Straight out of the store cupboard and into the oven for a comforting, good-for-the-soul, no-nonsense dish. Satisfaction all the way. I’m not kidding when I say that this Tuna Pasta Bake recipe is the pinnacle of quick and easy midweek favourites. This has been a regular go-to dish on many a weekly meal plan, and my love of it started when my lovely mum discovered pasta (many moons ago)! Everyone in our house loves it, which is good news for me because it’s so bloomin’ easy to make. When I get requests to make a healthy Tuna and Broccoli Pasta Bake, I know it’s going to be a stress-free dinner time. It has so much flavour without the calories, the broccoli brings a delicious and vitamin-packed addition, and the tomato sauce and cheesy Tuna Pasta Bake topping just finishes it off with that nourishing goodness that warms the cockles. A perfect go-to pasta recipe you’ll be making without your eyes closed in no time!
Why you’ll love this recipe for Tuna Pasta Bake
⭐️ Inexpensive, simple store cupboard ingredients ⭐️ Comforting and delicious ⭐️ SO easy to make! I knew my Tuna Pasta Salad was a big hit, so I decided to come up with a recipe that was a hot meal, was perhaps more suitable as a dinner recipe, but that still incorporated all store cupboard ingredients, so we could throw it together on evenings that call for it. I tried and tested this to see what the best results would be versus the simplicity of the method. In the end my verdict was that it’s best to pre-cook the pasta and broccoli in a pan together. It takes just a few minutes extra but it’s worth it, I promise. The rest is about 15 minutes altogether in the oven. Go ahead and try some slightly modified versions below – and enjoy!
Variations of this Tuna Pasta Bake recipe
If you’d like to mix this up a little, you could try: ➡️ Tuna Pasta with crisps – I know… RETRO! One of my friends swears by this. Simply crumble a bag of smashed crisps with your cheese for added crunchy texture ➡️ Spicy Tuna Pasta Bake – Add 1tsp of dried chilli flakes (or more if you dare!) to the tomato sauce ➡️ Breadcrumbs – Add 4tbsp of breadcrumbs when you sprinkle your cheese on top for added crunch ➡️ Tuna Pasta Bake WITHOUT cheese – Fee free to omit the cheese from the top if you prefer. (You could add a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs instead) ➡️ Higher fibre – Replace your normal pasta with wholemeal pasta to up the fibre content of your dish. Use the same quantities
Prawn Pasta {10 Minute Meal}
Smoked Salmon Pasta {10 Minute Meal}
Tuna Pasta Salad
In the freezer You can but I wouldn’t recommend it as pasta is never at its best once it’s been defrosted. If you really want to freeze it, make sure you slightly undercook the pasta to begin with, so you don’t then overcook it when you’re reheating it. If you want to make this ahead of time to save time later, you can. Just cook it until it’s time to go in the oven, then you can bake it to heat through and melt the cheese on top when you’re ready. (180C for about 20 minutes.) You can do this with my other pasta bake recipes too: Meatball Pasta Bake, Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake, Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Bake. To get a more creamy sauce, add 100g of cream cheese or creme fraiche to the tomato sauce at the end of cooking when you add it to the pasta, and stir well. Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
