This recipe was created by Melissa Jones, an Accredited Practising Dietitian who works in the aged care and disability sector. Melissa has kindly volunteered her expertise and knowledge to help us bring healthy and nutritious recipes to people with musculoskeletal conditions.

Check out our full range of recipes here.

Tuna pasta bake

Tuna pasta bake is a quick and easy dinner that uses mostly pantry staples. Tuna and other oily fish are great for improving our brain function and have been proven to positively impact our mental health. It’s recommended that we include fish in our diet twice a week – not just for our brain health, but our heart health too!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried spiral pasta
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 400g tin of crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ tbsp herbs (oregano, parsley, or Italian seasoning)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 425g tin of tuna (in oil or water)
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella works best)

Method:

1. Preheat over to 180C.
2. Half cook pasta according to instructions on pasta packet.
3. Cook onion and garlic in pan with olive oil (3-5 mins).
4. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs and salt/pepper. Stir and remove from heat.
5. In a baking dish/skillet, toss drained pasta with tomato mixture until well coated.
6. Drain tuna and add, lightly mixing together.
7. Sprinkle cheese on top.
8. Bake for 25 mins or until pasta is cooked through.

Variations:

• You can add veggies such as peas/corn/carrot to the mix before cooking.
• Other pastas such as large shells or penne work well.