Homemade Tuna and Pasta Bake - A delicious low cost meal (Cooking on a Budget!)

Member Name: kappari

Product:	Cooking on a Budget!
Date:	14/10/08 (810 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Delicious, nutritious,

Disadvantages: There is a bit of washing up - but it's worth it

In the current economic climate here is a tasty, nutritious and simply mouth watering recipe for a meal that can serve 4-6 people.

If you shop around, you can get all the ingredients for £2-£3 which works out at about 50p per person for the meal. This is one of my favourite meals...very delicious! I use the value spaghetti and tuna from either Sainsbury's or Tesco's

Tuna and Pasta Bake

**Ingredients**

6 oz (150 g) short-cut spaghetti
25 g (1 oz) margarine
2 mediun sized onions
3 tbls (25 g) 1 oz flour
1/2 pint / 300 ml milk
2x7 oz canned tuna fish, drained and flaked
4 oz (100 g) Cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tomatoes, sliced


**Method**

1. Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until tender. (Tip - add a dash of olive oil to the water to prevent spaghetti sticking.)

2. Peel and chop the onion, peel and crush the garlic and saute in olive oil for 5 minutes.

3. Add the tuna to the onions and cook gently for a further 5 minutes.

4. Grate the cheese

5. Melt the margarine in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook stirring for 2 minutes until it forms a roux paste.

6.Gradually stir in the milk. Bring to the boil and simmer stirring until thickened. Add the cayenne pepper.

7. Remove from the heat and stir in half the cheese to make a cheese sauce.

8. Drain the spaghetti and put half into an ovenproof dish.

9. Put the onion, garlic and tuna mixture on top of the spaghetti.

10. Place the remainder of the spaghetti on top of the tuna mixture.

11. Pour the cheese sauce over the top making sure that you cover all of the spaghetti mixture

12. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.

13. Slice the tomato and place on top.

14. Bake in a preheated moderate oven 180°C (350°F) Gas Mark 4 for 20 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Serve with a side salad and crusty bread.

This tasty dish serves 4-6 people. For variation you can include mushrooms in the 'mixture' or you can use other pasta shapes, - twists, bows etc.

Summary: A great recipe for people on a budget