The weekday grind might leave you too exhausted to devote a lot of time in the kitchen, so it’s helpful to have a few go-to recipes on hand. In many cases, all you need is some canned tuna and some pasta to make a delicious meal. In less than 20 minutes, you can have this creamy tuna pasta casserole ready to bake. This is a meal that will warm the hearts of your loved ones and is sure to be a hit at any family gathering.
Creamy tuna pasta tips
The pasta’s creaminess comes from the cheese sauce you’ll make yourself using a bechamel foundation. Peas, which are included in this dish, are an excellent source of vitamins K, C, and folate. Besides being high in antioxidants, manganese, and fibre, they are an excellent dietary choice. The tuna helps make this a very healthy lunch. Omega-3 fatty acids, excellent protein, selenium, and vitamins D and E may all be found in abundance in tuna. All of this provides the nutritious components your family needs to thrive.
The last thing you want to do at the end of a hard day is spend hours in the kitchen preparing dinner. Making this creamy tuna pasta casserole is a breeze, and the whole family will love it.
Creamy Tuna Pasta Recipe
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Global
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
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400g pasta of your choice
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3 tbsp. butter
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1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
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⅓ cup flour
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2½ cups milk
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2½ cups cheddar cheese, grated
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¼ tsp salt
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¼ tsp pepper
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2 cans tuna, drained
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1 cup frozen pea
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1 tin sweet corn drained (optional)
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1 large handful chopped parsley
Method
- Heat the oven to 180˚C.
- Boil a large pot of water, add the pasta and cook until done (about 10 minutes).
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and cook on low heat until the onions are soft.
- Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Slowly add the milk, using a whisk to gently stir. Once all the milk is added, continue to stir until the sauce thickens.
- Add half the cheese and stir until the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cooked pasta to a baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, then add the tuna, sweet corn, peas and parsley. Mix together.
- Add the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.