Creamy and delicious
- 6 ounces uncooked pasta i used bow-tie pasta.
- 1/2 medium to large pot of water salted
- with 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tbs butter butter
- 1/4 cup flour flour
- 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese grated parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups milk for cheese sauce i use skim milk.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt salt
- 2 6-oz. cans chunk light tuna in water drained
- 1 additional cup milk while blending casserole
- together
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas frozen green peas
- cooking spray cooking spray
- Carbohydrate 34.334703489915 g
- Cholesterol 62.8077278155242 mg
- Fat 12.4363960537852 g
- Fiber 1.45250000447035 g
- Protein 14.1211816031035 g
- Saturated Fat 7.0846514077854 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (98g)
- Sodium 353.525064374295 mg
- Sugar 32.8822034854446 g
- Trans Fat 1.10400857091422 g
- Calories 307 calories
Step-by-step
- Fill a medium to large pot one-half full of water.
- Add 1 tablespoon salt,and bring the water to a full boil.
- Add the 12 oz. of pasta, and bring to aboil.
- Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until al dente (chewy--not mushy).
- While thepasta is cooking, prepare your casserole cheese sauce.
- Melt 2 tablespoonsbutter in a saucepan on the stove.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cupflour an stir vigorously, until the two are blended into a roux.
- Add 12 oz.(1 1/2 cups) grated Parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 cups milk (I use skim milk), and1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Now cook and stir continuously for a minute or two, andthen occasionally.
- The sauce should be thick and smooth about the same timethat the pasta is cooked.
- Drain the pasta in a colander in the sink andplace the pasta back in the pot.
- Stir in 1 additional cup milk, (2) 6 oz.cans chunk light tuna, drained, and 1/2 cup frozen green peas.
- Mixthoroughly.
- transfer the mixture into an large oven-proof dish, which hasbeen sprayed with cooking spray.
- Bake in an oven that has been preheated to350 degrees for 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven, and let stand about 5 minutesbefore serving.
- Serve to your grateful guests!
Stovetop roux building requires precise temperature control to prevent the flour from scorching while still cooking out its raw starch flavor. Melt the two tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat before whisking in the flour, ensuring the fats fully absorb the dry particles without browning. When milk and parmesan cheese join the base, continuous agitation prevents proteins from clumping along the bottom of the saucepan. A properly constructed bechamel-style sauce will coat the back of a spoon cleanly, leaving a distinct path when drawn through with a finger.
Pasta boiling demands heavily salted water resembling seawater to season the interior of the bow-ties adequately during the seven to ten minute window. Pull the noodles slightly shy of full tenderness because they will absorb additional moisture from the surrounding dairy sauce during the thirty-five minute bake. Draining the pasta thoroughly before combining prevents excess surface water from diluting the viscosity of the parmesan mixture. Folding the components directly in the warm pot distributes the canned tuna and green peas evenly before the baking dish receives them.
Determining doneness in a static oven environment relies on visual cues rather than internal probing since all components are pre-cooked. Watch for bubbling edges where the dairy fats separate slightly and form golden spots across the parmesan crust. Letting the dish rest for five minutes off the heat allows the starches to tighten enough for clean portioning without structural collapse. This brief cooling window is essential for achieving manageable servings that hold their shape on the plate.
Leftovers handle freezing exceptionally well if sealed tightly in moisture-barrier containers to prevent freezer burn over a two-month storage window. Thaw frozen portions completely in the refrigerator overnight before reheating gently in a three hundred-degree oven covered with foil. Adding a splash of milk prior to reheating restores the sauce consistency that starches naturally lose during cold storage.
