There are few things more welcoming on a chilly evening than the sight of a golden, bubbling pasta bake emerging from the oven. This isn’t just any tuna pasta bake; it’s the one I’ve tweaked and perfected over the years, transforming a simple staple into something truly special. Friends always ask me for this recipe after trying it at dinner parties, and I’m so happy to be sharing it here with you.

What sets this casserole recipe apart is the sauce. We’re not using a jar here. Instead, we’ll make a velvety, rich cheese sauce from scratch, infused with a hint of garlic and a secret touch of mustard that makes the cheddar sing. Paired with flaky tuna, sweet pops of corn, and perfectly cooked pasta, all tucked under a crisp, cheesy breadcrumb topping, it’s a symphony of textures and comforting flavours. This dish is my go-to for a satisfying midweek family meal and works beautifully for a casual weekend lunch.

This is the kind of recipe that feels like a warm hug in a dish. It’s nourishing, satisfying, and the process of making it is almost as therapeutic as eating it. It’s a brilliant way to use store-cupboard staples to create a meal that feels both wholesome and a little bit indulgent. Let’s get cooking.

Recipe Overview

This Tuna Pasta Bake recipe guides you through creating a deeply savoury and creamy casserole. The flavour profile is rich and cheesy, balanced by the sweetness of the corn and the savoury notes of the tuna. The topping provides a delightful crunch that contrasts with the soft pasta beneath. After testing multiple cheese combinations, I found that a sharp, mature cheddar gives the most satisfying depth of flavour.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Servings: 4-6 people
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Tuna Pasta Bake

• Genuine Flavour: The homemade béchamel sauce is the star. It’s gloriously creamy and infused with garlic, onion, and a touch of mustard powder, which brilliantly enhances the sharp cheddar without tasting of mustard.
• Ready in Under an Hour: From chopping the onion to pulling the golden bake from the oven, the entire meal comes together in about 45 minutes.
• Flexible Recipe: This tuna pasta is wonderfully adaptable. You can swap the sweetcorn for frozen peas, add sautéed mushrooms, or wilt in a large handful of spinach for extra greens.
• Great for Family Dinners: It’s a one-dish meal that covers all the bases. This casserole recipe is ideal when you want a hearty, satisfying dinner without a mountain of washing up.
• Family Tested: My whole family loves this version. The creamy sauce and crunchy topping win everyone over, and it’s one of the few meals that guarantees clean plates all around.

Tuna Pasta Bake

⏱️ 15 min prep  •  🍳 45 min cook  •  👥 4 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For this tuna pasta, we’re using simple, high-quality ingredients. I always recommend using tuna steak that’s packed in olive oil; I find brands like Ortiz or Fish4Ever offer a superior flavour and a much flakier, more pleasant texture than tuna in brine. You can find more about the history of dishes like this, often called casseroles, online.

• 400g dried short pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fusilli work well)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• For the Cheese Sauce:
• 60g unsalted butter
• 60g plain flour
• 800ml whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 tsp English mustard powder
• 250g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the Filling and Topping:
• 2 x 160g tins of tuna steak in olive oil, drained
• 1 x 325g tin of sweetcorn, drained
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs (from 1-2 slices of bread)
• 30g extra mature cheddar cheese, grated

Kira’s Tip: Grating your own block of cheese is a small step that makes a huge difference. Pre-shredded cheeses often contain powders to prevent clumping, which can result in a slightly gritty sauce. A block of good quality mature cheddar will melt into a perfectly smooth and velvety sauce.

How to Make Tuna Pasta Bake

The process for this pasta bake is straightforward. We’ll cook the pasta, make the cheese sauce, combine everything, and then bake it until it’s irresistibly golden and bubbly. It’s all about building layers of flavour as we go.

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/Gas Mark 4). Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for about 2 minutes less than the packet instructions state. It should be very al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for 8-10 minutes until soft and translucent, but not browned. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. To make the sauce, melt the butter in the same pan with the onions and garlic. Stir in the plain flour to form a thick paste (this is called a roux). Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. You can find excellent visual guides on how to make a perfect roux sauce if you’re new to the technique.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and begin adding the milk a little at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition to ensure a lump-free sauce. Once all the milk is incorporated, return the pan to a medium heat and bring it gently to a simmer, stirring until the sauce has thickened. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
5. Once thickened, take the sauce off the heat. Stir in the mustard powder and the 250g of grated mature cheddar. I find that stirring the cheese in off the heat helps it melt smoothly without splitting. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the drained, cooked pasta, the drained tuna (breaking it up into large flakes), and the sweetcorn to the cheese sauce. Stir gently until everything is evenly coated.
7. Pour the tuna pasta mixture into a large ovenproof dish (approximately 20cm x 30cm).
8. In a small bowl, mix the 50g of breadcrumbs with the extra 30g of grated cheddar. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of the pasta.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling up around the edges. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature Control: For the smoothest possible cheese sauce, make sure your milk is at room temperature before adding it to the hot roux. A sudden temperature drop can sometimes cause lumps.
• The Secret Step: I learned that slightly undercooking the pasta is non-negotiable for a great pasta bake. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven as it absorbs some of that delicious sauce, resulting in a perfect texture rather than a mushy one.
• Make-Ahead: You can assemble the entire tuna pasta bake (without the breadcrumb topping) up to 24 hours in advance. Cover it tightly and store it in the fridge. When ready to cook, add the topping and bake from chilled, adding about 10-15 minutes to the cooking time.
• Storage: Leftovers are fantastic! Store any remaining pasta bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or place the dish back in the oven at 160°C until heated through.

Delicious Variations to Try

Once you’ve mastered the base recipe, feel free to get creative. This casserole recipe is a brilliant canvas for other flavours.

• Spicy Version: Add 1/2 teaspoon of chilli flakes or a finely chopped red chilli along with the garlic for a gentle, warming heat.
• Vegetarian Option: For a meat-free version, replace the tuna with a tin of drained chickpeas or cannellini beans and add some sautéed leeks or mushrooms for extra umami depth.
• Different Protein: Flaked cooked salmon works wonderfully instead of tuna. You could also use shredded cooked chicken, similar to what you might find in my Flavorful Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe.

What to Serve With Tuna Pasta Bake

This dish is quite complete on its own, but a fresh side can balance the richness of the cheese sauce perfectly.

• Green Salad: A simple salad of mixed greens, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes with a sharp lemon vinaigrette helps cut through the creaminess.
• Steamed Vegetables: A side of steamed broccoli or green beans adds a lovely bit of colour and freshness to the plate.
• Garlic Bread: Because who can resist using warm garlic bread to mop up every last bit of that cheesy sauce?
• Wine Pairing: A crisp, dry white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or an unoaked Chardonnay complements the creamy sauce beautifully.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tuna Pasta Bake

A classic comfort food, this creamy and cheesy Tuna Pasta Bake is topped with a crunchy breadcrumb crust. Perfect for a hearty family dinner.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Calories: 1180

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 400 g dried short pasta penne, rigatoni, or fusilli work well
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced

For the Cheese Sauce

• 60 g unsalted butter
• 60 g plain flour
• 800 ml whole milk at room temperature
• 1 tsp English mustard powder
• 250 g mature cheddar cheese grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Filling and Topping

• 2 x 160g tins of tuna steak in olive oil drained
• 1 x 325g tin of sweetcorn drained
• 50 g fresh breadcrumbs from 1-2 slices of bread
• 30 g extra mature cheddar cheese grated

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/Gas Mark 4). Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for about 2 minutes less than the packet instructions state. It should be very al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for 8-10 minutes until soft and translucent, but not browned. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. To make the sauce, melt the butter in the same pan with the onions and garlic. Stir in the plain flour to form a thick paste (this is called a roux). Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. You can find excellent visual guides on how to make a perfect roux sauce if you're new to the technique.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and begin adding the milk a little at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition to ensure a lump-free sauce. Once all the milk is incorporated, return the pan to a medium heat and bring it gently to a simmer, stirring until the sauce has thickened. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
5. Once thickened, take the sauce off the heat. Stir in the mustard powder and the 250g of grated mature cheddar. I find that stirring the cheese in off the heat helps it melt smoothly without splitting. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the drained, cooked pasta, the drained tuna (breaking it up into large flakes), and the sweetcorn to the cheese sauce. Stir gently until everything is evenly coated.
7. Pour the tuna pasta mixture into a large ovenproof dish (approximately 20cm x 30cm).
8. In a small bowl, mix the 50g of breadcrumbs with the extra 30g of grated cheddar. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of the pasta.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling up around the edges. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Serve with a simple green salad. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.

I really hope this Tuna Pasta Bake becomes a beloved staple in your home, just as it is in mine. It’s the kind of reliable, heart-warming meal that brings everyone to the table. If you’re looking for another comforting dinner, you might also enjoy my Meatloaf With Stove Top Stuffing Recipe. Please do leave a comment below and let me know how you got on – I love hearing about your kitchen adventures!
Happy cooking,
Kira