Campanile Tuna Noodle Casserole

By nurseliz

Ingredients

• For bechamel:
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup minced onion or shallot
• 1 small dried red chile (preferably Japanese), whole
• 1 small bay leaf
• Kosher salt
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• For casserole:
• 1/2 pound calamarata or elbow macaroni
• 2 tablespoons olive oil from tuna
• Two (6-ounce) cans imported tuna packed in olive oil
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (1 cup tightly packed)
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 cups (2 ounces) fresh bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (1/3 cup tightly packed)

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Make the bechamel: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add flour. Stir together with a wooden spoon until roux is just barely golden and has a popcorn aroma, about 5 minutes. Add onion or shallot, chile, and bay leaf and continue to cook, stirring, until onion softens slightly and the raw onion smell is gone. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. The popcorn smell will dissipate and the roux will thicken, and then, after 2 to 3 minutes, it will loosen up.

Change from the wooden spoon to a whisk and whisk in milk all at once. Bring slowly to a simmer, whisking. Whisk continuously until sauce thickens. Use a heatproof rubber spatula to scrape the sauce from the bottom and edges of the pot so it doesn’t stick and burn. It helps to cook the bechamel in a wide pan you can tip to see the bottom to make sure the sauce is not sticking. Reduce heat and simmer gently, scraping sides and bottom of the pot from time to time, for about 15 minutes, until there is no trace of a floury taste.

Remove from heat and strain immediately, while hot, through a medium strainer into a bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning (you will probably want to add up to 1/4 teaspoon salt); it should be well seasoned and medium thick. You can store bechamel for a few days in the refrigerator. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface to prevent a thick skin from forming. When you reheat, whisk vigorously.

Assemble the casserole: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous tablespoon of salt. Add pasta and cook for a minute less than usual. It should be cooked through but a little more al dente or chewy than you’d like it if you were serving it right away, about 10 minutes for calamarata. Remove a ladleful of the cooking water and set aside in a bowl. Drain pasta and toss with a tablespoon of oil from the tuna in a large bowl.

Crumble tuna into the bowl with the pasta and toss together. Gently fold in the bechamel, grated Gruyere, and 2 tablespoons parsley. If the sauce seems to coat the pasta too thickly, thin out with a small amount of pasta cooking water (2tablespoons or a little more). Spoon into baking dish. Mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan, remaining tablespoon of parsley, and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil from the tuna. Sprinkle over the top in an even layer.

Cover casserole with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for another 15 minutes, until top has browned and the casserole is bubbling and hot all the way through. Remove from heat, let stand until no longer bubbling, and serve.