Ingredients
- 100 g small wholemeal pasta shapes (penne or twists)
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup plain flour
- 3 cups (750 ml) reduced fat milk
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 cup frozen peas and corn
- 425 g can tuna in springwater, drained and flaked
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
- 120 g mixed baby salad leaves, to serve
Topping
- 1 slice wholegrain bread, torn into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon pepitas
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
- 2 teaspoons sunflower oil
Method
Step 1
To make topping, toss bread, pepitas, parmesan and oil in a bowl. Set aside.
Step 2
Cook pasta in a medium saucepan of boiling water as directed on packet, until al dente (just tender). Drain.
Step 3
Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add celery and onion. Cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes, until softened slightly. Add flour. Cook, stirring a further 1 minute.
Step 4
Reduce heat to low. Gradually stir in milk. Add onion powder and mustard. Season with pepper. Stir constantly over a medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat.
Step 5
Gently stir in peas and corn, tuna, pasta and parmesan. Spoon into lightly greased ovenproof dish (6 cup capacity). Sprinkle with topping. Bake in 180 °C oven (fan-forced) for 30 minutes or until topping is crisp and browned.
Tips
- Don’t throw out stale wholegrain bread. It’s perfect for making crunchy toppings or can be processed into breadcrumbs and frozen for later use.
- Use wholegrain breadcrumbs for binding meatballs, rissoles and vegetable patties.
- Recipe can be prepared completely 1 day ahead. Keep, covered in the fridge. To cook, remove covering and bake as directed in recipe, allowing an extra 5-10 minutes cooking time to ensure it heats through to centre.
