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.
