About
If you are yearning for some comfort food that takes you back to your younger days, this casserole is a must. But Tasty Tuna Noodle Bake is not your typical tuna noodle bake so, you will be pleasantly surprised. Wide noodles are loaded with a creamy sauce, flaky tuna, and the surprise guest, cauliflower! Give Tasty Tuna Noodle Bake a first look and you will be asking for seconds in no time! This one is sure to win your heart!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pappardelle
- 4 cups cauliflower, broken into 1-inch florets
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup celery, cut at an angle into 1/8-inch slices
- coarse salt, to taste
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 (5-ounce) cans solid tuna in water, drained and flaked
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, lightly packed
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 -Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.
Step 3 -In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the pappardelle, about 4 minutes.
Step 4 -Add the cauliflower to the pappardelle and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
Step 5 -Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the remaining water.
Step 6 -Pour the cooked pappardelle-cauliflower mixture into a large bowl.
Step 7 -In the same pot over medium heat, melt the butter.
Step 8 -Add the onion, the celery, and the salt to the butter and cook until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes.
Step 9 -Add the flour to the onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.
Step 10 -Slowly add the milk to the onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes.
Step 11 -Transfer the onion mixture from the heat and add the pappardelle-cauliflower mixture, the tuna, and the hot sauce. Stir to combine.
Step 12 -Add the salt and the black pepper to the tuna mixture and stir to combine.
Step 13 -If the tuna mixture is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water until you reach the desired consistency.
Step 14 -Evenly pour the tuna mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with parchment-lined aluminum foil.
Step 15 -Bake the tuna noodle bake, about 15 minutes.
Step 16 -Uncover the baking dish and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
Step 17 -Bake the tuna noodle bake until it is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.
Step 18 -Serve the tuna noodle bake garnished with the parsley.
