RECIPE | Tuna lasagne

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

250g lasagne sheets

3 x 170g cans tuna, drained*

375ml (1 cups) frozen vegetable mix (peas, corn and carrots)

10ml (2 tsp) chopped garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

60ml (4 tbsp) readymade basil pesto

White sauce:

45ml (3 tbsp) butter

45ml (3 tbsp) flour

375 - 500ml (1 - 2 cups) milk, warmed

5ml (1 tsp) dried Italian herbs

375ml (1 cups) grated cheddar cheese

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC and grease a 2-litre ovenproof dish.
2. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to the boil over high heat. Stir in a few sheets of lasagne at a time and cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it has cooked through but is still firm to the bite, about 8-10 minutes. Drain in a colander.
3. Combine the tuna, mixed vegetables, garlic, lemon juice and pesto in a bowl. Set aside.
4. For the sauce, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, then whisk in the flour and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk half of the milk into the flour mixture and allow to bubble. Cook and stir until the mixture is thick and smooth, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining milk, herbs and half the cheese.
5. To assemble the lasagne, spread a thin layer of white sauce onto the base of the prepared dish, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets. Spread half the tuna mixture over the lasagne sheets. Repeat the layers, finishing with white sauce on top. Sprinkle over the rest of the cheese.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Change the oven setting to grill and allow the lasagne to brown for 2-3 minutes.

* You can replace the tuna with 1 x 400g can minced pilchards.

• Recipe from 'Seven Colours with Fish' by Lucky Star (Tamsin Snyman Publishers).