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Tuna and sweetcorn make this creamy cheddar pasta bake a useful cupboard dinner. The pasta finishes cooking in a simple milk sauce beneath a lightly golden cheese topping.
Ingredients
- 300 g dried penne
- 2 cans tuna, 145 g each, drained
- 150 g sweetcorn, drained
- 30 g butter
- 30 g plain flour
- 500 ml milk
- 100 g grated cheddar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Method
- Heat oven to 200°C / 390°F and set out a 20 × 25 cm baking dish. Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Cook penne for 2 minutes less than the package timing, then drain.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute without browning.
- Gradually whisk in milk to make a smooth sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and stir in mustard, salt, pepper and 60 g cheddar. Fold in drained tuna in large flakes and the sweetcorn.
- Combine the sauce with the drained pasta and transfer to the baking dish. Scatter over remaining 40 g cheddar.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes until bubbling at the edges and golden in patches on top. Rest 5 minutes before dividing into four portions. The sauce should stay creamy around the pasta.
- Refrigerate leftovers within two hours for up to three days. Reheat with a splash of milk or water until steaming hot throughout.
Undercook the pasta slightly
Penne continues absorbing sauce in the oven. Drain it before it becomes fully tender.
Add milk gradually
Whisk a little milk into the flour and butter first, then keep adding and whisking to avoid lumps.
Keep tuna flakes visible
Fold the tuna into the sauce gently so it stays in tender pieces instead of breaking into a paste.
FAQs
- How many servings does this make?
Makes 4 servings using the pan or equipment listed.
- What should I check before serving?
Bake for 18–22 minutes until bubbling at the edges and golden in patches on top. Rest 5 minutes before dividing into four portions. The sauce should stay creamy around the pasta.
- How should I store leftovers?
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours for up to three days. Reheat with a splash of milk or water until steaming hot throughout.
