Tuna and Rigatoni Bake

I often make this when both my sons have friends staying over for the weekend I like to make something in advance that I can pop in the oven ,it has to be filling as these young boys have hollow legs. I serve this with some grilled tomatoes drizzled with a little balsmaic vinegar.and lots of crusty Italian bread.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 8  ounces rigatoni pasta

• Tuna sauce

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  onion, finely diced
• 2  cloves garlic, crushed with a litle salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1  bay leaf
• 1 (14 ounce) can  chopped tomatoes with herbs
• 1  tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 (14 ounce) can tuna in water, drained

• Cheese sauce

• 2  ounces butter
• 2  ounces flour
• 1  pint milk
• 3  ounces parmesan cheese, grated
•  fresh thyme (to garnish)

Directions

1. Cook Pasta in lightly salted boiling water for 15 minutes until"al dente".
2. Drain and keep warm.
3. Heat oil in a large pan,add onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes til soft.
4. Stir in remaining tuna sauce ingredients,and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened stirring occasionly.
5. For the cheese sauce melt butter in a pan,add flour and cook for 1 minute,stirring all the time.
6. Gradually stir in the milk,bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for a minute stirring all the time.
7. Stir in 2 ozs of parmesan.
8. and remove from heat.
9. Layer 1/3 of the pasta in a 3 pt ovenproof dish (lightly sprayed with non-stick spray.) spoon a 1/3 of the tuna sauce over and then a layer of the cheese sauce.
10. Continue layering sauces andpasta,finishing with cheese sauce.
11. Sprinkle with the remaiing Parmesan and bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes until golden.
12. Sprinkle with a little fresh thyme and serve hot.