Cooking a creamy pasta bake
If you want tuna distributed through the sauce, chunks are a relevant choice. M&S specifically suggests its spring-water chunks for pasta bakes.
Who is each format for?
Keeping distinct tuna pieces
Steaks or fillets are worth considering for a layered bake or a dish stirred only lightly. M&S describes its spring-water steak as firm and its olive-oil options as richer in flavour.
Preparing family-sized bakes
Chunk multipacks offer a way to plan several portions. Check the drained quantity needed for your recipe rather than relying on the number of cans or their net weight alone.
What matters when choosing?
Decide whether the recipe needs tuna mixed through or left in pieces, then check the packing medium, usable quantity and information on the exact pack.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Piece size | Look for chunks, steaks or fillets; consider how much the recipe requires you to stir or break up the tuna. | For a layered bake, I want pieces I can still recognise after serving. About 36% of consumers put piece size first. |
| Sauce and flavour | Read whether the tuna is packed in spring water, brine or oil, and check the ingredients before adapting the sauce. | If my bake already has a rich sauce, I want to decide what the tuna adds to it. For about 29% of consumers, control over the sauce and flavour comes first. |
| Usable quantity | Check drained quantity against the recipe, particularly when comparing single cans with multipacks. | When preparing a family bake, I need enough drained tuna for the planned portions. That is the primary concern for about 21% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and safety | Check allergens, ingredients and opened-pack storage instructions; follow applicable NHS tuna guidance during pregnancy. | When cooking for someone with an allergy, or planning tuna across the week during pregnancy, I need to check the pack and relevant guidance before choosing. About 14% of consumers put these checks first. |
What should you avoid overlooking?
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Choosing a steak for a dish that breaks it into flakes
Chunks suit mixing through sauce, while steaks and fillets are more relevant when larger pieces should remain visible. The distinction matters less if the method calls for vigorous mixing.
Choose the format after checking how the recipe handles the tuna.
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Using can count as a measure of usable tuna
Cans and multipacks can have different net and drained quantities. The amount that reaches the bake may not be clear from pack count.
Compare the stated drained quantity with the amount your recipe requires.
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Swapping oil-packed tuna into a rich sauce unchanged
Oil-packed tuna brings its packing medium into the flavour and texture of the dish; it is not the same ingredient as tuna packed in spring water or brine.
Decide whether to drain or use any of the oil according to the sauce, and read the ingredients before adjusting seasoning.
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Overlooking household-specific checks
Tuna is fish, an allergen. NHS guidance also limits weekly tuna intake for people who are pregnant or trying for a baby; texture preferences do not override those considerations.
Check the exact pack for allergens and storage instructions, and count tuna from other meals when following NHS pregnancy guidance.
Brands and ranges to consider
John West
Its range includes tuna chunks and products described by John West as no-drain tuna steaks.
- A no-drain format may reduce preparation steps when its exact pack instructions confirm how to use it.
- Check whether the recipe needs steak pieces or chunks, and follow the storage instruction on the product bought.
Princes
Offers tuna chunks in spring water, brine and sunflower oil, including spring-water multipacks.
- The range gives cooks a choice of packing medium and pack size for mixed-through bakes.
- If intact, larger pieces matter, check the format rather than assuming chunks will give a steak-like result.
Tesco
Its listed range includes standard chunks and steak formats, including Tesco Finest yellowfin tuna steaks.
- These formats allow a choice between tuna to mix through a dish and tuna intended to remain in larger pieces.
- Check the exact item’s format and drained quantity before planning portions.
Asda
Its own-label spring-water chunks include single cans and a 4 × 145 g pack.
- The chunk format is relevant when tuna will be mixed into a family bake.
- Choose a steak or fillet format instead if the recipe calls for larger visible pieces.
M&S
Lists spring-water chunks and steaks alongside olive-oil steak and Ventresca fillet options.
- M&S suggests its spring-water chunks for pasta bakes and describes its steak and fillet products as options with more prominent texture or flavour.
- Those texture and flavour descriptions are M&S product claims; check the exact format and packing medium for the recipe.
Joybuy tuna selections
These tuna chunks suit recipes where the fish is mixed through a bake; the olive-oil-packed steak offers a different format for dishes where distinct pieces matter.
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John West No Drain Tuna Chunks in Springwater, 3 × 100g
Chunks are a relevant format when tuna will be mixed through a pasta bake. This pack contains three 100g cans of tuna in spring water with salt. The listing gives conflicting directions on draining, so check the exact pack before using it in the sauce; check its drained quantity when planning portions.
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Morrisons Fad Free Tuna Chunks in Spring Water, 6 × 145g
The chunk format and six-can pack are relevant to larger bakes with tuna mixed through the dish. The listing identifies skipjack tuna, spring water and salt; 145g is the net quantity per can, so check the drained quantity against the recipe.
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Fish4ever Tuna Steaks in Organic Olive Oil, 160g
Consider the steak format for a bake in which you want to serve recognisable tuna pieces, while handling them gently. The listed ingredients are skipjack tuna, organic olive oil and sea salt. Decide whether the oil suits the sauce, and check the drained quantity when planning the dish.
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Topical Sun Tuna Chunks in Springwater, 160g
This 160g net-weight can contains tuna chunks in spring water with salt, a format to consider for mixing through a saucy bake. Check the drained quantity for the recipe. The listing also flags possible traces of soybeans and wheat; read the exact pack if cooking for someone with an allergy.
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Princes Tuna Chunks in Brine, 4 × 145g
These chunks are a format to consider for batch-prepared pasta bakes where tuna is mixed through the dish. The listing specifies four 145g cans in brine and says to drain the tuna before use. Check the salt information and drained quantity when adapting the recipe.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use chunks or steaks in a tuna pasta bake?
Use chunks if you want tuna spread through the sauce; M&S specifically suggests its spring-water chunks for pasta bakes. Choose a steak format when larger pieces are important, and stir gently if you want to keep them recognisable.
Does olive-oil-packed tuna work in a cheese sauce?
It can, but account for the oil and its flavour rather than swapping it directly for drained spring-water tuna. Check whether the recipe needs any of the packing oil before adding it to an already rich sauce.
What should I do with tuna left after opening a can?
Follow the storage and open-life instructions on the exact pack. An Asda listing for John West spring-water chunks says to refrigerate unused tuna and consume it within two days; check the instruction for the product you buy.
Can I make tuna pasta bake during pregnancy?
Tuna can be part of a pasta bake, but count it towards the weekly limit. NHS guidance for people who are pregnant or trying for a baby says no more than four cans of tuna a week or two tuna steaks a week because tuna contains higher levels of mercury than other fish.
Do I need to check allergens on a tin of tuna?
Yes. Tuna is fish, an allergen category recognised by the Food Standards Agency. Read the exact product label, including any added ingredients or precautionary allergen information, when cooking for someone with an allergy.