21 May Recipe: Tuna Pasta Bake for under $4.00 per serve
An old-school family dinner that still earns its place on the table
Tuna pasta bake may not be fancy, but that’s part of its charm. It’s warm, filling, kid-friendly and made mostly from pantry and freezer staples. For families watching the grocery budget, it’s also a reliable way to turn a few tins and a handful of pasta into a proper family meal.
Estimated cost: around $10–$14
Serves: 4–6
Approximate cost per serve: $2–$3.50
Best for: busy weeknights, using pantry staples, lunchbox leftovers
Costs will vary depending on the brand of tuna, cheese and pasta used.
Ingredients
For the bake:
- 300g pasta, such as penne, spirals or macaroni
- 2 x 185g tins tuna in springwater, drained
- 1 cup frozen “peas and corn”
- 1 cup grated cheese
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter, for greasing the baking dish
For a simple white sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard, optional
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional extras:
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 grated carrot
- 1 small tin corn, drained
- Chopped parsley
- A squeeze of lemon juice
- Extra grated cheese for the top
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender. Drain and set aside.
- To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for about one minute. Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring until the sauce thickens. Add mustard, if using, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, tuna, peas and corn, and any extra vegetables you are using. Stir through the white sauce and half the grated cheese.
- Spoon into a lightly greased baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs, if using.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.
Why it works for families
Tuna pasta bake is one of those dinners that doesn’t ask much of you. Most of the ingredients can live in the pantry or freezer, which makes it useful when you haven’t had time to shop.
The tuna adds protein, the pasta fills hungry kids, and the peas and corn give it a little colour and sweetness. It also reheats well, which makes it handy for next-day lunches.
Make it stretch and save more
- Use a little less tuna and add more vegetables, such as grated carrot, zucchini, frozen spinach or extra corn.
- Add an extra cup of cooked pasta if you need to feed another child or stretch it for leftovers.
- Use home-brand pasta, frozen vegetables and tinned tuna in springwater to keep costs down.
- Breadcrumbs are optional, but a good way to use up the end of a loaf. Blitz stale bread or grate it into rough crumbs and freeze for future bakes.
White sauce or tomato base?
The creamy white sauce is the classic version, but a tomato base also works well.
For a tomato tuna pasta bake, replace the white sauce with:
- 1 jar passata or pasta sauce
- 1/2 cup water or stock
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- Optional: grated carrot, zucchini or spinach
Mix with the pasta, tuna and vegetables, top with cheese, and bake as above.
The tomato version is usually lighter and may be cheaper if you already have passata or pasta sauce in the cupboard.
Swaps and substitutions
No tuna? Use tinned salmon, leftover roast chicken or cooked shredded chicken.
No peas and corn? Use any frozen mixed vegetables.
No breadcrumbs? Just use cheese on top.
Need it egg-free? This recipe is naturally egg-free unless you add extras.
Need it vegetarian? Leave out the tuna and add a tin of drained chickpeas, lentils or cannellini beans. The flavour will be different, but it still makes a filling pasta bake.
Can you freeze it?
Yes, but it is best frozen before baking or as leftovers in portions.
Let it cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat until piping hot.
Creamy pasta bakes can dry out slightly after freezing, so add a splash of milk before reheating if needed. Tomato-based versions often freeze a little better.
Can you make it ahead?
Yes. Assemble the bake earlier in the day, cover and refrigerate. Add the cheese and breadcrumbs just before baking.
You may need to add an extra 5–10 minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the fridge.
A tip for busy parents
Cook extra pasta when making another meal and set some aside for this bake the next night. With cooked pasta ready to go, this becomes more of an assembly dinner than a cooking dinner.
This Budget recipe is our family-friendly take on a classic goulash one, designed to be low-cost, flexible and easy for busy households. Recipes are designed to be simple, flexible and family-friendly. Costs are estimates and may vary by store, season and brand.
How we estimate recipe costs
Our Budget Meals recipes use approximate prices based on average Australian supermarket costs at the time of publishing (including major supermarkets such as Coles, Woolworths and Aldi). Costs are calculated using standard-sized ingredients and divided by the number of serves. Prices can vary depending on where you shop, specials, seasonality, brands and whether you already have pantry staples at home. The estimates are intended as a general guide to help families compare meal ideas and plan affordable dinners.
