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close up tuna casserole with pasta in a small baking dish.
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5 from 2 votes

Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake (with Sweetcorn)

Cheesy and creamy tuna pasta bake with sweetcorn and white sauce made from scratch, this easy noodle casserole will make your children happy.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Pasta and Rice
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 598kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

  • Tuna bake:
  • 200 g/ 7 oz macaroni or penne, fusili, farfalle etc
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 can corn about 250 g/ 8.8 oz once drained (Note 1)
  • 1 can tuna about 150 g/ 5.3 oz tuna once drained
  • 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano Note 2
  • ½ teaspoon red chili flakes more or less to taste
  • fine sea salt and black pepper
  • White sauce:
  • 2 ½ tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 400 ml/ 13.5 fl.oz/ 1 ¾ cups milk
  • 50 g/ 1.8 oz/ ½ cup grated cheese Note 3
  • nutmeg
  • fine sea salt and black pepper
  • Topping:
  • 2-3 small tomatoes depending on size
  • 4 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs
  • 50 g/ 1.8 oz/ ½ cup grated cheese Note 3

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a medium casserole dish, either oval, round, square or rectangular is fine. Mine was about 18x23 cm/7x9 inches.

Tuna pasta bake:

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt generously, and cook the pasta according to the packet's instructions. Drain well.
  • In the meantime, cut the red bell pepper into thin small strips and chop the garlic cloves. Drain the can of corn.
  • Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook the red bell pepper, garlic, and corn for about 5 minutes or until the peppers are softer and the corn starts to look a little bit charred.
  • Add the drained and flaked tuna and the spices. Stir well and let get hot for about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

White sauce:

  • Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the flour on top, stir and let it become slightly golden about 1 minute. Slowly, start adding the milk while whisking continuously. Bring to a boil and let the sauce simmer for about 3-5 minutes or until thickened.
  • Add the grated cheese and stir well until it is melted. Season generously with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
  • Place the drained pasta back into the pot you used to cook them. Add the vegetable and tuna mixture, mix carefully, and pour the white sauce on top. Mix again. Place into the prepared baking dish.

Topping:

  • Slice the tomatoes thinly. Arrange them on top of the bake. Mix together the breadcrumbs and the grated cheese. Sprinkle over the tomatoes.
  • Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden. Leave to rest for about 5 minutes, then serve with a green salad.

Video

Notes

  1. Frozen and defrosted corn kernels can be used instead.
  2. Or an Italian or French dried herb mixture.
  3. Gouda, cheddar or another good melting cheese that you like.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 598kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 924mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g