Super Quick Tuna ‘Dish’

Super Quick Tuna ‘Dish’

from Stonesoup
Adapted from ‘And the Love Is Free‘.

Growing up, tuna ‘dish’, as we called it, was easily my favourite meal. You may know it as tuna bake or tuna mornay.

But whatever it’s called, it’s still the thing that comes to mind when I need something super comforting. The original version is made with pasta instead of beans and bechamel sauce instead of the ricotta. This simplified version has the advantages of being much quicker and easier AND being gluten-free without losing any of its comforting goodness.

Enough for 6-8
1 large can tuna in brine (425g / 15oz), NOT drained
500g (l1b) full fat ricotta
250g grated melting cheese, I used emmental but see below for other options
3 cans white beans, (400g / 14oz each), drained
2-3 handfuls almond meal, optional

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).

2. Mash tuna with a fork until combined with the brine. Stir in the ricotta.

3. Place a thin layer of tuna & ricotta mixture in the base of a medium ovenproof dish. Scatter over half the beans and a little cheese. Top with more tuna mixture, then the rest of the beans. Cover with the remaining tuna mixture and sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Dust with almond meal, if using.

4. Bake for 20-30 minutes until everything is hot and the cheese on top is melted and browned.

VARIATIONS
bean-free – replace beans with 400g (14oz) short pasta such as penne, cooked until al dente.

nut-free – just skip the almond meal or replace with breadcrumbs.

vegan / dairy-free – the cheese is really essential here. Sorry!

vegetarian – try this warming onion and white bean bake instead.

different cheeses – try a mixture of cheeses instead of the emmental. Cheddar is good, so is raclette or gruyere. You’re just looking for something that will melt and go all golden. My mum used to use processed cheese slices, so feel free to give them a try.