Tuna pasta bake

A classic and heart-warming family favourite, tuna pasta bake is one of those easy all-in-one dishes you can put together quickly and then pop in the oven to finish off. There are lots of variations you can introduce to the recipe, but a good basic is the tuna and the cheese while the sweetcorn and peas add a couple of veg into the mix. We like to spice up the final effect of the tuna pasta by using tri-colour fusilli but ordinary is fine.

Ingredients

• 1lb 5 ounces / 600g pasta shapes such as fusilli or penne (we use tri-colour fusilli)
• 2 ounces / 50g butter
• 2 ounces / 50g plain flour
• 20 fluid ounces / 600ml milk
• ½ teaspoon of mustard powder
• 7 ounces / 200g extra-mature cheddar, grated
• 3½ ounces / 100g tin sweetcorn, drained
• 3½ ounces / 100g peas
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 2 x 6½ ounce / 185g tins tuna in spring water, drained

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 356°F (160°C / 320°F fan) Gas 4.

Bring a large saucepan with plenty of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain, and set aside.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Cook this for a minute or so until the mixture darkens slightly.

Then, stir in the milk, slowly, stirring well after each bit of milk to keep the sauce smooth.

Stir in the mustard powder and continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens enough to coat the spoon.

Take the saucepan off the hear and stir in most of the grated cheese (reserving some to sprinkle on later), and all of the spring onion, peas, and sweetcorn.

Now stir the cooked pasta into the sauce.

Spoon all the tuna into the bottom of an oven-proof dish and spread evenly around.

Pour the pasta and sauce over the tuna, tapping the dish gently to make sure the sauce gets in everywhere, evenly.

Sprinkle over the reserved grated cheese.

Put the dish in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the sauce is golden brown and bubbling.

Serve at once.

TRY GREEN PESTO PASTA