An easy tuna pasta bake recipe made with tinned tuna, sweetcorn, and penne pasta enveloped in a rich and creamy cheese sauce.
This is delicious family-friendly comfort food, and best of all, it's made with store cupboard ingredients!
It's filling, hearty, warming, and comforting, and there is something so moreish about the combination of salty tuna, sweet juicy corn, and rich strong cheddar cheese that keeps you coming back for more!
The recipe serves 4-5, but I could quite easily polish off the lot!
👩🍳 Love pasta bakes? Try my easy pepperoni pizza pasta bake next!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
Here's why this is the best tuna pasta bake!
- Easy creamy tuna pasta bake made with pantry staples including tinned tuna.
- Family-friendly comfort dinner.
- Prep the night before and store in the fridge.
- Easily customisable and great for using up leftover cheeses.
🛒 Ingredient notes
Pasta - a short pasta like penne, rigatoni, or fusilli works best. The hollows in the pasta hold the cheesy sauce nicely.
Tuna - I prefer to use tinned tuna in brine or spring water. For a richer-tasting pasta bake, use tinned tuna in oil. Drain off the water, brine, or oil before using.
Cheese Sauce - made with butter, flour, milk, grated cheddar, dijon mustard, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Sweetcorn - tinned sweetcorn or frozen sweetcorn can be used. If you're using frozen sweetcorn, add it to the pasta water for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes - for colour and flavour but leave these out if you don't have any.
Parmesan - grated Parmesan sprinkled on top of the pasta bake before baking ensures a golden brown crispy topping.
Parsley - or basil for garnish.
🥄 Equipment
To make this tuna pasta bake you will need;
Kitchen Scales for weighing the ingredients.
Measuring Jug for measuring the milk.
Large Baking Dish (roughly 30 x 20cm) for baking the pasta bake in the oven.
Saucepan for making the cheese sauce.
Whisk to ensure your cheese sauce is lump free!
Cheese Grater - for grating the cheddar and Parmesan.
Chopping Board & Knife for chopping the sun-dried tomatoes and parsley.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta to al dente, adding the frozen sweetcorn 5 minutes before the end of cooking. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, drain and set aside.
💡Pro Tip: If you are using tinned sweetcorn rather than frozen, add it straight into the finished cheese sauce in step 5!
Two: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat then stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute.
Three: Gradually whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Four: Take the white sauce off the heat and stir in the grated cheddar cheese, dijon mustard, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Five: Mix the pasta, sweetcorn, and drained tuna into the sauce and mix everything together. Add a little pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if needed.
Six: Spoon into an ovenproof dish, sprinkle over the grated Parmesan, and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown. For an extra golden top, place under the grill for 2-3 minutes.
Seven: Serve with chopped parsley.
💭 Expert tips
- Continually stir the white sauce whilst it simmers (I find a whisk is best), to help prevent lumps from forming. It will only take a few minutes to thicken.
- Boil the pasta until al-dente as it will continue to cook in the oven. You don't want mushy pasta!
- Place your ovenproof dish on a baking sheet in case the cheese sauce bubbles over the top when baking it in the oven.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the creamy tuna pasta bake with homemade pesto foccacia, and vegetables such as roasted Tenderstem broccoli, roasted courgettes, or air fryer asparagus for a filling, family-friendly meal.
A crisp green salad is nice too (like my rocket salad with Parmesan).
📖 Variations
- Add olives to the pasta bake before baking it in the oven.
- Cook frozen peas with the pasta for the last few minutes of cooking.
- Use different cheeses! Gruyere and mozzarella would work well.
- Stir torn basil leaves or chopped chives into the cheese sauce.
- Swap the cheese sauce for a tomato-based sauce.
- For a crunchy topping, mix the grated Parmesan with 2 tablespoons of dried breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top of the pasta bake before baking.
🥡 Storage
Make Ahead: Make the pasta bake up to the point of baking it in the oven, and instead, pop it in the fridge for up to 2 days (covered in foil). When you're ready to eat it, bake as directed in the recipe but add an additional 10 minutes to the cooking time.
Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: My preference is to microwave leftovers until piping hot. You can also reheat it in the oven, but make sure the pasta bake is covered in foil to prevent it from drying out.
Freeze: Assemble the pasta bake as directed and instead of baking it in the oven, allow it to cool completely, wrap it in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before baking.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Yes! Swap one of the tins of tuna for a tin of salmon instead.
Yes, you can freeze the cooked pasta bake for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool completely and you may also like to portion it up into single servings before freezing.
😋 More delicious baked pasta recipes
- Smoky Meatball Pasta Bake
- Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
- Slow Cooker Tortellini
- Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
- Chicken Fajita Pasta Bake
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Mac and Cheese with Bacon
- Leftover Gammon Pasta
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Recipe
Easy Tuna Pasta Bake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 350 g Pasta penne or rigatoni
- 150 g Frozen Sweetcorn or use a tin of sweetcorn instead
- 50 g Butter
- 50 g Plain Flour
- 600 ml Milk
- 200 g Extra Mature Cheddar grated
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 5 Sun Dried Tomatoes chopped
- 2 x 145 g Tinned Tuna in Spring Water drained
- 4 tablespoon Grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 fan/ gas 4/ 350F)
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta to al dente, adding the frozen sweetcorn 5 minutes before the end of cooking. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, drain and set aside.💡Pro Tip: If you are using tinned sweetcorn rather than frozen, add it straight into the finished cheese sauce in step 6.350 g Pasta, 150 g Frozen Sweetcorn
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat then stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute.50 g Butter, 50 g Plain Flour
- Gradually whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon.600 ml Milk
- Take the white sauce off the heat and stir in the grated cheddar cheese, dijon mustard, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.200 g Extra Mature Cheddar, 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard, 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- Mix the pasta, sweetcorn, and drained tuna into the sauce and mix everything together. Add a little pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if needed.5 Sun Dried Tomatoes, 2 x 145 g Tinned Tuna in Spring Water
- Spoon into an ovenproof dish, sprinkle over the grated Parmesan, and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown. For an extra golden top, place under the grill for 2-3 minutes.4 tablespoon Grated Parmesan
- Serve with chopped parsley.1 tablespoon Parsley
Notes
- Continually stir the white sauce whilst it simmers (I find a whisk is best), to help prevent lumps from forming. It will only take a few minutes to thicken.
- Boil the pasta until al-dente as it will continue to cook in the oven. You don't want mushy pasta!
- Place your ovenproof dish on a baking sheet in case the cheese sauce bubbles over the top when baking it in the oven.
- Add olives to the pasta bake before baking it in the oven.
- Cook frozen peas with the pasta for the last few minutes of cooking.
- Use different cheeses! Gruyere and mozzarella would work well.
- Stir torn basil leaves or chopped chives into the cheese sauce.
- Swap the cheese sauce for a tomato-based sauce.
- For a crunchy topping, mix the grated Parmesan with 2 tablespoons of dried breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top of the pasta bake before baking.
Dana
This is such a delicious, easy, cozy meal! Perfect for this time of year and so so easy to bring together.
Nancy
My go to weeknight comfort meal. The kids love it and I usually have all the ingredients handy
Jess
I have everything to make this for dinner tonight. Yum!
Cara
This was an amazing nostalgic upgrade! Tasted like my childhood, but let's be honest, so much better 😀
Mirlene
I shouldve made this pasta instead of having tuna sandwhich! This wouldve been more savory for my kids cause they love pasta. Til next time, I'll make this.