Healthier Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake
A healthier creamy tuna pasta bake that's packed with loads of vegetables and even some secret beans (shh!). This is a perfect family friendly pasta dish that works for toddlers and grown ups.
Print
Pin
Servings: 6 serves
Calories: 444kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups pasta measured uncooked
- 350-400 grams tinned tuna in olive oil
- extra virgin olive oil for greasing the dish
Vegetables:
- 1 cup peas frozen
- 1 cup corn kernels canned or frozen
- 1-2 cups frozen vegetables extra e.g. sliced green beans, broccoli florets, sliced carrots
- 1 large handful baby spinach
- 2 spring onions
Pasta bake sauce and topping:
- 1 can cannellini beans (400g)
- 2 and 1/2 cups milk of choice (just make sure it's unsweetened)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1-2 tbsp dijon mustard (*some mustards are stronger than others, adjust to taste!)
- 1 and 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a large baking dish with a little extra virgin olive oil.
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, and set aside. Finely chop the spring onions and set aside as well.
- Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Place in a blender or food processor with the milk, garlic powder, mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Place cooked pasta, all of the vegetables, tuna and spring onion in the baking dish. Make sure tuna is flaked through rather than being in really large chunks. Pour over the milk mixture and add in half of the cheese. Stir everything together and then arrange evenly in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the cheese is all melted and the top of the pasta bake is turning crispy and golden.
Notes
*This is meant to be a flexible recipe, use up whatever veggies you have on hand to make this pasta bake! I love this with the traditional combination of peas and corn, plus a bit of broccoli and/or green beans. You just need 3-4 cups of chopped veggies and I just use frozen veg in this.
*What kind of pasta? Small pasta shapes like spiral, penne, elbow or bow pasta work nicely in pasta bakes. You can use regular pasta, gluten free (e.g. rice pasta), pulse pasta etc.
*What kind of milk? Any kind so long as it's unsweetened - I recommend dairy milk, unsweetened soy milk or unsweetened almond milk. Do NOT use sweetened milk of any kind.
Have you made this recipe?I love seeing your creations! Take a photo and then tag me @moniquecormacknutrition on Instagram!
Nutrition
Calories: 444kcal (22%) | Carbohydrates: 45g (15%) | Protein: 35g (70%) | Fat: 15g (23%) | Saturated Fat: 7g (44%) | Cholesterol: 50mg (17%) | Sodium: 594mg (26%) | Potassium: 448mg (13%) | Fiber: 7g (29%) | Sugar: 4g (4%) | Vitamin A: 1121IU (22%) | Vitamin C: 26mg (32%) | Calcium: 407mg (41%) | Iron: 4mg (22%)