Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake Recipe | Easy, Cheesy, and Perfect for Weeknight Dinners

Introduction to the Best Tuna Pasta Bake

This creamy tuna pasta bake recipe is the ultimate comfort food that combines convenience, flavour, and nutrition in one delicious dish. Perfect for busy weeknight dinners, this easy recipe features tender pasta, protein-packed tuna, and a rich, cheesy sauce baked to golden perfection. It’s a family-friendly meal that’s simple to prepare using pantry staples and is sure to become a regular on your dinner rotation.

Whether you’re searching for a quick dinner idea or a make-ahead casserole that’s both hearty and satisfying, this cheesy tuna pasta bake is the answer. Follow our step-by-step recipe to create a dish that’s creamy, flavourful, and perfect for any occasion!

My take on this Quick Pasta Bake Recipe

So this recipe really evolved from me competing with my husband. He won’t mind me saying he is not much of a cook, however he does make a handful of meals really well. A cheesy tuna pasta was one of his dishes. The kids would get involved with him cooking, all of them choosing spices to throw in etc, and of course, when daddy makes anything, it’s always “the best”!

Well fed up of being outdone by daddy and his tuna pasta, I had to come up with my own creamy pasta bake to steal his crown. Who doesn’t love a bit of competition!

I have definitely added a spicy twist on this classic American dish. I sometimes find it tedious to have food that’s only seasoned with salt and pepper. I need more of a flavour burst on the taste buds. So me being me, I have to put a South Asian flare to the dish. The fenugreek seeds and chilli flakes pair beautifully against the creamy tuna sauce.

This tuna pasta bake recipe is great to make on a busy weeknight for dinner, who doesn’t love the comfort of a warm, cheesy dish to eat. It’s also great to prepare in advance, as it’s an incredibly easy tuna casserole recipe. It’s also a meal you can prepare in advance and can keep in the fridge for up to two days, then bake in the oven when you are ready to eat it.

Tips on making this Tuna Pasta Bake Recipe

This dish is really one to you need to enjoy to the max, so for the best taste, no low fat cheese, or skimmed milk. For the best creamy pasta bake, you really need to use whole milk, full fat cheese and double cream to take this dish to the next level of enjoyment.

I always add generous amount of cheese for the topping before the tray goes into the oven, this adds to the lovely golden crispy top.

However if you do want a healthier edge to the dish, you can use a low fat cheese, semi/skimmed milk, or single cream, however I would advise that you reduce the bake time in the oven, otherwise the gooeyness of the sauce is reduced down too much and the bake becomes dry. Even better is to omit the baking step at the end and just serve straight from the pan, it still tastes pretty amazing. You can also use whole-grain pasta for a further healthier touch, but it doesn’t quite absorb the sauce and soften as much as white pasta.

I use tinned tuna for convenience. I usually buy tuna tina in spring water, rather than sunflower oil or brine. Sometimes the tuna can clump together in the tin. It’s worth tipping it into a bowl and breaking up any clumps with a fork before adding into the white sauce. If you love all things tuna, you can try out my tuna patties for a spicy tuna kebab.

For the breadcrumbs, you can use readymade breadcrumbs like panko breadcrumbs or golden breadcrumbs. When I’ve run out of readymade breadcrumbs, I’ve used a slice of sourdough bread, which I have blitzed in the food processor until it turns into breadcrumbs, this has also worked really well.

As with most of my dishes, I love some spice, so I have added chilli flakes to the dish, but this is of course optional and to your taste.

The fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) are optional in the recipe, but they do really add a lovely earthy aroma and taste. They do have a slight bitterness which offsets beautifully against the cream. If you can, it’s well worth investing in fenugreek seeds, you can add them to most South Asian dishes as well as this cheese tuna casserole.

Variations to making Creamy Pasta Bake

The great thing about this dish is that you can pretty much add any vegetable you like into the mix. I’ve add sweetcorn in the recipe and tuna and sweetcorn is a pretty classic combination. But you could quite as easily add in mushrooms, capsicums, spinach or even green peas. It’s really down to you personal taste.

If adding something like mushrooms or capsicums, let these cook a bit longer with the white sauce. Spinach and green peas can be added at the point the sweetcorn is in the recipe.

Conclusion to the Cheesy Tuna Casserole

Creamy tuna pasta bake is a classic, comforting dish that’s perfect for weeknight dinners or feeding a crowd. With its tender pasta, flaky tuna, and cheesy golden topping, it’s a meal that’s easy to prepare and guaranteed to satisfy. This recipe is not only delicious but also versatile, allowing you to customise it with your favourite add-ins like vegetables or different cheeses.

Whether you’re looking for a quick, hearty dinner idea or a make-ahead casserole for busy days, this tuna pasta bake delivers on flavour and simplicity. Try this recipe today and discover why it’s our family favourite that’s loved by all. Don’t forget to share your experience and variations in the comments below!

See my video on Youtube, Instagram or TikTok to see how to make this dish.

Ingredients for Tuna Pasta Bake Recipe

Preparation Time: 1 Minute Cooking Time: 12 Minutes Baking time: 15 Minutes

• 500 grams fusilli pasta (or any other pasta of your choice)
• 80 grams unsalted butter
• 2 tbs plain flour
• 4 cloves, finely cut
• 300ml double cream
• 550ml whole milk
• 1.5 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 100 grams grated cheddar cheese (extra for topping)
• 3 tins of tuna/ 300 grams of drained weight
• 150 grams sweetcorn
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Method for making this Easy Tuna Pasta Bake

• First of all, start to cook the pasta. Add water to a large saucepan, bring it boil and then add your pasta. Cook until soft or as per the cook instruction on the packet.
• Whilst the pasta is cooking, start on your sauce, In a another medium sized pan add your butter and melt.

• Once the butter has melted, add the flour and stir through, make sure there aren’t any lumps.

• Then add the double cream, milk, paprika, chilli flakes, parsley, salt, fenugreek seeds, garlic and stir through. Cook on a medium to low heat until the sauce has thickened.

• Then add in the cheddar cheese, tuna and sweetcorn and stir through. Turn off the heat.

• By this time, the pasta will have cooked, drain off the water and add it to an oven proof baking tray.

• Then pour over the tuna sauce on the pasta, ensure all the pasta is coated properly. Use a spoon to do this.
• Sprinkle over some additional grated cheese and the breadcrumbs. Then bake at 180C for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.