Cheesy tuna pasta bake in pink sauce
This easy recipe for tuna spinach pasta bake is a wonderfully complete meal that can be served on for dinner, at a picnic, or potluck.
Ingredients
 | 400 g (0.9 lb) of pasta, such as penne, farfelle, fusilli, rotini, rigatoni, etc. I’m using penne. |
 | 1 cup of fresh or baby spinach |
 | 5 oz (140 g) can of tuna |
 | 1 cup grated cheese such as parmesan, gruyère, cheddar, emmental, etc. I’m using cheddar and emmental. |
For the Pink sauce:
 | 3/4 cup of any type of heavy cream or crême fraiche |
 | 3/4 cup of tomato coulis or any other type of tomato sauce such as marinara, etc. |
 | 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or flakes |
 | 1 teaspoon of dried basil or fresh |
 | 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano |
 | 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme or fresh |
 | Pinch of salt and pepper |
How to make this cheesy tuna pasta bake
- Cook the pasta in a large pot according to package instructions.
- Mix all pink sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
- Chop the spinach and drain the tuna.
- Drain the cooked pasta and transfer it to a large casserole dish.
- Layer the spinach and tuna throughout the pasta.
- Pour and mix the pink sauce evenly into the pasta.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Top with a generous layer of shredded cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Serve warm.
Canned tuna is one of the easiest ingredients to experiment with and to always have in your pantry. It works as a meat substitute, with plenty of flavor and protein to any dish.
And one of my favorite ways to use tuna is in a pasta bake with oodles of cheese, a creamy sauce, and of course some spinach to get those veggies in.
This tuna pasta bake is quick and easy to make and absolutely delicious. The tuna, spinach and cheese are all baked together in one dish until the fresh spinach is just wilted and the cheese has melted.
It is a dish you can easily serve for dinner, take to a potluck, or even serve cold at a picnic, to the delight of all your family and friends.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 400 g of penne pasta (0.9 lb)
- 1 cup of fresh spinach
- 5 oz can of tuna (140 g)
- 1 cup grated cheese eg. parmesan, gruyère, cheddar, emmental, etc.
Pink Pasta sauce
- 3/4 cup of crême fraiche or heavy cream
- 3/4 cup of tomato coulis or tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon of dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot on the stove, cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients for the pink sauce.
- Chop the spinach and drain the tuna from the can.
- Once the pasta has finished cooking, drain the pasta and place it in a large casserole dish.
- Layer the spinach and tuna between the cooked pasta.
- Top the casserole with the pink sauce mix it into the pasta bake.
- Preheat the oven at 375°F (190°C).
- Sprinkle the top layer with shredded cheese, added liberally.
- Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese on top looks cooked and golden brown.
- Serve while warm.
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
You can serve this tuna spinach pasta bake and cheese with a salad like this tuna corn salad with greens or a starter like tomato tartare.
How to store it?
If you do want to prepare this tuna spinach pasta bake in advance, let it cool completely and place it in an airtight glass container. However, it is not a dish that freezes very well because the pasta gets soggy, so I don’t recommend it.
