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Creamy tuna pasta bake

Glass dish of pasta bake with cheese and parsley garnish. A fork holds a serving. Text reads "EASIEST PASTA BAKE" in bold white.

By Tom · Updated

Jump to recipe
  • Serves 6
  • About 1 hour 20 min
  • Takes a bit of care

This tuna pasta bake is quick and easy to make, perfect for students and home cooks looking for a easy weeknight meal that is comforting at.

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The recipe

Creamy tuna pasta bake

This tuna pasta bake is quick and easy to make, perfect for students and home cooks looking for a easy weeknight meal that is comforting at.

  • Serves 6
  • 20 min prep
  • 1 hour cooking
  • Takes a bit of care

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Scale
6 servings
Measurements

Ingredients

Tick things off as you go — they stay ticked if you close the page.

A dotted underline means the amount has been rounded to something you can measure.

Method

Cook the pasta

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.

  2. Step 2

    Add 400g of pasta (400 g) and cook for 8 minutes, it should be slightly undercooked.

  3. Step 3

    Drain well and set aside. (It will finish cooking in the oven.).

Prepare the sauce

  1. Step 1

    In a large saucepan, melt 50g of butter (50 g) over medium heat.

  2. Step 2

    Add the diced red onion (1 onion) and cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft and translucent.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in 20g of Dijon mustard (20 g), then sprinkle over 50g of plain flour (50 g).

  4. Step 4

    Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to remove the raw flour (50 g) taste.

Make it creamy

  1. Step 1

    Gradually pour in 650ml of milk (650 ml), adding a little at a time.

  2. Step 2

    Stir continuously until each addition is fully absorbed before adding more.

  3. Step 3

    Continue until all the milk (650 ml) is incorporated and the sauce is smooth and thickened.

  4. Step 4

    Season generously with salt and black pepper to taste.

Add the tuna and sweetcorn

  1. Step 1

    Remove the pan from the heat.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the drained sweetcorn (1 can), tuna, and the cooked pasta (400 g).

  3. Step 3

    Mix everything together until evenly coated in the creamy sauce.

Assemble the bake

  1. Step 1

    Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof baking dish.

  2. Step 2

    Top evenly with 200g of grated cheddar cheese (200 g).

Bake

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan).

  2. Step 2

    Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden, bubbly, and crisp on top.

Serve

  1. Step 1

    Remove from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

  3. Step 3

    Serve as is, or with a green salad or garlic bread.

Storage tips

  1. Step 1

    Make ahead: Prepare and assemble, then refrigerate (unbaked) for up to 24 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Freeze: Cool fully, portion, and freeze for up to 3 months.

  3. Step 3

    Reheat: Defrost in the fridge overnight and bake or microwave until piping hot.

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Questions people ask

How long does creamy tuna pasta bake take?

About 1 hour 20 min from start to finish, of which 20 min is prep and 1 hour is cooking. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How many does it serve, and can I change that?

As written it serves 6. Use the scale control on the recipe card to change it: every quantity in the ingredients and inside the method steps updates with it. Seasoning, and anything measured in pinches or splashes, is deliberately left alone.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Can I cook it ahead?

This one sits in the batch cooking group, which means it was picked for cooking in quantity rather than eaten straight from the pan. Cool it quickly, and freeze it in the portion sizes you will actually want later.