Because everybody has a can of tuna, pasta, canned tomato and some sort of dried herbs in the depths of their pantry, everybody should have one wickedly delicious Tuna Pasta Bake recipe up their sleeve!
Pasta baked in a homemade tomato sauce topped with melted cheese, this Tuna casserole is juicy and full of flavour and bears no resemblance to the usual acts of desperation associated with canned tuna meals! After a CREAMY tuna pasta bake? Try Tuna Mornay!
Tuna Pasta Bake
Confession:Â I say “Everybody has a can of tuna” but I don’t. Well, I do have lots. But it’s not for me. It’s for Dozer. So on the odd occasion that I do want tuna, I swipe his.
So here’s the truth. This Tuna Pasta Bake in these photos is made with Dozer’s tuna. 😂
Oh, just to be clear – it’s normal human tuna. Whatever is on special at the time, and I get the little cans so I had to use a bunch of them to make this big batch of Tuna Pasta Bake.
You should have seen the look on his face as I was popping open can after can. His eyes were sparkling and he was wriggling like a puppy with excitement, thinking Christmas had come early. Then his tail slowly started sagging as he realised it was going into something I was making, and not into his food bowl!
I grew up in a household where I was sent to school with bento boxes when all I wanted was a peanut butter sandwich. So I totally missed the Tuna Mornay experience that many of my friends shudder at the memory of – some sort of white sauce in a jar mixed with pasta and tuna, then baked.
I shudder at the description.
And while actually, I do enjoy Tuna Mornay (made from scratch – use this Seafood Gratin recipe but sub tuna for seafood), I prefer this tomato based Tuna Pasta Bake.
This recipe is almost a guide so I’ve provided suggestions for substitutions. Basically, you need tuna, pasta, canned tomato or passata and/or tomato paste, some sort of dried herb or spices, garlic or onion (or leek / shallots/scallions/green onions or eschallots) and that’s it. Everything else you see in the recipe is something that takes it up a notch, they aren’t deal breakers.
If that makes sense? 🙂
To be honest, my favourite part of this Tuna Pasta Bake is that golden crust on the surface. Yes, it is fantastic with a sprinkling of cheese, but even without it, it’s still fantastic (try panko or breadcrumbs if you don’t have cheese). Your mind will be telling you that it’s Cooks’ Privileges to pick at the top, but don’t do it because if you start, you may find you’ve picked all the surface off before it gets to the table.
Now that wouldn’t be very fair, would it?  😉 – Nagi xx
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Tuna Pasta Bake recipe video!
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Tuna Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 small onion , finely diced
- 800g / 28 oz crushed tomato (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional, thickens sauce slightly)
- 3/4 cup (185ml) water (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp Italian mixed herbs , or other dried herbs of choice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 425g / 15 oz can chunk tuna (preferably in oil), drained (Note 3)
- 200g / 7 oz spiral pasta (or other pasta of choice)
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) shredded mozzarella cheese (Note 4)
- Olive Oil , for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Cook pasta per packet directions, minus 1 minute. Drain, rinse under tap water to stop it sticking together, set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 3 minutes until golden.
- Add tomato, water, herbs, salt and pepper and tomato paste if using. Stir, bring to simmer, lower heat to medium and simmer energetically for 5 minutes (stir every now and then) until it thickens.
- Adjust salt to taste. Also add a touch of sugar if it tastes a bit sour (depends on quality of tomato).
- Turn the stove off, add pasta, stir in.
- Add tuna and GENTLY stir it in - don't break up the tuna so it disintegrates into mush. Leave some chunks on the surface (nice when it is golden).
- Drizzle with oil, top with cheese then bake for 20 minutes until golden and you get those nice crusty bits you see in the photos.
- Stand for 3 minutes then serve!
Recipe Notes:
- 700g / 1.2 lb tomato passata or American Tomato Sauce (NOT Aussie / UK Tomato Sauce)
- 400g/14 oz crushed tomato + 1.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth + 3 tbsp tomato paste + 2 tsp sugar 2. Broth - If you have chicken or vegetable broth, that would be a terrific addition, or add a crumbled bouillon cube or 1 tsp chicken or vegetable powder. 3. Tuna - I find Tuna in oil has better flavour for a recipe like this, but any canned tuna or salmon is great for this recipe. "Chunk tuna" is my preferred because it comes in chunks which I think is nicer than the fragile tuna that disintegrates through the pasta. 4. Tomato paste thickens the sauce slightly which is what I used in the recipe I made for the photos. I did not use it in the recipe video - but you can see that it's still lovely and tomatoey, not watery and thin. 5. Topping - Try using 3/4 cup panko / breadcrumbs sprinkled with salt and drizzled with oil instead of cheese. Crunch is fantastic! 6. STEP IT UP A NOTCH: Finely chop 2 anchovies and add them in with the onion, they will disintegrate and add a savouriness that is no fishy at all. Add 1 tsp of red pepper flakes - or more if you dare! Use Chicken or vegetable broth in place of the water and stir through fresh basil with the pasta. This is no longer a basic pantry Tuna Pasta Bake, but I thought I'd share what I do if I am making an effort! 7. DIET TUNA PASTA BAKE - pursuant to reader request, here are recipe adjustments for a healthier version with 251 calories per serving (5 servings), 23g carbs: Reduce oil to 2 tsp, add 1 cup each finely chopped carrot and celery plus 1.5 cups diced zucchini with the onion and saute on low heat for 10 minutes until soft and sweet. Then proceed with recipe but REDUCE pasta to 100g/3.5 oz and stir through 2 handfuls of spinach when you add the pasta. Spray surface with oil then top with low fat mozzarella. Healthy AND delicious!!! 8. Make ahead - best way to make ahead for freezing:
- cook and cool pasta
- make sauce per recipe, add extra half cup water at end. Cool.
- assemble per recipe, cover then freeze. Thaw before cooking.
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
It’s been 13 days since he shredded his paw when he bolted across a bed of oysters in pursuit of a pelican (🙄) and it’s still not fully healed because this dog is unable to refrain from bolting around the yard like a psycho when he goes out to pee.
As an alternative to getting stitches, he’s currently on chill-pills in an attempt to keep him quieter during the days. So he’s spending his days half asleep, like this.
I want his life.
This is delicious i make it regularly now thanks for a great easy recipe! sometimes the simplest recipes taste the best I use chicken stock in mine and add olives
So Delicious. Quick and easy to put together with plenty of flavour. I added some diced carrots and cooked them with the onions.
It’s a great Winter warmer meal.
I’m so glad you loved it Donna, that’s awesome!! N x
Hi Nagi! Do you think this would work with cheddar instead of mozzarella? Thanks!
Hi Caroline, yes definitely!! N x
Instead if Italian herbs, I used a combo of oregano, cayenne pepper and paprika, the last two giving it a bit of a spicy kick and it was awesome! Will definitely make it again. Thanks for another great recipe, Nagi 😃
As long as Dozer got some as a treat…..
Delish! I added a bit of wine to the onion/garlic at the start, reduced it down, then added some cream cheese before the sauce. I also mixed in a bit of cheese with the mix as well as on top.. plus mixed in a bit of parmesan on top (makes it go crispy).