Mediterranean Tuna-Noodle Casserole

By á-5973

Choose best-quality tuna that's packed in olive oil for this dish. Even after draining it, you'll get moister, richer results than if you used water-packed tuna.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for baking dishes
• Coarse salt & ground pepper
• 1 ib. wide egg noodles
• 2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 cups whole milk
• 4 cans (6 oz. each) tuna in olive oil, drained
• 1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and thickly sliced
• 5 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly oil two 8" square (or other shallow 2-qt) baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until 2 minutes short of al dente; drain, and return to pot.

2. Meanwhile, in a 5-qt Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add bell peppers; season with salt & pepper. Cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer.

3. Remove from heat; add mixture to noodles in pot, along with tuna, artichoke hearts, and scallions. Season with salt & pepper, and toss. Divide between prepared baking dishes, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

To Freeze: Prepare through step 3; cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and freeze up to 3 months.

To Bake from Frozen: Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Bake, covered with foil, until center is warm, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes longer.

To Bake from Thawed: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Pre-heat oven to 400 F and bake covered with foil, until center is warm, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes longer.