Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Tuna Pasta Bake Recipe
As a result of everyone has a can of tuna, pasta, canned tomato and a few kind of dried herbs within the depths of their pantry, everyone ought to have one wickedly scrumptious Tuna Pasta Bake recipe up their sleeve!
Pasta baked in a do-it-yourself tomato sauce topped with melted cheese, this Tuna casserole is juicy and stuffed with flavour and bears no resemblance to the same old acts of desperation related to canned tuna meals! After a CREAMY tuna pasta bake? Strive Tuna Mornay!
Oh, simply to be clear – it’s regular human tuna. No matter is on particular on the time, and I get the little cans so I had to make use of a bunch of them to make this large batch of Tuna Pasta Bake.
It is best to have seen the look on his face as I used to be popping open can after can. His eyes have been glowing and he was wriggling like a pet with pleasure, considering Christmas had come early. Then his tail slowly began sagging as he realised it was going into one thing I used to be making, and never into his meals bowl!
I grew up in a family the place I used to be despatched to highschool with bento containers when all I wished was a peanut butter sandwich. So I completely missed the Tuna Mornay expertise that a lot of my associates shudder on the reminiscence of – some kind of white sauce in a jar blended with pasta and tuna, then baked.
I shudder on the description.
And whereas really, I do take pleasure in Tuna Mornay (produced from scratch!), I favor this tomato primarily based Tuna Pasta Bake.
This recipe is sort of a information so I’ve supplied solutions for substitutions. Mainly, you want tuna, pasta, canned tomato or passata and/or tomato paste, some kind of dried herb or spices, garlic or onion (or leek / shallots/scallions/inexperienced onions or eschallots) and that’s it. Every little thing else you see within the recipe is one thing that takes it up a notch, they aren’t deal breakers.
If that is sensible? 🙂
To be sincere, my favorite a part of this Tuna Pasta Bake is that golden crust on the floor. Sure, it’s incredible with a sprinkling of cheese, however even with out it, it’s nonetheless incredible (strive panko or breadcrumbs in case you don’t have cheese). Your thoughts shall be telling you that it’s Cooks’ Privileges to select on the high, however don’t do it as a result of in case you begin, chances are you’ll discover you’ve picked all of the floor off earlier than it will get to the desk.
Now that wouldn’t be particularly reasonable, would it not? 😉 – Johnsat xx
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!
Notes
1. Tomato – can substitute this with:– 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.
Cooked leftovers – keep in the fridge 3 to 4 days and reheat in microwave.
9. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings.
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