Easy Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake

This tuna pasta bake is made creamy, flavorful, and delicious. It is made with canned tuna, mozzarella cheese, and simple ingredients.

This pasta dish is so delicious. I like to make it for dinner for a filling meal that is satisfying as well. It has a tasty balance of flavors and the combination of the creamy sauce that forms is delish with the canned tuna.

If you like easy and delicious pasta recipes, check out our pink sauce pasta, smoked mac and cheese, greek pasta salad, pesto pasta bake, and our chickpea pasta salad.

Jump to:

• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Expert Tips
• Faq's
• Storing
• Freezing
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Serving tips
• 📖 Recipe

Why this recipe works

• It's perfect when you have leftover cooked pasta.
• When you need a quick meal with minimal effort.
• It is fantastic when you are craving a deliciously creamy and cheesy pasta dish.
• Perfect when you don't know how to cook or have kitchen skills but want to impress a special someone.
• When you want to use leftover tuna or pasta and don't know how to use it.

Ingredients

Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.

Full measurements are in the recipe card below.

Cooked pasta- we used penne pasta in this recipe, but you can use any kind of pasta that you’d like.

Heavy cream- we used heavy cream in this recipe to make the pasta extra creamy and cheesy.

Mozarella- we used store-bought grated mozzarella cheese, but you can use fresh mozzarella cheese, or grate it yourself.

Garlic- you will need about 3 garlic cloves for this recipe. we use fresh garlic and grate it by hand. We do not recommend using store-bought pre-grated garlic, because it usually has less flavor.

Olive oil- we used extra virgin olive oil for this recipe.

Onion- we used a medium-sized white onion for this recipe.

Canned tuna- use your favorite canned tuna and drain it well.

Salt- we like to use kosher salt for this recipe.

Black pepper- for flavor.

Parsley- optional, for serving.

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 200c (400f). And cook the pasta according to the package instructions. We suggest cooking the pasta al dente because the pasta cooks more when baked.

In a 13x9 inch baking pan, add the cooked pasta, minced garlic, olive oil, minced onion, salt and pepper, heavy cream, and drained canned tuna, and carefully mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are well combined.

Sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese on top, we like to use it a lot, but you are free to use it as much as you like.

Bake the pasta in a 200c (400f) preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is slightly golden brown on top.

Serve by itself or next to your favorite protein or salad and enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Make the pasta in salted water. this will make sure that the pasta flavor isn't flat. add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water.
• Cook the pasta to al dente. to stop the pasta from turning soggy from the juices, cook the pasta al dente. this step will keep your pasta dish fresh and delicious.
• Rinse the pasta with cold water when it's ready! This step ensures that the pasta will remain al dente and won't continue to cook.
• Use fresh ingredients! this pasta bake is the perfect vegetarian dish for any occasion!

Faq's

Storing

Store this pasta dish in the fridge. Cover it with a plastic wrap tightly or place it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freezing

If you would like to freeze this pasta bake, you totally can! Simply make it and bake it according to the instructions, let it cool to room temperature, and either place it in an airtight container, or cover it with plastic wrap. Freeze up to 2 months.

Make sure that you are using a freezer-friendly container.

Substitutions

Vegan- It is very easy to make this recipe vegan, simply replace the cheeses and heavy cream with vegan cheese and heavy cream.

Whole grain- You can use any kind of your favorite pasta kinds and pasta shapes., like chickpea pasta, brown rice pasta, spinach pasta, quinoa pasta, etc.

Gluten-free- you can make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta. Simply follow the instructions as written. Also, replace the flour with gluten-free flour.

Variations

Chicken- If you want to make this recipe but dont have tuna, you can add cooked chicken, grilled chicken, and shredded chicken, and simply mix it with the rest of the ingredients and bake according to the instructions.

Seasoning- use your favorite variations of spices. Some of our favorites are Italian seasoning, everything bagel seasoning, paprika, onion powder, chili flakes, etc.

Serving tips

Serve this pasta dish at a picnic, barbecue, or party. This recipe fits any type of occasion.

Serve it by itself! This pasta is filled with fresh vegetables, carbs from the pasta, and healthy fats from olive oil. This recipe makes a perfect brunch, lunch, or dinner!

More pasta recipes

Baked goat cheese pasta- This baked goat cheese pasta is made with cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, fresh basil, baby spinach, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, garlic, olive oil, and spices.

Tiktok Baked Feta Pasta– This baked feta pasta is incredibly delicious and easy to make. This pasta dish went viral in Finland, and because of this recipe, the grocery stores in Finland ran out of feta cheese.

Easy Greek Pasta Salad- This Greek pasta salad is perfect for any occasion, make with cooked pasta, fresh veggies, olives, and homemade Mediterranean Greek pasta salad dressing.

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📖 Recipe