This page contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.
Tuna pasta bake for kids
Try this quick, cheap and tasty fish recipe, as a teatime meal to cook for all the family...even fussy eaters will love it!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Serves 4
- Freezable
Preparation
- Total time
- 45 Mins
- Preparation time
- 10 Mins
- Cooking time
- 35 Mins
300g pasta, dried
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic (clove), crushed
160g tuna
400g chopped tomatoes
1 tsp oregano, dried
100g cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbsp olive oil
Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than the instructions on the packet and drain
Preheat oven to 180'C/Gas mark 4
Use olive oil or oil from your tuna if you have some - pour into a pan and fry some onion and garlic
Pour away the rest of the oil, add the tuna to the pan, and heat through and mix up for a minute
Add the chopped tomatoes, herbs and some black pepper - cook for 5-10 minutes
Add to the cooked pasta
Pile into an oven dish and top with grated cheese
Bake for 20-30 minutes
You will need
Frying pan - Specially designed by Jamie Oliver for Tefal, this is the perfect all-rounder frying pan. See more details here at Amazon.
Oven dish - This durable baking/roasting (or even serving) dish is 26 x 18cm, which makes it ideal for bakes, casseroles and pies. See more details here at Amazon.
Tips
Older kids can help with chopping the veg and grating the cheese, while even toddlers can help you sprinkle the cheese on top.
This keeps in the fridge for a few days, or even longer in the freezer. Reheat in the microwave, and be sure it's piping hot throughout before serving. (Pro tip: add extra cheese on top after reheating to keep the scrummy cheesy flavour).
We haven't included any salt in our recipe, as too much salt isn't good for toddlers and young kids. If older kids or adults find the taste a little bland, feel free to add salt to individual portions instead.
Variations
Try adding a tablespoon of half-fat crème fraiche to make a creamier tuna pasta bake
Stir some shredded mozzarella through the pasta before whacking it in the oven; this makes a gloriously gooey, cheesy pasta bake
Making this for adults? Add a small amount of red wine to the sauce
For extra taste add sweetcorn and/or mushrooms, or a stock cube to the pasta water
If you don't like tuna, the same recipe works really well with any kind of fish or seafood, or even chopped up bacon or Quorn pieces - the only limit is your imagination!
For a crispy top, pop a couple of slices of bread in a blender along with the cheese, and use to make a crunchy breadcrumb topping.
Instead of a bake, keep it simple and mix it all in a big bowl
Reviews
Laura S(100)
★★★★★Great recipe and my kids love it. The best way to have some fish!
Reviewed on 09/07/20
Guest
★★★★★Interesting
Reviewed on 19/06/20
Polly L(45)
★★★★★A complete go-to; we have this at least a few times a month, and everyone loves it!
Reviewed on 15/04/20
Sarah S(4625)
★★★★★Great recipe from store cupboards ingredients. I just add a big squirt of ketchup to counteract bitterness of tomatoes.
Reviewed on 09/01/19
Guest
★★★★★I made this for me and mum and found it really simple and tasty so happy I pleased her
Reviewed on 26/08/17
Guest
★★★★★My two-year-old finished his plate- winner! Thank you!
Reviewed on 23/01/17
Guest
★★★★★simple easy to do meal that all the family love
Reviewed on 29/11/15
Beverley C(146)
★★★★★Straight away i wanted to try this reciepe out and i must say i wasn't disappointed, the children loved it so much there was nothing left for me and my husband!..So while they are off out with their grandparents i made another one just for us :) and i can see why they didn't leave anything.. It's so tasty and nutritious..and so easy to create which is great when you are pushed for time.
Reviewed on 19/11/15
Guest
★★★★★So handy on a cold evening
Reviewed on 14/11/15
Guest
★★★★☆Great recipe - my husband, daughter and MIL loved it ! The recipe doesn't mention salt but it tastes better with a pinch.
Reviewed on 13/11/15
Guest
★★★★★cheap, quick and easy the perfect meal
Reviewed on 08/11/15
VG.G
★★★★★one of my childrens favourite meals!!
Reviewed on 03/11/15
Guest
★★★★★Really quick and easy to make! My kids absolutely love this dinner!
Reviewed on 02/11/15
Guest
★★★★★Always a winner as guaranteed kids will eat it and takes little time or energy to make!
Reviewed on 31/10/15
Guest
★★★★★Simple and quick to make. Very tasty ive got a feeling this will become a family favourite
Reviewed on 29/10/15
Guest
★★★★☆I'm working my way through some of the recipes on here, to try and get some new family favourites. This is definitely one of them, even my fussy 6yr old was tucking in. I stirred some fresh baby spinach through, as had some that needed using up. So quick & easy too.
Reviewed on 13/10/15
Guest
★★★★★Really nice, easy budget recipe. I add some cream cheese and use homemade pasata (veggies & tinned tomatoes slow cooked and blended) to make it more nutritious. Also add peas & sweetcorn. My 2.5 year old and husband love this, as do I - a weekly staple for us!
Reviewed on 17/08/15
Guest
★★★★☆Easy and tasty.
Reviewed on 05/03/15
Guest
★★★★★really tasty . got top marks for oh and the kids :)
Reviewed on 26/02/15
Guest
★★★★☆The kids loved this recipe. I just put it in a bol with sweet-corns, tomatoe sauce (with oigons and oregan and garlic). They absolutely loved it!!!!! Thank you
Reviewed on 16/02/15
Guest
★★★★★It really was very easy and quick to make, and you can do it in different variations, with more veg thrown in - peas, sweetcorn, asparagus... the list is endless :-) The kids loved it, and they usually turn their nose up at tuna.
Reviewed on 16/02/15
Guest
★★★★★Thank you for sharing this recipe. Tried it first time with for my 1 yo and now cook it on a regular bais. It's lovely and quick!
Reviewed on 08/02/15
Guest
★★★★★This went down well in our house with my 2 and 5 year olds and my husband took the leftovers to work! I added some spinach too which worked really well. Will definitely make again.
Reviewed on 27/01/15
Guest
★★★★★Lovely recipe, I added frozen peas too for more veg and a bit of colour.
Reviewed on 23/01/15
Guest
★★★★☆So simple yet so delicious, enjoyed by all. I used tinned chopped tomatoes - my staple sore cupboard ingredient - and it worked a treat.
Reviewed on 22/01/15
Guest
★★★★★Hi. I used a tin of tomatoes instead and it went down very well - clean plates all round include the 2 from the play dates! Have frozen the left overs for another day.
Reviewed on 09/01/15