Tuna pasta bake
Tuna, cheese and sweetcorn pasta bake great served with a tomato and cumber salad, suitable from 11 months

- 60g butter
- 250g pasta, ideally fusilli, penne, rigatoni or macaroni
- 50g plain flour
- 500ml milk
- 200g cheddar cheese, grated
- 3 tbsp tomato passata
- 1 pinch mixed herbs
- 260g tuna steak, in spring water
- 330g sweetcorn, drained
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
Method
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Step 1
Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Grease a baking or Pyrex dish with a little butter.
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Step 2
Cook the pasta in boiling water according to packet instructions.
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Step 3
Meanwhile, make the sauce by melting the butter in a tall saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the flour. Place back on the stove and cook for 1 minute, taking care not to burn the mixture. Gradually whisk or stir in the milk and cook till the sauce thickens, for around 7-8 minutes. Stir constantly, or the sauce will stick or turn lumpy. When smooth and thickened, remove from heat and add most of cheese, reserving a good handful for the topping.
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Step 4
Drain the pasta and run it under cold water to avoid it cooking further. In a bowl, mix the pasta with the white sauce, passata, herbs, tuna, sweetcorn and parsley. Top with the reserved grated cheese.
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Step 5
Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden.
- The pasta bake will be extremely hot on removing from the oven. Cool thoroughly before serving to a child.
- Serve with a green salad for adults, or chopped cucumber, peppers and cherry tomatoes for babies and toddlers. Always supervise children closely while eating salad, in case of choking.
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