Pasta bakes are always a popular family dinner and usually of the creamy variety with lots of cheesy sauce. This Tuna, Tomato & Olive Pasta Bake is a nice change and while there is still plenty of cheese on top, it has a nice tomato sauce wrapped around the pasta.
The other great thing about this pasta bake is that it uses ingredients that are usually on hand, and if they aren’t, can be easily substituted with something else.
Use the tomato sauce as a base and then mix it up in the following ways:
- Add any type of meat/fish – salmon, chicken, ham or salami would all work well.
- Throw in some ‘pickled condiments’ – this recipe uses olives but you could easily add roasted capsicum, artichokes, sundried tomatoes and other types of olives.
- Hide some vegetables – grate up some zucchini, carrot or other vegetables and stir through the tomato sauce.
- Add some extra cheeses – sprinkle some feta cheese or ricotta cheese on top as a variation.
Tuna, Tomato & Olive Pasta Bake
Ingredients
375g pasta shapes – I used penne but any will do
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium brown onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
440g can tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup grated mozarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Method
Preheat oven to 200C (390F).
Cook the pasta in boiling water and drain well.
While it is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and garlic. Cook gently until the onion is soft. Add tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Add the drained pasta, olives and tuna to the tomato sauce and toss to combine well. Spoon into a large baking dish. Sprinkle cheeses evenly over the top. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is nicely melted and golden.
Serves 8
The Klutzy Cook Notes
- If time permits, and you have plenty of tomatoes on hand, try making it with your own tomato sauce. Here’s a roasted tomato sauce recipe to try.
- This recipe makes a large quantity, but does freeze well. So put some away for another night.
- Vary up the ingredients as per the recommendations at the top and this dish can be made many different ways. This helps to keep it interesting for the family too.
I’d love to hear any extra ingredient suggestions for this pasta bake. Please share them below and don’t forget to share with your friends by clicking the buttons below.
