Campanile Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

For the sauce

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1⁄4 cup minced onion or shallot
  • a pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 1⁄2 cups whole milk

For the casserole

  • 1⁄2 pound elbow macaroni
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil from tuna
  • Two (6-ounce) cans imported tuna packed in olive oil, oil drained and reserved
  • 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
  • 1 1⁄2 cups fresh bread crumbs (process fresh bread in food processor)
  • 1 1⁄2 ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in flour and continue cooking until roux starts to turn golden, about 5 minutes.  Add onion or shallot, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf.  Continue cooking, stirring, until onion softens.  Add 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and continue cooking, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes.  
  2. Slowly add milk, stirring continuously until sauce thickens.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and strain.  
  3. Heat oven to 350*F.  Spray casserole dish with cooking spray.  
  4. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook past 1 minute less than directed by packaging.  Remove and reserve 1 cup of cooking water before draining pasta.  Transfer pasta to large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon oil from tuna can.
  5. Crumble tuna into bowl with pasta and toss together.  Stir in sauce, gruyere, and 2 tablespoons parsley.  Thin sauce with reserved cooking water if necessary.  Spoon mixture into casserole dish.  
  6. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan, remaining parsley, and 1 tablespoon tuna oil in small bowl.  Sprinkle over top of casserole in even layer.  
  7. Cover casserole with foil and bake 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer, or until top has browned and casserole is bubbling and hot all the way through.  

Comments

This recipe is from Food Gal and it’s a nice upscale take on tuna casserole.  I think it might have been better with frozen peas, but I’m sure it was quite tasty.