So we are very close to the school holidays now and I can't wait! I'm so looking forward to spending more time with my girl. She has been busy these last few weeks and I feel like we have been missing out on some quality time together. But this, my friends, is the life of a Year 6. It's school plays, trips, discos and sports days. All of which seem to have been wrapped up into two very busy weeks. But it is also the end of an era, the end of primary school and there is a lot to celebrate. And I'm holding it together, just! So when schedules get busy the food gets easy and sometimes it needs to be more like comfort food for a tired girl. With that in mind, I'm sharing this Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake with you today. My girl's favourite comfort food.
Now I know you may be thinking how can you possibly make this classic any better? Well, everyone has their own tried and tested version of this classic. This is mine, with one or two little tricks that make this pasta bake really tasty. Trick no.1, I use panko breadcrumbs in the topping, which combined with mature cheddar cheese and parmesan gives this bake a really nice crunch on top. I bash the breadcrumbs in a small bag with a rolling pin so they are really fine. Trick no.2, I add 1 heaped teaspoon of English mustard to the sauce to give it a little bit more zing. That's it, easy peasy, but it does make a difference.
I have been making this tuna pasta bake for years, it has been refined over time and it has been tested on many children over the years. Yes, tuna pasta bake is perfect for playdates. And this recipe never fails. It is easy to make and is relatively quick. The sauce comes together whilst the pasta is cooking, then it's just a case of mixing it all together, adding a little topping and popping it in the oven. Job done! This tuna pasta bake is creamy but not too wet. It has the best crunchiest topping, which is actually my favourite part of a good tuna pasta bake.
I usually make this when we are busy so I save half of it for another day. You can freeze it once cooled completely, or keep it in the fridge for a day or two. You could divide it up into individual portions to speed up the cooling process. If you want to freeze any leftovers, cover before freezing and thaw fully before reheating. Saying that I don't have a problem with having this two days in a row. By the way, tuna pasta bake is also a great recipe for new college kids to have mastered before they head off to Uni. It's cheap and easy to make and it's also a good cure for homesickness!
Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 500 g Rigatoni Pasta
- 2 x 120g tins of tuna steak in spring water drained
- 50 g butter
- 50 g plain (all purpose) flour
- 600 ml milk
- 1 heaped tsp English mustard
- 150 g mature cheddar cheese grated
- 1 x 198 g can of sweetcorn drained
- 3 large spring onions (scallions) sliced
- 40 g dried breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ tablespoon parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 small handful flat leaf parsley chopped
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshy ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 180 degree C / 356 F, I use an electric fan oven, please adjust according to your own oven.
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions minus 2 or 3 minutes. You want the pasta to slightly under done.
- While the pasta is cooking make the sauce. Melt the butter on a medium saucepan. Once melted add the flour, stir for about 1 minute. Then pour in the milk, I add 100ml at a time. I use a whisk to stir in the milk. This has always worked to achieve a really smooth sauce.
- As soon as all the milk has been added, stir in the mustard and a small pinch of the black pepper. When the sauce has thickened and starts to bubble turn off the heat then add 100g of the cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.
- Drain the pasta, then tip it into a large, oven proof, serving dish. Add the tuna, sweetcorn, spring onions and most of the parsley to the pasta. Pour the sauce over the pasta then mix well.
- Top the pasta with the bread crumbs, the remaining cheddar, salt and pepper and the parmesan. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
- Remove the pasta bake from the oven and let it sit for a minute or two, it will be piping hot. Sprinkle the remaining parsley over the pasta bake for serving. Serve with a green salad.
Nutrition
Need more creamy pasta? Check out this Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Tagliatelle or this Creamy Leek and Shiitake Mushroom Pasta
Reet
What a wonderful recipe, can't wait to try it. There's only one thing, is there anything else i can replace the mustard with, as hubby & I don't like mustard.
Thank you
Michelle Alston
Hi Reet, thanks so much! You could add a dash of Worcestershire sauce instead if you wanted to. M x
Val Griffin
This was so delicious I had to make it again at the end of the week! The spring onions make such a difference.
One of our favourites.....
Michelle Alston
Hi Val, that's so good to hear! I'm so happy you like it x
Halima Sadhia
Hi
How much do I need to make for 2 servings of the creamy pasta bake?
Michelle Alston
Hi Halima, if you hover over the serving number in the recipe a little bar will pop up. You can adjust the serving size on that and it will change the quantities for you x
Clair Middleton
Making this tonight!!
Michelle Alston
I hope you enjoy it Clair 🙂
Brandi Crawford
Yum! This looks like great comfort food!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Brandi x
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
I have a bunch of tuna at home right now so this would be perfect for it! Looks so comforting! Love bakes like this!!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Dawn, pasta bakes are the perfect kind of comfort food x
Kristen M Chidsey
These pictures are STUNNING!!! It looks better than any Tuna Casserole I grew up eating
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Kristen x
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
Oh man, my mom made a tuna noodle casserole when I was younger and it was my FAVORITE! Once I learned how to make it, I asked to make dinner all the time, haha. Now, my husband is a big tuna fan so I think he'd love this!
Michelle Alston
Haha, my daughter loves making this with me, I'm sure she'll be the same 😉
Sarah
This looks and sounds absolutely amazing! Love the addition of sweet corn! Yum!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Sarah x
Rebecca | Let's Eat Cake
Your photos are incredible! I haven't made tuna casserole in years, but now I totally want to.
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Rebecca, that's very kind if you x