Tuna pasta bake

At a glance

Preparation time: 60 minutes

Difficulty: Medium

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 250g pasta (your choice of pasta)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoon minced garlic or 2 garlic clove
• 1 stalk celery*
• 1 zucchini*
• 2 cups (200g) broccoli*, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons plain flour
• 2 cups milk (reduced fat if available)
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan (reduced fat if available)
• 1 cup chicken stock (reduced salt if available)
• 1 x 425g can tuna in springwater, drained (no added salt if available)
• Zest (thin strips of lemon peel) and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 parsley stalks, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 teaspoon of parsley paste (available from the chilled part of the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket) (optional)
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (reduced fat if available)
• 1/3 cup wholemeal breadcrumbs*

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a baking tray.
2. Dice the onion by removing the outer skins and chop into small pieces. Place in a small bowl for later.
3. If using fresh garlic, remove the outer skin and chop cloves into very small pieces. Add to bowl with the onion.
4. Chop vegetables into small bite sized pieces. Place in a separate bowl for later.
5. Cook pasta as per packet directions but stop cooking a few minutes early so pasta is still firm. Drain and set aside.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large fry pan. Add the onion, garlic, celery, zucchini and broccoli and cook 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
7. Slowly mix in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the chicken stock then milk and stir to prevent lumps. Cook gently for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened, then add in parmesan.
8. Remove from the heat and add in the tuna, pasta, parsley and lemon zest and juice. Transfer mixture to the baking dish.
9. Combine the breadcrumbs and cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture.
10. Bake for 30 minutes until golden.

*Tips

• You could serve this with a simple side salad like chopped tomato, lettuce and cucumber.
• You could replace the fresh vegetables with 2 cups of frozen vegetables.
• To make your own fresh breadcrumbs you will need a food processor and bread that is a few days old. Tear the bread into small pieces (about 6 to 8 pieces for each slice of bread) and pulse it about 10 times with 1-second pulses, or until the bread pieces turn into crumbs. You can use the crusts so this is a good way to use them up if no-one eats them in your house. You can store fresh breadcrumbs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze them for up to 6 months. If using frozen bread crumbs, you can use them directly from frozen or thaw them in the fridge.