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Supercharged Tuna Mornay

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A classic favourite packed with family-friendly flavours, made with pantry staples.

I never thought I was a “tuna mornay person” until I made this. Imagine flaked tuna tossed in a creamy béchamel sauce with tender greens, stuffed into giant pasta shells, then smothered with melted cheese and all topped with a golden, crispy panko breadcrumb layer. How could anyone resist? But what I love most about this dish isn’t just how indulgent, delicious and comforting it is – it’s the simplicity of it.

Overhead view of a Supercharged Tuna Mornay Pasta Bake served in a white bowl.
After making this old-fashioned, creamy, cheesy baked classic I can honestly say I’m a tuna mornay convert! It’s as simple as it is delicious.

This Supercharged Tuna Mornay transforms humble pantry staples into something truly special, and it couldn’t be easier to make. By the time dinner rolls around, I’m often running on fumes and need something quick and satisfying that’s guaranteed to please the whole family. This dish checks all the boxes. It’s made with family-friendly flavours, minimal fuss and, best of all, one batch goes a long way, feeding my family twice! Talk about a win-win for busy nights. I love this recipe so much that I included it in my new cookbook Simple Dinners Every Day.

Even if you have fussy eaters who turn their nose up at most fish dishes, they are sure to say yes to this creamy, dreamy dish that really doesn’t taste at all “fishy”. It’s a beautiful winter warmer for chilly days, and is great for both making ahead of time and for freezing. I’m a tuna mornay convert!

Long shot of Supercharged Tuna Mornay Pasta Bake in a pan.
Flaked tuna, spinach and peas are cooked in a creamy béchamel sauce, stuffed into giant pasta shells, then smothered with melted cheese and baked, topped with a crispy breadcrumb crust. What more is there to say!

How can I add some spice?

For extra zing, add a pinch of chilli (red pepper) flakes to the béchamel sauce or sprinkle them over the breadcrumbs before baking. A splash of Tabasco or hot sauce when serving works well too!

What can I serve with Supercharged Tuna Mornay?

A simple green salad or steamed veggies make perfect sides to balance the richness of the creamy sauce. It’s also great with garlic bread for an extra indulgent dinner.

Close-up of Supercharged Tuna Mornay Pasta Bake in a pan with a spoon scooping a portion.
This tuna mornay makes both a warming, homestyle family dish, but is elegant enough to serve to guests for easy entertaining.

Does tuna pasta bake taste fishy?

Not at all! The creamy béchamel sauce, cheese and lemon juice balance the tuna’s flavour beautifully, so the final dish doesn’t taste “fishy”. It suits even the pickiest of eaters at our place! For a milder flavour, you can use tuna in springwater, instead of olive oil.

Watch how to make Supercharged Tuna Mornay

If you enjoyed Supercharged Tuna Mornay, I think you’ll love:

Tuna Fried Rice Recipe
Tuna Miso Soba Noodles Recipe
Homemade Fish and Chips Recipe
Crispy Fish Tacos Recipe
Sushi Sandwich Recipe

Close-up of Supercharged Tuna Mornay Pasta Bake in a pan with a spoon scooping a portion.

Supercharged Tuna Mornay

Author: Nicole
5 from 10 votes
“This is one of my favourite pastas and one I have added to my rotation. Super simple and delicious!!
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A creamy, cheesy tuna mornay stuffed into giant pasta shells and baked to golden perfection. This comforting Supercharged Tuna Mornay is packed with family-friendly flavours and pantry staples, making it the ultimate weeknight dinner or entertaining crowd-pleaser.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 45 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

TUNA MORNAY
  • 500 g (1 lb) giant pasta shells (or any other pasta you like)
  • 100 g (3½ oz) unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp freshly grated garlic
  • 50 g (⅓ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 875 ml (3½ cups) full-cream (whole) milk
  • 90 g (2 cups) baby spinach
  • 155 g (1 cup) frozen peas
  • 425 g (15 oz) canned tuna in olive oil, drained (see note 1)
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  • 125 g (1 cup) grated cheddar or other similar cheese
  • 50 g (½ cup) finely grated parmesan
  • 1½ tsp sea salt flakes
  • ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
PANKO TOPPING
  • 60 g (½ cup) grated cheddar
  • 25 g (¼ cup) finely grated parmesan
  • 60 g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs
  • Olive oil spray, or 1–2 tbsp olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) (all oven types).
  • Boil the pasta – Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Rinse in cold water to stop the pasta cooking, then drain and set aside.
  • Make the sauce – Heat the butter in a large, deep, heavy-based ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
  • Add the flour and stir it through until it is dissolved.
  • Add half of the milk and whisk until well combined with the flour mixture. Add the remaining milk, bring to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, for 4–5 minutes until thickened.
  • Add the veggies – Remove from the heat and stir through the baby spinach and peas.
  • Add the tuna and remaining ingredients – Add the tuna, lemon zest and juice, cheddar, parmesan, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
  • Toss the cooked pasta shells through the sauce, using your spoon to fill some of the shells with the mixture. Turn some of the shells so they are facing upwards (for presentation). If you don’t have an ovenproof frying pan, transfer to a baking dish.
  • Make the panko topping – For the panko topping, sprinkle over the cheddar, parmesan and panko breadcrumbs, in that order. Spray with olive oil spray or drizzle with olive oil.
  • Bake – Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling around the edges.
  • Serve – Serve immediately.

Nutrition information

Nutrition Facts
Supercharged Tuna Mornay
Amount per Serving
Calories
580
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
37
g
57
%
Saturated Fat
 
20
g
125
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
10
g
Cholesterol
 
121
mg
40
%
Sodium
 
1311
mg
57
%
Potassium
 
606
mg
17
%
Carbohydrates
 
29
g
10
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
10
g
11
%
Protein
 
34
g
68
%
Vitamin A
 
2726
IU
55
%
Vitamin C
 
24
mg
29
%
Calcium
 
578
mg
58
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Disclaimer re gluten-free and dairy-free recipes

Watch how to make it

Recipe notes

Note 1 – For a milder flavour, you can use tuna in springwater, instead of olive oil.

Make Ahead

Prepare ahead – Assemble the dish up to the point of baking, cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bake directly from the fridge, covered in foil, for 10–15 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.
Freeze ahead – Assemble the dish, cover with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.

Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat as directed in the Make Ahead instructions above for best results. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Equipment

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!
Course pasta
Cuisine Comfort Food, European

  1. 5 stars
    This was easy, delicious, and toddler approved. Fed our family of 4 two dinners and a lunch or two for me. It was seasoned nicely and lemon really needs to be there to lighten up the creaminess. I loved using canned tuna as it was a quick easy healthy protein and it melts into the pasta so nicely making yummy bites! Thank you for sharing the recipe with us!!

    • Hi Natalie, thanks so much for sharing this lovely feedback! 🥰 I’m thrilled you all enjoyed the recipe, even your little eaters. Thanks for the rating too. ❤️ Nic x

  2. 5 stars
    Delicious – I only 2 tins of tuna, had low fat milk and a little heavy cream, as my husband can’t manage spinach or peas, i did 1cup parsley and air fryed strips of corgettes, no cheda so had to use Greek gruillere, (im in Athens), and the parmesan, for topping i only had 1/4cup pamezan and amazingly I did have panko. The result was still amazing! My son had three enormous helpings!

    • Hello to you in Athens, Kristina! Thanks so much for sharing how you made this! I love hearing these details! Clever you for making it work with what you had on hand. 👏🏻 And thanks for the rating. Nic x

  3. 5 stars
    Super easy, tasty and quick to put together

    • Wonderful to hear Shelly! Thanks for the rating, Nic x

  4. 5 stars
    This is my second time making this recipe in 2 weeks! My family of 6 all love it. I used to use a different recipe, but now I love this SHE tuna mornay recipe much more. The lemon zest and juice makes it fresh and zingy, and I love the spinach and peas for some greens! Thanks Nicole!

    • Love to hear you’ve made this twice, Jane! And thrilled that your whole family enjoy it so much. Thanks so much for the rating, too. Nic x

  5. 5 stars
    I would have never made a tuna mornay but…I’ve tried a lot of SHE recipes that have been great so I decided to make this and I am a convert.

    It is so rare to make a meal that the entire family likes (2 & 4yr old), everyone scoffed this down both times I have made this so I thought it was worth rating!

    • Yep, Emily, same here. So glad you enjoyed the recipe and it was a hit with the little eaters! Thanks so much for the rating, Nic x

  6. 5 stars
    Quick, easy, delicious, so good on a cold night to really warm you up and fill your belly.

    The kids also loved this which is always a bonus. I swear, every recipe of yours I’ve made so far is 5 stars and I’ve made A LOT of them! You are my go to for quick, tasty weeknight dinners to feed my family of 5 🙂

    • Thank you so much, Becc! I am thrilled you are enjoying all the recipes so much. I am honoured to be your ‘go to’! Thanks also for the rating, Nic xx

  7. An absolute winner! This meal instantly became my toddlers favourite dinner. “That was so yummy Mum, can you make that again!”. The zest of the lemon is delicious. Thank you for you’re recipes. You sponsor 95% of my weekly meal planning 😄

    • Wow, Rebecca, thank you so much for the beautiful feedback! I’m honoured to be sponsoring so many of your meals! 🤣 Nic x

  8. Our kids (10 & 12) cook dinner for the family one night a week to get their skills up. Our 10 year old made this and it was so delicious! So easy, warming and plenty for leftovers. Agree that the lemon is a great addition.

    • Hi Kate, wow that is so wonderful to hear!! What a fantastic system … I love getting my kids involved in the cooking, too! Nic x

  9. Ohhh for the love of lemons! The lemon in this dish elevates the standard tuna mornay into a really delicious dish. I also loved using the large shells and filling them. We added chilli, jalapenos, corn and diced capsicum for maximum flavour. This dish is going on rotation this winter! Thank you 💛

    • Thank you for sharing this wonderful feedback, Tess! Yep, a bit of lemon makes all the difference. So happy that this one’s going on rotation at your place! Nic x

  10. 5 stars
    This is one of my favourite pastas and one I have added to my rotation. Super simple and delicious thanks!! I halve the recipe and it makes four generous servings.

    • So happy you enjoy this one, Kelly. It really is so easy isn’t it, and yet so satisfying! Thanks also for the rating, Nic x

  11. This recipe is SO NICE! just a quick question, are those macros accurate per serve? Is this nearly 1000 calories per serving?

    • I made it tonight slightly less with low fat cheese which helped a little haha.

    • Hi Sarah, I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. It is a little decadent ingredient-wise, which is what makes it so delish. I just double-checked the stats using a different calculator, and I got the same results. I hope this helps. Nic x

  12. 5 stars
    This was bloody delicious. Thank you for sharing. I made the x1 portion. Used 1.5 cans of tuna, 2x lemon juice ice cubes and 1 icecube of lemon rind added 1 tsp of chicken stock powder to the bechamel. Looking forward to the leftovers. My husband is not usually a fan of tuna mornay but commented during dinner how tasty it was. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    • Hi Shaz, I wasn’t mad on tuna mornay myself until I developed this recipe, so I know how your husband feels! I’m thrilled you all enjoyed it. Thanks also for the rating. Nic x

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Disclaimer re gluten-free and dairy-free recipes 

For recipes labelled ‘gluten-free’ or ‘dairy-free’, the ingredients included in the recipe are typically gluten- or dairy-free. However, it is the user’s responsibility to carefully check the ingredient panels on the specific brands of products purchased and used. Simple Home Edit cannot be held responsible for any adverse reactions.