TUNA LASAGNE
- Pasta:
- 1 packet riffled lasagne sheets
- Tuna sauce:
- 2 x 170 g tins solid meat tuna in oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2.5 ml Ina Paarman’s green onion seasoning
- 1 x 25 g Ina Paarman’s liquid fish stock
- 1 x 400 g Ina Paarman’s tomato and basil pasta sauce
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 5 ml sugar
- Ina Paarman’s lemon and black pepper seasoning
- 60 ml Ina Paarman’s sundried tomato pesto
- Cheese sauce:
- 60 ml Ina Paarman’s white sauce powder
- 60 ml cold water
- 625 ml milk
- 30 ml butter
- 125 ml grated Pecorino cheese
- To assemble:
- 250 g smooth cottage cheese
- 60 ml grated Cheddar or Pecorino cheese
- 60 ml fresh breadcrumbs
Soak the lasagne sheets, in batches, for 2 – 3 minutes in hot tap water. This improves the tenderness of the pasta and reduces the baking time. Spread sheets out on baking paper.
Drain the oil from the tuna into a frying pan (the oil is full of flavour!) and sauté the onion, pre-seasoned with green onion seasoning, in this until soft and beginning to brown.
Add the undiluted fish stock, tuna, pasta sauce, lemon juice and sugar.
Season to taste and stir in tomato pesto. Keep on one side.
Mix the white sauce powder with the cold water.
Bring the milk nearly to the boil, add the white sauce slurry – stir until thickened. Add butter and ½ cup of grated cheese.
To assemble
Use a 30 x 24 cm size ovenproof dish and butter it lightly. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Spread ¼ of the tuna sauce into the dish. Layer with pasta sheets.
Add another ¼ of tuna sauce.
Dot teaspoonfuls of cottage cheese here and there (use ⅓).
Spread ⅓ of the cheese sauce over. Repeat layering twice more and end with a layer of cheese sauce.
Mix the ¼ cup of grated cheese with the breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle over the top.
Bake for ± 45 minutes.
Serve with a tossed salad.
Recipe posted by Melissa Ann Vermeulen
Photo: Melissa Ann Vermeulen
