Fun with pasta and anything that's left (Rice & Pasta Dishes)

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Rice & Pasta Dishes
Date:	11/02/09 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Yummy and adaptable

Disadvantages: None that I know of

One of my favourite recipes is a Tuna Pasta Bake, I love the way that it can be varied to include just about anything in your fridge. This recipe would serve 4 people, is ideal for 3 people or 2 very greedy/hungry people.

Ingredients:

Canned Tuna
A pepper
An onion
Some cheese (preferably hard like cheddar)
Herbs of your choice
Olives
Pasta
Good Quality Frozen Veg Mix (in this case I used brocolli, carrots, peppers, sweet corn and potato)
Flour
Milk
Margerine
Mustard (preferably French)
Eggs

You can substitute the latter two for butter if you want, I always use what ever is available, so the taste/style can be quite varied but this is my favourite. Obviously you can use fresh veg as well but I find that in the winter a decent bag of frozen veg can often be more nutritious than the artificial winter produce and usually a lot cheaper.

Take a reasonable sized oven proof casserole dish and fill it up half way with the frozen veg, whack it in the oven at a notch or two below the highest temperature, the ice in the bag will turn to water and steam them. Put them in there for about 8-10 minutes, depending on how warm they feel.

Whilst they are cooking, begin boiling some water and later pasta. Be sure to salt the water.

The third thing to get going at the same time is a sauce. You can put some milk, flour and two eggs in a heated saucepan on a low heat, continually stir it. I never measure anything so you are going to have to judge by the texture, this should be a relatively thick sauce, so you are either going to have to boil the milk down or add more flour if you think it's too runny. When it starts looking fairly substantial, begin to grate cheese into it and take several huge dollops of French mustard and add them. Leave enough cheese to put on the top of the bake.

I also fry up the pepper and the onion on another ring at a high heat quickly. By now the vegetables should be ready, take them out, pour the cans of tuna in (making sure to drain them first), level the dish up and add the cheesy mustard sauce, coating everything in sight, then put the chopped onions and peppers on top, I also like to add olives at this time and then the pasta which should be ready by now. Generously sprinkle grated cheese over the pasta, 3 olives on top to add a bit of flare and sprinkle your choice of herbs on top of the cheese, then put it in the other to melt.

Alternatively you can take out the vegetables from the casserole dish and put the pasta in first, ultimately it doesn't make a big difference though.

Summary: Delish!