Tuna Lasagne

You can halve this easily. This recipe fits in a tin foil roasting tray. Feeds 6-8 people. Preheat oven 180 C.

• boxes lasagne sheets

4 tins tuna in brine drained

Pasta sauce:

2 tins tomato and onion mix

100g tomato paste

15 ml oil

1 medium onion diced

10 ml dried basil

10 ml dried oregano

1 clove garlic crushed

Black pepper to taste

Cheese sauce:

4 Tbsp. butter or margarine suitable for frying/sauce (check the tub)

4 Tbsp. flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp mustard powder

2 cups warm milk

1 cup Cheddar or Gouda finely grated or a mixture of cheeses.

Method:

Pasta sauce:

I like to liquidise my tins of tomato and onion mix till it is chunky.

In a large pot fry your onion and garlic till glassy, don’t let it brown.  Pour in your tomato and onion mix and the tomato paste. Add the basil, oregano and mix well. Add black pepper to taste.  Simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Add your drained tuna and mix well. Set aside. (You can use bottled pasta sauce if you are feeling lazy).

Cheese sauce:

In a pot melt butter or margarine and stir in flour until you have a thick paste.  Place on very low heat. I remove mine from the heat altogether as I cook with gas.

Blend in you warm milk a little at a time, until your paste is liquid, stir continuously while adding the milk, so that no lumps form.  Return to stove or turn the heat up, add your salt and mustard and ½ your cheese. Keep stirring till all the ingredients are mixed in and simmer until your sauce thickens. Remove from heat. You can leave out the cheese and mustard powder if you want a plain white sauce.

In your lasagne dish spoon a thin layer of cheese sauce, then a layer of lasagne sheets, avoid overlapping.

Next, spoon over a layer of tuna mixture. Cover with a layer of lasagne pasta. Spoon over a layer of cheese sauce. Repeat ending with the cheese sauce on top. The smaller your lasagne dish the more layers you will get. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and place in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.

I sometimes like to add vegetables to the tuna and pasta sauce, frozen peas and carrots and corn, to bulk it up.  I have big eaters and this recipe never has left overs!  I also sometimes sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.