There are days at Casa Adora when the fridge has very little to offer and the answer is in the store cupboard. This tuna and vegetable bake is exactly that kind of dinner — tinned tuna, pasta, sweetcorn, green beans, a proper homemade béchamel, and enough cheese on top to make the whole thing bubble and brown in the oven. It is humble in its ingredients and considerably more satisfying than it has any right to be.

The béchamel matters here. It takes ten minutes and it is the difference between a tuna pasta bake that tastes like student food and one that tastes like something you made on purpose. Tinned condensed soup is not the answer.

The vegetables are flexible — sweetcorn and green beans work well, but whatever is at the bottom of the fridge or the back of the cupboard will do. The principle is the same: flake, mix, sauce, top with cheese, bake until golden.

Tuna and Vegetable Bake — Ingredients

(serves 2–3)

• 2 tins of tuna in spring water or brine, drained
• 250g fusilli or penne
• 1 tin of sweetcorn, drained
• A handful of green beans, trimmed and halved
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500ml homemade béchamel sauce
• 100g mature cheddar, grated
• Salt, pepper, and a pinch of smoked paprika
• Optional: a handful of breadcrumbs or crushed crisps for the topping

Method

Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve straight from the dish.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Boil the pasta in salted water for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions — it will finish cooking in the oven. Add the green beans for the final 3 minutes of boiling, then drain.

Soften the onion and garlic in a little olive oil over a low heat until translucent.

In a large bowl, flake the tuna and mix with the sweetcorn, softened onion and garlic, cooked pasta, and green beans.

Stir in the béchamel and season well with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.

Pour into an ovenproof dish. Top with the grated cheddar and breadcrumbs or crushed crisps if using.

This recipe is part of my Fish & Seafood Recipes collection — from simple suppers to fresh catches and everything in between. Explore the full Fish & Seafood Recipes collection.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef