One Pan Tuna Pasta Bake

One-pan tuna pasta bake
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Recipe courtesy of Five Kilos in 5 Weeks by Luke Hines, RRP $29.99, Macmillan Publishers

One-pan tuna pasta bakeServes 4

Ingredients

  • 240 g gluten-free mezze maniche rigate (large pasta tubes)
  • 700 g tomato and basil passata
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
  • 400 g canned tuna chunks in olive oil, drained
  • 75 g (1⁄2 cup) coarsely grated low-fat mozzarella

5 IN 5 PANTRY STAPLES

  • 1⁄2 teaspoon chilli flakes sea salt and freshly ground
  • black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions recommend. Drain and rinse (so the pasta tubes don’t stick together), then set side.
  3. Place a large ovenproof frying pan over medium–high heat, add the passata, Italian herbs, chilli flakes and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for 4–5 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken.
  4. Gently stir the pasta and tuna chunks into the sauce and remove the pan from the heat. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle on the cheese and season with a touch more salt. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cheese has melted into a crunchy crust. Now dig in! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy for lunch or dinner the next day.

NEXT LEVEL IT: To make this extra special, add some basil leaves to the sauce and scatter more over the top to serve.

PRO TIP: For a dairy-free version, swap the cheese for 50 g (1⁄2 cup) gluten-free breadcrumbs.