Monday, March 06, 2006
Pasta Bake with Tuna and Vegetables
I had a lazy day today. Work was quiet, traffic was relatively quiet and the evening was quiet too. In fact, life was so quiet today, I didn't feel like cooking real food. And as I said on Sunday, that generally means a baked casserole or pasta. Or how about both? Tuna noodle casserole it was!375 ml milk
1 bay leaf
a slice of onion
5 whole peppercorns
150 to 200 g dried noodles (short ones are best, but anything works)
3 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic
1 cup of chopped vegetables of your choice (I like carrots, broccoli, spring onions, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower and tomatoes, but you can be creative; for those who like it, celery or parsnips aren't bad either, but Lofty and I can't stand the stuff)
3 tbsp flour
¼ tsp nutmeg
80 ml cream
3 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 can tuna in water, drained and juices reserved
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Cheddar
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika
Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Butter a shallow baking dish. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, bay leaf, onion slice and pepper to a boil. Take off the stove, cover with a lid and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Drain through a sieve.
Bring a large saucepan full of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt, followed by the noodles. Cook until al dente, drain and return to the pan to keep warm.
Melt the butter in another large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium again and add the garlic and vegetables. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes. Whisk in the flour, then cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
Add the milk and juice from the tuna. Reduce the heat to low again and simmer sauce, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add nutmeg, cream, parsley and ½ cup of cheese. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted. Flake the tuna into sauce and stir gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer mixture to the baking dish. Toss together breadcrumbs and cheese in a bowl. Sprinkle evenly over casserole, then sprinkle with paprika. Bake until topping is crisp and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.
Christine at 7:42 pm
