Creamy Pasta Shells with Tuna and Spinach

This is a great family meal … reminiscent of “tuna mornay” but so much nicer.

I have kept the sauce quite thin as it will be mixed with pasta, but once the whole dish is combined the sauce will be thick enough.

This dish can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, and then baked the next day.  If doing this, take the dish out of the fridge an hour before you plant to bake.

Gina @ The Passionate Pantry

CREAMY PASTA SHELLS WITH TUNA AND SPINACH

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 8 serves

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• TOPPING
  
  
• 200 g cheddar cheese cut into chunks
• 120 g sourdough bread or wholemeal bread, chopped into chunks
• ½ tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes or chili flakes
  
  
• BASE
  
  
• 150 g baby spinach leaves
  
  
• 500 g packet of large pasta shells
• 20 g olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
  
  
• 1 brown onion peeled and halved
• 50 g olive oil
  
  
• 1 litre full cream milk
• 80 g white spelt flour
• 60 g butter cut int cubes
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes or 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  
  
• 400 g tin tuna chunks
  
  
• 50 g lemon juice

Method

 

1. Place cheese into TM bowl and chop 4 seconds / speed 8 … put aside
2. Place bread into TM bowl and chop 8 seconds / speed 8 … return cheese to TM bowl along with the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and mix 2 seconds / speed 8
3. Put topping aside until later … do not clean bowl
4. Lightly grease a large baking dish (I used 22cm x 30cm)
5. Place spinach leaves into a large mixing bowl
6. Add 1200g water to TM bowl and heat 10 minutes / 100 degrees / speed 1
7. Place pasta into TM bowl through hole in lid and cook 12 minutes / 100 degrees / reverse / speed soft (check the packet for cooking directions and be guided by the suggested cooking time)
8. Drain pasta (I place my Veroma base across my sink and use this to drain pasta) and place the hot pasta on top of the spinach and stir through lightly
9. Rinse TM bowl and wipe it out with kitchen paper … no need for a proper clean
10. Place onion and olive oil into TM bowl and chop 3 seconds / speed 7
11. Scrape around bowl, then sauté 5 minutes / Veroma / Speed 1 / No MC
12. Turn oven on to 180 degrees fan forced
13. Add milk, flour, butter, salt and nutmeg and cook 12 minutes / 90 degrees / speed 4
14. Drain and flake the tuna, and place on top of pasta and spinach
15. Add the cooked sauce to the pasta along with the lemon juice and lightly stir everything together … taste for seasoning and adjust if needed ... pour mix into the greased baking dish
16. Sprinkle cheese topping over pasta, pressing it down lightly into the pasta
17. Bake for 30 minutes until golden on top
18. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving

Notes

Inspired by recipe from Martha Stewart: http://www.marthastewart.com/891898/creamy-shells-tuna-and-spinach

I have kept the sauce quite thin as it will be mixed with pasta, but once the whole dish is combined the sauce will be thick enough. This dish can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, and then baked the next day. If doing this, take the dish out of the fridge an hour before you plan to bake.