A tuna pasta bake is one our favourite national dishes. Easy to make, comforting to eat plus it’s healthy and cheap to boot.

Here’s our basic recipe – ideal when time and cash is short, plus some optional extras if things are looking a little more flush.

Ingredients

• 400g pasta, small shapes like twists or tubes work best
• 2x 160g tins tuna chunks, the type in sunflower/olive oil works well but any type will do
• 100g cheddar cheese, grated

Optional

• 200g tin sweetcorn
• 1 onion, chopped
• 100g frozen peas

Method

Heat your oven to 200C, gas mark 6

1. Start off by cooking your pasta in a large pan of salted, boiling water according to the instructions on the packet – usually around 10-12 mins.
2. When the pasta is cooked, drain and tip into a large oven proof dish.
3. If your tuna is in oil, tip the entire tins into the pasta and stir through. If you tuna is in water, drain before adding to the pasta.
4. Once the tuna is stirred through the pasta, sprinkle the grated cheese on top and place in the oven
5. Bake for 15-20 mins until the cheese is bubbling. Leave to stand for 5 mins before serving.

Optional extras

• If you’d like to add sweetcorn, drain the tin then add to the pasta at stage 3 with the tuna.
• If you’re adding a chopped onion, stir through the pasta with the tuna at stage 3.
• If you’d like to add peas to your bake, stir them into the pasta with the tuna at stage 3.