Supercharged tuna pasta bake
This isn't just any pasta bake… this is Emily’s superfood pasta bake. It still evokes all the feelings of nostalgia and comfort you are looking for from a meal like this, but doesn't leave you feeling too heavy. Its become a staple in my house and I always tend to whip it up when I'm not really sure what to eat and I have some random veg I need to use up. I packed this one full of 7 types of vegetables (trust me, you cant tell when eating it) but the key is to chop your veg finely, no big chunks of courgettes please!
Transform your pasta bake into a super nutrient packed meal. The sweetness of the butternut squash means no extra sugar is needed for your sauce (I often buy the squash frozen and pre diced to reduce prep time). Perfect left overs the next day for lunch too!
To serve 2 you will need:
140g Fusilli pasta weighed
1 tin of tuna
Red Onion
1 leek
3 garlic gloves
Tinned chopped tomatoes and puree
1 red pepper
1 courgette
1 cup of butternut squash
Basil
Parmesan, mozzarella and cheddar (or any cheese you like)
Veg/chicken stock pot or bouillon
Salt and pepper
5/6 sun dried tomatoes
Balsamic vinegar
Feel free to get experimental and chuck in any extra veg you like ie spinach, mushrooms. If you want to be extra healthy, precook your pasta then place into the fridge until totally cool. This increases the resistant starch content which means it wont spike your blood sugar as much even once reheated, plus we love the fibre!
METHOD
Set the oven to 200c fan.
Sweat down the onions and leeks in a nice big pan with a splash of oil and salt over a medium/low heat. (The salt helps bring the water out of the onions).
In a small dice, chop 1 whole red pepper, 1 medium courgette, 3 cloves of garlic and add.
Continue to cook down, use a little water to the pan if it starts to catch.
Add small cubes of butternut squash, the cooking process here is important and helps bring the most flavour out of the vegetables so don’t rush. Treat with some love, add a crack of black pepper and keep on the heat for around 10 mins.
Once everything has started to cook down, pour in a tin of chopped tomatoes, 1/2 tin of water, a squeeze of tomato puree, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and a vegetable stock pot (or chicken). Use a tiny splash of balsamic for acidity. Cook the sauce until its thick and not watery.
Meanwhile boil your pasta according to instructions in salted water but drain a little earlier so its undercooked.
Finish the sauce by shredding in a good amount of basil leaves (around half a pack) and the tin of tuna (drained). Taste and season with extra salt and pepper if needed.
Mix the pasta and sauce all together, place into a baking dish. You will notice how huge it looks but its really a ratio of 2/3 veg to 1/3 pasta.
Use half a ball of mozzarella, tear off sections and poke down into the pasta. This creates little mozzarella bombs when eating.
Top with a grating of parmesan and cheddar in a ratio 2:1 and finish with a crack of black pepper.
Bake in the oven until its bubbling and the top is golden and delicious.
Wait 10 mins before serving! I like mine with some sriracha but shh…
