This tuna napolitana pasta recipe is tasty, filling and quick to make. And it comes with the added bonus that it includes healthy tuna fish and a nice helping of veg (that the kids won’t notice!) so it’s an ideal weeknight pasta bake that can be pre-prepared, and then popped in the oven when you’re ready for it.
Serves approx 6: 500g packet of pasta (I chose penne, which is the cheapest in my local supermarket at 39p!), 1 tin of tuna chunks in spring water, 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 1 large onion (red or white), 2 fresh tomatoes, 2 tsp garlic paste, 3 tbsp tomato puree, 2 tsp mixed herbs, 2 tbsp flour, 3/4 pint milk, 50g cheese, 2 knob of butter, splash of oil.
- Cook up a pack of pasta according to packet instructions and in the meantime, you can get on with preparing the sauce.
- Finely chop the onions and fry in the oil until the softened.
- In a larger pan, melt the butter then add the flour and stir before adding the milk a bit at a time so that the sauce thickens.
- When all the milk is combined, add the garlic paste, tomato puree and herbs and stir through before adding the tin of tuna, cooked onions and tin of chopped tomatoes.
- Add in the cooked pasta and stir to combine before adding to an oven-proof dish and arranging sliced tomatoes on top with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese
- Bake in the oven until tomatoes have softened, cheese is melted and looks golden brown on top
