!) or Spanish tortilla.

    Why not try…

    You may also like these other family friendly pasta dinner:

    • close up of baked mac and cheese in baking dish with a portion taken out.
      Baked Corn Mac and Cheese
    • pasta al pomodoro in bowl with fresh basil and parmesan shavings
      Pasta al Pomodoro
    • overhead photo of pesto lasagne in cooking dish on wire cooling rack
      Pesto Lasagna (Lasagna Genovese)
    • cheese and tomato lasagna in white baking dish with spinach salad and toy lorries on left hand side
      Cheese and Tomato Vegetarian Lasagne
    a portion of tuna and sweetcorn pasta on blue plate with a fork.

    Tuna Pasta Bake

    Author: Robyn

    This creamy tuna pasta bake with sweetcorn is a budget family dinner made with simple ingredients that kids love.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course dinner
    Cuisine International
    Servings 4 People
    Calories 803 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 28 cm x 21cm (11 x 8 inch) oven proof dish

    Ingredients
      

    • 250g (4 c) dried pasta
    • 75g (¼ c + 1 tablespoon) butter or margarine
    • 75g (½ c) plain flour
    • 400ml milk
    • 400ml stock or milk
    • splash Worcestershire sauce, optional
    • 100g (3 ½ oz) grated cheddar or tasty cheese
    • 185g tinned tuna in water or oil
    • 420g (14 oz) tinned sweetcorn
    • black pepper
    • 25g (¾ oz) grated cheddar or tasty cheese, for the top, optional

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan / 200˚C / 356˚F convection / 392˚F.
    • Cook the pasta in boiling water according to packet instructions less 1 minute. Drain.
    • While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce:
    • In a medium saucepan melt the butter or margarine over a medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir until well combined.
    • Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring, then slowly add a little of the stock / milk, whisking with a ballon whisk in between each addition.
    • Once all the liquid has been added, cook for 4-5 minutes, whisking, until the sauce starts to thicken.
    • Take off the heat and add the Worcestershire sauce, if using, 100g (3 ½ oz) grated cheese, drained tuna and sweetcorn and season with black pepper.
    • Add the drained cooked pasta and stir to combine.
    • Tip the mixture into 28 cm x 21cm (11 x 8 inch) oven proof dish. Sprinkle over the extra 25g (¾ oz) grated cheese, if using.
    • Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30-35 minutes until golden and bubbling.
    • Leave for a couple of minutes before serving – it’s hot!

    Notes

    Pasta – I tend to make this tuna bake with spirals or penne pasta, however you can use any dried pasta shapes in this pasta bake, from macaroni to ziti. You can even make it with smaller pasta shapes such as orzo / risoni.
    Butter – you can use salted or unsalted butter, or use margarine.
    Plain flour – all purpose flour
    Milk – I use full fat milk as that’s the milk we always have in the fridge, but you can use half fat milk. You can also make this sauce using half milk and half homemade vegetable stock to keep the cost down.
    Tinned tuna – tinned or canned tuna. Use an unflavoured tuna in water or in oil, and tuna chunks rather than tuna flakes.
    Tinned sweetcorn – tinned / canned sweetcorn or frozen sweetcorn.
    Worcestershire sauce – this sweet and tangy sauce is optional, but adds a unami taste to the sauce.
    Cheese – grated cheddar or tasty block cheese, grated.
    For a smooth, lump free sauce: add the milk a little at a time, whisking well in between each addition and use a balloon whisk to make the sauce, this really helps get rid of any lumps.
    Cooking the pasta slightly less than the instructions on the packet helps you get beautifully cooked pasta rather than overcooked mushy pasta. 
    When stirring the tuna into the sauce, don’t beat it in. Leave chunks of tuna rather than flakes.
    Let the pasta bake cool for a few minutes before serving. It will be very hot when it first comes out of the oven!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 803kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 35gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 525mgPotassium: 806mgFiber: 5gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 1558IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 463mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword pasta bake, tuna pasta, tuna pasta bake

    HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?

    I’d love to see your creation!

    Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
    Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen

    Or just leave a comment below!

    « Blueberry and Apple Crumble
    Slow Cooker Beef Madras »

    Reader Interactions

    Let me know your thoughts! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    Robyn Jones, Recipe Developer & Food Photographer

    Robyn Jones

    Recipe Developer | Food Photographer | Writer

    Hi! I'm Robyn, a toddler mum with a passion for all things food! Having moved internationally 7 times in the past 12 years I have developed a love of making international recipes into family friendly ones you can make in your own home, with local ingredients; wherever you live!

    Latest

    • overhead photo of yasai gyoza on a plate, chopsticks on the side ready to eat. Two gyoza are turned upside down to show their golden and crispy bases
      Yasai Gyoza (Veggie Gyoza)
    • overhead photo of sumac marinated red onions in a white bowl, with fresh parsley leaves to the side
      Turkish Sumac Onions
    • close up overhead photo of Lebanese slaw, Malfouf salad, in a pale pink bowl served with lemon wedges and fresh mint leaves
      Malfouf Salad
    • Haydari in a serving bowl topped with fresh mint, fresh dill and olive oil, pink garlic cloves and fresh basil just visible
      Haydari (Turkish Yogurt Sauce)
    • overhead photo of Mizeria in a pale pink bowl, sprinkled with chopped fresh dill
      Polish Cucumber Salad (mizeria)
    • white bean caprese salad served on two plates, one with a fork being eaten, fresh basil scattered over them both
      White Bean Caprese Salad

    Loved Right Now

    • Parmentier Potatoes
    • Bourbon Biscuit Recipe
    • Cooked savoury mince in a blue pan topped with fresh herbs, ready to eat
      Savoury Mince
    • cooked chapatis on blue plate with wooden board covered with flour and chapati dough ready to be rolled in the background
      Easy Indian Chapati Recipe
    • Rocket and pomegranate salad in a serving bowl, plates of the rocket salad just visible
      Rocket Pomegranate Salad
    • overhead photo of golden pastry topped ham and chicken pie, with freshly picked fresh thyme scattered around and some plates ready to serve
      Chicken and Ham Pie

    Footer

    Services

    Recipe Creation
    Recipe Audits
    Photography | Portfolio
    Videos
    eBooks

    Information

    About
    Contact
    Disclaimer
    Accessibility Policy
    Terms & Conditions
    Privacy Policy
    Cookie Policy

    Recipe Customers

    Register
    Log in
    Recipe Shop
    Terms of Business

    Copyright © 2023 Mrs Jones Kitchen International

    Website by Vanilla Ink