Easy Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake
If you're after a simple, creamy tuna pasta bake recipe, this is the one! Cheesy, comforting, and loaded with veggies.
If you want a creamy tuna pasta bake that comes together fast and disappears even faster, you've found it!
This is the dinner I make on busy weeknights, when I want something warm and cheesy without much fuss.
It's a real British classic, and once you try it, you'll see why it never goes out of style.
This tuna pasta bake recipe mixes al dente pasta, flaky canned tuna, sweet corn, and peas, all tossed in a silky homemade white sauce and topped with melted cheddar and parmesan.
Slide it into the oven, and in under 30 minutes you've got a bubbling, golden dinner the whole family will ask for again!
Here's what you'll find in this post:
- A simple, step-by-step way to make a creamy tuna pasta bake in about 30 minutes, using stuff you probably already have in the kitchen.
- Easy ingredient swaps, so you can make this dish your own no matter what's in your fridge.
- My best tips for a silky-smooth sauce and a golden, crispy top, every single time.
All the good reasons to give it a try, and let it become a new family favorite!
Jump to:
Ingredients
You only need about 10 ingredients to make this easy tuna pasta bake, so it's worth picking good quality ones where you can.
Here are my ingredients recommendations:
- White sauce: his creamy tuna pasta bake gets its signature richness from a quick homemade béchamel, made with just butter, flour, and milk. If you're short on time, a good store-bought white sauce will also do the job.
- Tuna: I like to use tuna fillets sold in jars, but canned tuna works well, including brands like John West or Princes. Tuna packed in olive oil has more flavor than tuna packed in spring water, so pick that when you can.
- No canned tuna on hand? You can swap it for fresh or frozen tuna instead. Just pan-sear a fillet for a couple of minutes on each side, then flake it into chunks before mixing it into the pasta.
- Sweetcorn: Frozen sweetcorn has a better, crunchier bite than the canned kind, so that's what I reach for.
- Peas: I recommend frozen peas or fresh peas, instead of canned peas. They're handy, sweet and so flavourful.
- Parmesan cheese: My secret ingredient. Stirring parmesan straight into the white sauce gives it a deep, savory flavor and extra creaminess you won't get from cheddar alone.
- Cheddar cheese: I like a strong cheddar for a nice kick of flavor, but you can use mild or medium cheddar, depending on your taste.
- Parsley: This is optional, but freshly chopped parsley adds a refreshing aromatic note to the final dish.
Want to add more veggies?
This is a forgiving recipe, so feel free to bulk it up with any of these:
- Baby spinach
- Finely chopped broccoli florets
- Green beans
- Roasted sweet potato cubes
- Roasted bell pepper strips
- Chopped tomatoes
If you like a little heat, try stirring in red chili flakes, or add some onion and garlic powder for extra flavor in the sauce.
How to make creamy tuna pasta bake
This recipe for pasta bake with tuna takes only 5 minutes to prepare and around 20 minutes to cook.
Here's a quick recipe overview with step-by-step pictures.
Scroll down until the end of the post for the full printable recipe.
How to make the creamy sauce
- Melt the butter, whisk in the flour, then slowly whisk in warm milk and stir until smooth and silky.
- Season, then stir in two-thirds of the cheddar and parmesan.
Cooking tip: If your sauce looks too thick, whisk in a splash more warm milk. If it looks thin, let it simmer a minute or two longer, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a spoon.
How to make tuna pasta bake
- Mix al dente pasta with tuna, peas and sweetcorn.
- Add the white sauce.
- Transfer to a baking dish.
- Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes.
Baking tip: Baking tip: For crispy, golden-brown spots on top, pop the dish under the grill for the last 2 to 3 minutes.
Tips, variations, and substitutions
One of the best things about this dish is how easy it is to adapt.
- Dairy-free or vegan version: Swap the butter for a plant-based version, use a dairy-free milk like oat or soy, and choose your favorite vegan cheese shreds. Swap the tuna for chickpeas or a plant-based tuna alternative for a fully vegan bake.
- Gluten-free version: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta and a gluten-free flour blend for the white sauce. The method stays exactly the same.
- Individual portions: Instead of one large baking dish, divide the mixture between small ramekins for individual tuna pasta bakes. They look lovely for a dinner party! Just cut the bake time down to about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Tuna pasta bake for one: Making just for yourself? Use about 100g pasta, half a small tin of tuna, and a quarter of the sauce recipe, then bake in a small oven-safe dish for around 15 minutes.
- More like a tuna mornay or tuna lasagne? This bake sits somewhere between the two. It has the creamy, cheesy sauce you'd find in a tuna mornay, but with a golden baked top like a lasagne. If you love this dish, you'll probably enjoy both of those too.
- Spice it up: Red chili flakes, mustard powder, or a little garlic and onion powder stirred into the sauce all add a nice extra layer of flavor.
Serving suggestions
This creamy tuna pasta bake is a full meal on its own, but I love serving it with a simple side salad dressed in lemon and olive oil.
Garlic bread or a crusty loaf is great for scooping up any extra sauce, and steamed green beans or sautéed broccolini add a nice pop of color to the plate.
Storage and make-Ahead tips
- In the fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The flavor is honestly even better the next day.
- In the freezer: This tuna pasta bake freezes really well. Divide it into individual freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 1 month. This makes it a great meal-prep option for busy weeks
- Make ahead: You can assemble the whole dish up to a day in advance, cover it, and keep it in the fridge unbaked. When you're ready, just bake it as directed.
- Reheating: For the best texture, reheat in a warm oven for 4 to 5 minutes rather than the microwave. The oven keeps the top crispy instead of turning it soft and soggy.
Recipe FAQs
The key is a proper white sauce made with warm milk, plus cheese stirred right into the sauce itself, not just sprinkled on top.
Short pasta shapes with ridges or hollow centers, like rigatoni, penne, or fusilli, hold onto the creamy sauce best, so you get a good amount of sauce in every bite.
More pasta bake recipes
If you like baked pasta as much as I do, here are a few more family favorite recipes to try:
- Eggplant pasta bake: This Italian classic called pasta ncasciata features pasta with fried eggplant, bolognese sauce, creamy white sauce, and cheese.
- Caprese pasta bake: loaded with Mediterranean flavors, this vegetarian pasta bake combines pasta with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
- Chicken bacon pasta bake: a hearty dish featuring tender chicken, crispy bacon, and pasta, all coated in a creamy cheese sauce.
Did you try this recipe?
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Recipe
Easy Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 400 g rigatoni pasta
- 50 g butter
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 600 ml fresh whole milk, warmed
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- a generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 125 g strong cheddar, grated
- 125 g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 220 g tuna fillets in jars (or canned tuna chunks), drained and flaked
- 200 g frozen sweetcorn drained
- 200 g frozen peas
- handful fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C (fan) or gas mark 4.
- Place a large pan of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Lightly season with sea salt, then add the pasta and cook for about 7-9 minutes.
- Look at the instructions on your pasta packaging. See how long it tells you to boil the rigatoni for, and drain the pasta three minutes before this time.
- For the white sauce, melt the butter in your saucepan and stir in the plain flour to make a “roux”, which is basically the base of the sauce.
- Once you have cooked the roux for a minute (don’t let it brown), slowly stir in 600ml of milk, and stir, gently but continuously, until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
- If the sauce starts bubbling, turn the heat to low and continue to stir until the sauce has reached a silky creamy consistency.
- Turn the heat off and season with sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg to taste.
- Once the white sauce is ready, stir in ⅔ of the cheddar and ⅔ of the parmesan cheese, and set the sauce aside.
- By this time, your rigatoni should be ready and super al dente.
- Drain and transfer the pasta into a large bowl, add in the tuna, sweetcorn and peas.
- Stir in ½ of the white sauce and mix until combined. You can also add some chopped parsley if you like.
- Transfer the ingredients in a 6x8 inches baking dish, and top with the remaining white sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and parmesan cheese on top, and your pasta is ready to hit the oven.
- Bake for around 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese on top is golden brown. If you want some nice crunchy brown spots, set the baking dish under the grill for 2-3 minutes extra.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in April 2020 and updated in August 2026.
Super filling, super tasty. What more can I say except this will become a favourite of ours.
made this last night it was so delish we all lapped it up not a crumb left for me for lunch . The best was the peas and parmeson cheese such a good idea
Just a question - if I want to prepare this for my parents. Do I cook it all the way through, let it cool and give to them for re-heat. OR do I just prepare/cook up to the oven (and let them cook in the oven)
Hi Stacey, both methods would work well! I would bake it and then hand it over to reheat it, just a personal preference 🙂
Made it for dinner and my family loved it, adding parmesan cheese to the sauce is the key for the best tuna pasta bake!
This is pretty much the same recipe I've been using for years. I love it! It's something my kids would always eat. It works well with wholemeal pasta too. I've started making it with salmon sometimes, which is just as yummy. I either use tinned salmon, or if I've got some fresh salmon, I steam it for 10 minutes, then remove the skin and break it up with a fork.