How spicy is the Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake?

The cayenne pepper and tabasco will give it a little bit of a kick but it is not super spicy. I'd say it's less than a medium level. Skip the cayenne pepper, tabasco and jalapeños on the topping if you are very sensitive to spice

How long does the Tuna Pasta bake keep in the fridge?

The cooked tuna pasta bake will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure you refrigerate it as soon as it is cool and cover with cling film or store leftovers in an airtight container.

Can I freeze the Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake?

You can freeze the cooked tuna pasta bake for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the sauce alone. This would give you a 15-minute dinner with freshly cooked pasta and melted cheese.

Easy Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake

Description

A quick and easy Tuna Pasta Bake with rigatoni pasta tubes in a creamy tomato-based sauce finished with a delicious grilled cheese topping that is bound to have you coming back for seconds.

Serves 4 - use the scaling buttons below to double / triple the quantity

Ingredients

Scale

Filling:

Sea salt or kosher salt
400g (or 14oz) rigatoni pasta (note 1)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion - chopped
2 x medium-sized bell peppers - cut to. 1cm / 1/2 inch pieces
3 cloves of garlic - crushed
2 x 200g (or 8oz) cans of tuna - preferably in spring water (net weight 300g)
400ml (or 14fl oz) tomato passata
2 tbsp tomato puree
100ml (or 3.5 fl oz or 1/2 cup) milk
1 tsp ground oregano
2.5 tsp smoked paprika
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp of veg of chicken stock powder
2 tsp Worcester sauce (optional)
1 200g (or 7oz) can of corn (or 165g ((or 6oz or 1 cup)) frozen corn (note 2)
100ml cream (or 3.5 fl oz or 1/2 cup) - light creme Fraiche, sour cream or single cream
1 tsp tabasco sauce - optional

Topping:

120g (or 1.5 cups) grated cheddar cheese
A handful of breadcrumbs (optional)
2 fresh jalapenos - thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

Bring a large pan of generously salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions
Meanwhile, set a large frying pan or dutch oven to a medium heat, add olive oil and fry the onion and peppers for approx. 5 minutes until soft and until the onion is translucent.
Add the crushed garlic and fry for a further minute.
Stir in the tuna and cook for a few minutes until warmed through.
Mix in the tomato passata, tomato puree, milk, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, veg/chicken stock powder, optional Worcester sauce and corn and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in the cream and cook for a couple of minutes until warmed through and add Tabasco sauce if using
Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta and spoon it into a baking dish
Top with the grated cheddar cheese and optional breadcrumbs and jalapenos.
Place the tuna bake under the grill until the cheese topping is molten and starts to brown. This should take around 5 minutes.
Serve and enjoy.

Notes

I like to use rigatoni because it's super yummy when the filling makes its way into the large pasta tubes. Fusili, penne and conchiglie (pasta shells) are also good options.

Category: Mains
Cuisine: Western

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1
Calories: 757
Sugar: 11g
Sodium: 535mg
Fat: 19g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Unsaturated Fat: 5g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 100g
Fiber: 6g
Protein: 46g
Cholesterol: 30mg

Keywords: creamy, tuna pasta bake