Tuna & Broccoli Pasta Bake

📝 Ingredients

• 320 g short dried pasta (penne)
• 1 head of broccoli (about 400 g)
• 2 tins of tuna in water (208 g drained)
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 40 g plain flour
• 600 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 80 g grated Emmental
• 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large saucepan
• Medium saucepan
• Whisk
• Colander
• Baking dish (about 20 × 30 cm)

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Cut the broccoli into small bite-sized florets; peel the stalk, slice it into thin rounds and keep it, as it's perfectly good to eat. Drain the tuna and roughly flake it with a fork.
2. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the time stated on the packet, adding the broccoli 4 minutes before the end. Drain everything and return it to the pan: the pasta and broccoli will finish cooking in the oven.
3. While the pasta is cooking, make the béchamel: melt the butter over medium heat in the medium saucepan, add the flour all at once and whisk for 1 minute without letting it colour. This mixture, called a roux, should foam slightly.
4. Pour in the cold milk a little at a time, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes over medium heat, whisking, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.
5. Pour the béchamel over the pasta and broccoli in the large pan, then add the flaked tuna and half the Emmental. Mix well and taste: tuna in water isn't very salty, so the sauce needs to be well seasoned.
6. Tip everything into the baking dish, spread it in an even layer and sprinkle with the rest of the Emmental. Bake for 20 minutes at 200 °C, until the top is nicely golden and the sauce is bubbling at the edges.
7. Leave to rest for 5 minutes out of the oven before cutting: the sauce firms up a little and the portions hold together better when served. Serve piping hot, straight from the dish.