Creamy Tuna and Pasta Casserole

Ingredients

• 320 g canned tuna, drained
• 50 g plain flour
• 600 ml milk
• 50 g butter
• 600 g rigatoni
• 250 g cheddar, grated
• 330 g sweetcorn, drained
• parsley, chopped
• Crusty sourdough bread, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C fan / gas 6 and put a large pan of salted water on to boil.
2. Cook the rigatoni for 2 minutes less than the packet says — you want it firm, since it finishes cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
3. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute until it smells biscuity and looks like wet sand.
4. Pour in the milk a splash at a time, whisking constantly, until you have a smooth, thick sauce — about 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the butternut purée until the sauce is glossy and a warm cream colour.
5. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in three-quarters of the cheddar until it melts into the sauce. Season generously with salt and plenty of black pepper.
6. Tip the drained pasta into the sauce along with the tuna, sweetcorn and chopped parsley. Fold everything together so each piece of rigatoni is properly coated.
7. Spoon into a baking dish and scatter the remaining cheddar over the top.
8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling at the edges and patched with deep gold on top. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.