Your Tuna Pasta Bake

[AB Editor]

Afternoon all,

It's struck me that I haven't had a pasta bake in years - I mean maybe 5 years or something.

Anyway, we're making one tonight. I wondered if anyone had a favourite recipe they always use, or just a a few general tips to ensure that it is the best pasta bake ever?

I think we're doing Tuna, so maybe that's worth keeping in mind when you educate me.

[EcclesCake]

Kabanos= Yummy Polish smoked sausage.

[Tilly2]

smoked sausage and tuna sounds horrible to me. I could not eat that.

[viv38]

I think I have to agree with Tilly there !

[EcclesCake]

The very thought of tuna, kabanos, sweet corn and crisps of an indeterminate flavour makes me want to heave,

I sincerely hope it turns out well and Ab Editor plans to serve it again......maybe with a few enhancements.....

[Tilly2]

Stick to one thing or another, Ed. Preferably another.

[lcg]

make a cheese and broccoli bake and put a can of tuna in the cheese sauce before baking. simples....

[EcclesCake]

Lcg's post reminded me of why I hate some pasta bakes. I suspect it derives from this kind of monstrosity that was frequently served in the 80's.. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/curried-chicken-and-broccoli-casserole/

[Eve]

I prefer mine lighter, without the baking :) Some tinned tuna and sweetcorn with some pasta and a bit of salad cream...mmmm.....

I tend to crave this when I get poorly recently.

[humbersloop]

bloddy hell eccles, what corner of culinary hell did that creep out from??

[vodkancoke]

I don't do tuna pasta bake...me no likey.


The ones I do are either baked gnocchi or baked ziti (my fave).

Gnocchi al Forno:

500g packet of gnocchi (or make your own!)
400g tin peeled plum tomatoes
350g (1/2 bottle) of passata
1 onion, sliced
Olive oil
Fresh Basil
Fresh Mozzarella
Parmesan, grated

-Par-boil the gnocchi for about 3-5 mins. Drain and set aside
-Make sauce. Soften onion in olive oil, add tomatoes and passata and leave to simmer for around 45 mins. Tear in some fresh basil.
-Stir gnocchi into sauce. Place in an oven-proof dish. Top with mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 15-20 mins until cheese is golden and melty and yummy.


Baked Ziti (Nonna's recipe)

1 pkt La Molisana Ziti
Olive oil
1lb Italian Sausage, remove the skins
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Fresh basil
1 x tin peeled plum tomatoes
1 x bottle passata
1 fresh mozzarella
Parmesan cheese

-Boil pasta until just al dente. Drain and drizzle with olive oil.
-Soften onion and garlic in olive oil. Add tomatoes and simmer for 1 hour. Season and add fresh basil.
- Fry the sausage meat in a little olive oil until browned.
- Add tomato sauce to sausage meat and heat through. Bring to a simmer.
-Place some of the sauce in the bottom of an oven-proof dish. Pour pasta on top and spread out in an even layer. Top with more sauce, mozzarella and parmesan.
-Bake for 20 mins until golden.

[pastafreak]

That baked ziti has me salivating...and I don't eat pasta anymore...:-(
And the idea of crisps anywhere near pasta is vile...blehhh!

[B00]

I'm with Tilly, hot tuna...NO!

[Tilly2]

I use a recipe that an Italian friend of mine gave me. It's very similar to voddie's.
Proper pasta bake.

[AB Editor]

"Lcg's post reminded me of why I hate some pasta bakes. I suspect it derives from this kind of monstrosity that was frequently served in the 80's..."

Well, that's kind of what we were going for. Some kind of nostalgic, hearty, junkish food which wouldn't necessarily make it onto Nigel Slater's pristine kitchen, but would be tasty.

And it was - here's what we did:

Sliced kabanos really thin and heated it gently to get the fat to leak out (like you would with Chorizo)

Added finely chopped spring onions and shallot to the pan and cook until soft/golden

Add cooked pasta

Add sweetcorn, harricott beans and canned tuna

Add some ragu cheese and bacon pasta bake sauce (this was surprisingly good - and not too salty, which is usually the problem with tins/jars of premade anything)

Stir, splat into a couple of oven dishes. Bake for a bit, added Davidstow extra mature cheddar (it was on offer - I wouldn't spend the £4/200gthey normally ask for it! It was super creamy though). Also added some grated parmesan.

And finally, the crisps! Went for the kettle chips cheddar cheese & red onion.

Baked until it was done/was hungry enough to just eat it.

Huge serving in massive bowl with some hot sauce on top.

I have leftovers for lunch :)

[AB Editor]

Oh, and to those who thought the flavours wouldn't work - the gap was bridged between the tuna and the meat through the cheese sauce and the smoky crisps. The fresh flavours of the sweetcorn and beans helped keep the tuna flavour from disappearing in the smokiness.

[Tilly2]

You're not on a diet then, Ed?

[AB Editor]

It's a diet of sorts :)

[B00]

issit a see food diet?

[AB Editor]

Ah! You've heard of it!