Tuna Mornay

Learn how to make easy tuna mornay from scratch, including the white sauce. Made with budget-friendly ingredients like canned tuna and with the addition of nutritious spinach, this pasta bake recipe will quickly become a family favourite. 

Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | | 👩‍🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗Serving Suggestions | 📝 Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More Hearty Pasta Recipes

What Is Tuna Mornay?

Tuna Mornay is a comforting, creamy casserole dish that’s especially popular in Australia. It’s an old school classic typically made with canned tuna mixed into a creamy white Mornay sauce usually made from butter, flour, and milk (basically, a béchamel sauce). Many people then add ingredients like cheese, onions, peas, corn, mustard or herbs for extra flavour (and colour). The mixture is then poured into a baking dish, topped with more cheese or breadcrumbs (I love using Pangrattato), and baked until bubbly and golden on top.

It is often served with rice or pasta but I like to make mine as a tuna mornay pasta bake, and mix everything together before baking. You can of course make tuna mornay without pasta, simply skip it from the recipe and you will get a low-carb version.

This dish is budget-friendly, hearty and simple, which explains why it’s a favourite for weeknight dinners. I am going to show you how to make it from scratch (no jarred white sauce!) and I guarantee you will be making it more than once.

What You’ll Need

Here is what you’ll need for tuna mornay recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.

• For the sauce – butter, garlic, flour (you can use gluten-free, regular or almond meal), and milk (can be regular, almond milk or lactose-free), salt and pepper.
• Also for the sauce – grated cheese such as Gouda or Cheddar and baby spinach.
• Canned tuna – I always try to use good quality, responsibly sourced canned tuna because it always tastes better and you have better cuts of the fish in the can.
• Pasta – penne, fussili or rotini is suitable for this. Pasta can be omitted from the recipe or you can replace it with cauliflower or broccoli to make a low-carb version.
• Pangrattato (Italian Breadcrumbs) – this is a topping of herby, garlicky breadcrumbs which adds lovely texture and extra flavour to the dish. I have a recipe for homemade pangrattato on the blog here. You can also make a simple version with Panko breadcrumbs or ground up stale bread toasted in olive oil with some garlic and dry herbs. For an even simple version, use plain breadcrumbs, garlic powder and dry herbs and mix those just before topping the casserole

How To Make Tuna Mornay

Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos.

• Cook the penne pasta al dente as per package instructions, then drain.
• Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 6×8-inch baking dish.
• In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté minced garlic until fragrant.
• Add flour to the garlic, stirring to combine, and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
• Gradually add milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, until the sauce thickens and simmers.

• Stir in spinach and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, add shredded Gouda cheese, and stir until the cheese melts into a smooth sauce.
• Combine the sauce with the drained tuna and cooked pasta, mixing well.

• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with half of the breadcrumbs (pangrattato). If using plain breadcrumbs, combine these with some garlic powder or minced garlic and dried herbs in a bowl, then sprinkle over the tuna pasta casserole.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs and bake for 5-10 more minutes until golden and bubbly.
• Let cool briefly, garnish with fresh herbs, and serve.

Recipe Tips

• You can use canned salmon instead of tuna in this recipe. If you don’t like fish, use sliced cooked chicken instead.
• If you prefer not to use breadcrumbs, you can omit them from the recipe. The dish will still be delicious without the crispy breadcrumb topping. You can add extra cheese on top before baking.
• Omit the pasta or replace it with diced cauliflower or broccoli for a low-carb version.

Serving Suggestions

This tuna mornay recipe is made with pasta so it’s a complete meal and can be served with a simple side salad or some garlic broccoli. If you make a tuna mornay without pasta, you can serve it with rice, quinoa or vegetables. This casserole dish is hearty and creamy so I recommend something refreshing and tangy for a side dish.

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