Fish pie pasta bake combines the comforting creamy filling of a great fish pie with everyone’s favourite golden-cheesy-topped pasta bake. Perfect!
Do you ever feel disappointed that you didn’t think of something sooner? That’s how I felt about this amazing fish pie pasta bake. But my disappointment was mitigated by the fact that I could eat a big plateful of deliciousness – creamy, gooey, fishy deliciousness, with the added benefit of pasta! Seriously, how did I not think of this before?
A collective oversight
In fairness, it seems that no-one else thought of it either. Once I’d had the idea to hybridise fish pie and pasta bake, I had a quick squizz at Pinterest to see how others had approached it. And apparently, no one has!
I found salmony pasta dishes (like my salmon and broccoli pasta bake) and similar dishes, but nothing that combines the comfortingly creamy filling of a really great fish pie, with the golden cheesy topping and hunger-satisfying qualities of a pasta bake.
Easy peasy cheesy
The other big advantage to this recipe is that it’s considerably less effort than a fish pie, while being just as good (if not better).
I don’t know about you, but once I’ve made the filling for the fish pie (poached the fish, made the sauce, mixed it all together…), to then have to faff about mashing potato and arranging it on top (without burning your fingers)…urrrgh. With this recipe you simply have to drain the pasta and mix it all together. Bish bash bosh and Bob’s your uncle. Yum.
Fish pie pasta bake – what kind of fish?
Just like with a fish pie, I used a combination of salmon and white fish in this tasty pasta dish. You could also add some smoked fish fillets, too, if you like them. I quite enjoy the smoky flavour together with the creamy, cheesy sauce. As long as you have around 500g fish in total, you’re good to go.
And if you want to make it even easier, you can certainly substitute 500g of prepared fish pie mix for the fish fillets, so you don’t even have to do the cutting up. It practically makes itself!
Fish pie pasta bake – ingredients
To make this delicious pasta bake you will need the following ingredients:
- 500g Fish – choose your own favourites or just get a ready prepared fish pie mix for ease
- Pasta – I used penne, but any ‘short’ pasta shape will do
- Butter or non-dairy spread/margarine
- Plain flour – also called ‘all purpose flour’
- Milk (or a non-dairy alternative)
- Leek – its lovely sweet/savoury flavour goes so well with fish
- Herbs – bayleaf, fresh dill and parsley – for plenty of flavour!
- Salt and pepper
- Grated cheese – for a golden, bubbling top!
Dairy-free and delicious!
Don’t tell DH or Kipper, but I made this fish pie pasta bake with oat milk and vegan ‘cheese’ so what you see in the photos looking all golden and tempting is actually dairy free. You are of course welcome to make it with cows’ milk and standard cheese if you don’t have a sensitive tummy like me.
And if you like it extra cheesy, simply add a thicker layer of grated cheese to the top before grilling to golden perfection!
Sneak in some veg
We ate our pasta bake with some steamed vegetables on the side. However, you can certainly add vegetables to the bake itself, to make this an all-in-one-dish dinner. As well as the leek in the sauce, you could add a scoop of frozen peas or sweetcorn, some little broccoli or cauliflower florets, or some sliced or diced carrots. Simply steam, boil or microwave the vegetables until just al dente, then add them to the pasta and sauce mixture. Continue to grill (broil) as per the recipe and you’re all set!
Fish pie pasta bake – a seriously tasty dinner
It’s a testament to how yummy this was that there were NO LEFTOVERS. I was hoping to get it for lunch the next day but I was denied a second dose of deliciousness because DH and Kipper (oh, OK, and me too) polished off the entire fish pie pasta bake between us at dinnertime. Seriously, yum.
Please do try this fish pie pasta recipe – you’ll wish you’d thought of it sooner!
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📖 Recipe
Fish pie pasta bake
Ingredients
- 250 g salmon fillet
- 250 g hake or other white fish fillet
- 500 ml milk or dairy-free alternative
- 1 bayleaf
- 1 leek
- 1 tablespoon margarine or butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 160-180 g penne or other short pasta shapes
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- 50-70 g grated cheese or non-dairy alternative
Instructions
- 250 g (9 oz) salmon fillet, 250 g (9 oz) hake or other white fish filletRinse and pat dry the salmon and hake fillets, and cut into 1½-2 cm (approx. 1 inch) cubes.
- 500 ml (2 cups) milk or dairy-free alternative, 1 bayleafHeat the milk in a wide saucepan until just boiling. Add the fish pieces and the bayleaf, and poach for around 2 minutes until the fish is just cooked. Remove the fish with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl and set aside. Discard the bayleaf, pour the hot milk into a jug and set aside.
- 1 leekTrim the leek and wash well to remove any grit. Slice into 5 mm (approx. ¼ inch) rounds.
- 1 tablespoon margarine or butterWipe out the saucepan and return to the heat. Melt the margarine or butter, and add the sliced leeks to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over a medium heat, until the leeks are softened.
- 1 tablespoon flourAdd the flour to the leeks and mix well to coat. Pour the reserved milk back into the pan and stir well. Cook, stirring, until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens. Cook for another minute, still stirring, then remove from the heat.
- 160-180 g (5½-6½ oz) penne or other short pasta shapesCook the pasta according to the directions on the packet. Drain well.
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped dill, 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, Salt and pepper to taste.Add the cooked fish, the drained pasta, the dill and the parsley to the leek sauce and stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required.
- 50-70 g (approx. ¼ cups) grated cheese or non-dairy alternativePour the fish mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle the grated cheese over. Preheat the grill (broiler) to high.
- Cook the dish under the grill (broiler) for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling, and browning in patches.
- Sprinkle with a little more parsley if desired, and serve at once.
Notes
Nutrition
More delicious pasta recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe I’m sure you’ll also love:
- hearty broccoli, tomato and salmon pasta bake
- easy tuna puttanesca pasta
- delicious Pasta alla Norma
- cheesy pumpkin (or butternut squash) pasta
Angela
Can you bake in the oven instead of grilling
Helen
Absolutely! It will take a little longer to brown the top but it should still be fine. I hope you enjoy it!
Corinne
This dish is super good, this is a keeper, cannot wait to introduce it to our friends and family.Thank you soooo much for sharing.
Jess
I am sad I didn’t think of this sooner. I have been missing out my whole life!!
Helen
That’s just how I felt, Jess! Still, better late than never 😉
Gina
This is a great way to use up some of the frozen fish I have on hand, delicious recipe!
Helen
Thanks Gina. Yes, it’s a great one for clearing the freezer because you can use a mixture of whatever fish you have on hand. Glad you enjoyed it!
Kechi
This recipe was a hit in my household – the kids and husband loved it! Thanks so much for sharing.🙏🏾
Helen
Thanks Kechi – that’s great to hear!
Claudia Lamascolo
We love fish and always looking for new recipes never tried one with pasta so this will be made this weekend thanks
Helen
I’m sure you’ll enjoy it Claudia! Thanks x.
Danielle Wolter
Oh my, this is what I need in my life! It sounds absolutely incredible!
Helen
Thanks Danielle! It’s certainly a favourite in our house 🙂
Jackie
Thank you for this recipe. Adapted slightly to fit in with Slimming world, absolutely gorgeous.
Helen
Thanks Jackie! So pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
Kathryn Gardiner
What vegan cheese do you use? I struggle to find one that actually genuinely melts…yours looks like it has melted!
Helen
I think it was the Sainsbury’s own brand ready-grated vegan ‘cheddar’ but the grated ‘sheese’ that you can get in health food shops also melts pretty well.
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins
Love this! I love both fish pie and pasta bake so this is an ideal meal for all of us here! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Helen
Thanks Kirsty, me too. Gooey, fishy, pasta-y deliciousness!
Judith Morton
Sounds great. Just wanted to check, is ok to reheat and can it be frozen, in the unlikely event there are leftovers, thanks
Helen
Hi Judith – It’s definitely OK to reheat, either in the microwave or in a moderate oven. Just cover it to make sure it doesn’t dry out. I’ve never tried freezing it so can’t advise on that I’m afraid, although I can’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be fine. I hope this helps! All the best, Helen.
Alma Vorrei
Fish pie tasted amazing. I added squeezed lemon and 1 tsp of mustard powder to give it more flavour 🙂
Helen
So glad you enjoyed it Alma. Your additions sound great!
Jacqui Bellefontaine
what a great idea I love fish pie but it can be a bit of a faff to make. I do like a bit of smoked haddock in mine but this could easily be adapted im sure
Helen
Thanks Jacqui. Yes, you can use any fish. I often put something smokey in too – delicious!
choclette
It’s funny how you come up with something like this and wonder how it’s never happened before. I do it quite a bit, but stupidly don’t write down what I’ve done and can never remember it again.
Helen
This is why I always have a notebook in the kitchen – I have a memory like a sieve!
Dannii
I love that you have combined two classic comfort food dishes. I was looking for something to cook when my mum comes to visit and this is going to be it.
Helen
Thanks Dannii! I hope your Mum enjoys it.
Nadia
Looks absolutely delicious! Would never have been to tell it was dairy-free! I want it even more now 😀
Helen
Thanks Nadia. DH and Kipper never even noticed 🙂