SPICY TUNA PASTA BAKE

Spicy tuna pasta bake. As spicy as you want it, our tuna pasta bake is easy to make, great midweek, but also good enough for Sunday lunch.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 300 g penne pasta
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian mixed herbs
• 1-2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes (according to how spicy you want it)
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 2 (398ml) tins of chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup roughly chopped roasted red peppers from a jar
• ½ cup of water or vegetable stock
• 1 cup pitted black olives coarsely chopped
• 3 (80g) cans of tuna (drain most of the oil)
• 1½ cups shredded mozzarella
• Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 200°
2. Cook pasta to al dente. Drain, toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.
3. While pasta is cooking make sauce. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for just a few minutes until onion is softened and translucent.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, roasted red peppers, water, herbs, salt and pepper and tomato puree. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and continue simmering for 5 minutes stirring occasionally until it has thickened and reduced a bit.
5. Adjust seasoning to taste and remove from heat.
6. Stir in pasta, and olives and add the tuna and gently fold it in so that the tuna stays in chunks instead of it disintegrating into flakes.
7. Transfer to a medium sized baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, top with cheese then bake for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling
8. Let stand a couple of minutes and then serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley. Cooked leftovers will keep refrigerated 3 to 4 days and can be reheated in microwave or oven.