Recipe Background
Grandma's Favorite Tuna Bake is a comforting, adaptable family staple.
The first meal in our new family home was anything but ordinary. We'd just finished the exhausting move, cardboard boxes still served as makeshift chairs, and the kitchen was the only room with any sign of order. In the whirl of activity, Grandma’s Favorite Tuna Bake became our comforting anchor, its scent enveloping us like a warm hug. Cooking it was both a challenge and a delight; I found a stash of panko breadcrumbs buried in the pantry and decided they’d add that perfect crunch. Yellow onion diced to perfection, and tubs of elbow macaroni boiled ever so slightly below al dente since it would bake to just the right consistency.
I remember the moment I whisked the sauce, letting the flour meld with chicken broth and whole milk. That patience in stirring until it just reached its peak thickens was rewarded with creamy perfection. Focusing on each ingredient calmed the chaos around me. The tuna, drained and flaked gently, folded into the mix with peas I’d thawed earlier, transforming it all into a cohesive dish. Sprinkling the panko mixture on top and sliding the baking dish into the oven, I couldn't help but smile at how something so simple could feel so special.
As we gathered around our elevated cardboard table, the golden-topped bake was a metaphor for new beginnings. Letting it rest for ten minutes meant anticipation built with every passing second. Steam curled into the air with each generous scoop, the familiar balance of flavors bringing us home in more ways than one. No fancy presentation was needed. Just family and the shared history of a beloved recipe to christen our space. Grandma would have been pretty proud.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces tubetti or elbow macaroni
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 ounce parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 yellow onion diced small
- coarse salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 (6-ounce) cans solid light tuna packed in water drained and flaked
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large pot of salted, boiling water, add the pasta and cook it 2 minutes less than al dente, according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta.
- In a small bowl, add the panko, the parmesan cheese, and 2 teaspoons of the oil and toss to combine.
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the remaining oil.
- Add the onions, the salt, and the pepper and cook, while stirring, until the onions are softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add the flour to the onions and cook, while whisking, until the onions are coated and the raw flour smell has disappeared, about 1 minute.
- Slowly add the broth to the onion mixture, while whisking.
- Slowly add the milk to the broth mixture, while whisking.
- Cook the sauce mixture, while stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce mixture, while stirring frequently, until it thickens, about 8 minutes.
- Add the pasta, the tuna, the peas, the salt, and the pepper to the sauce and stir to combine.
- Transfer the tuna mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Top the tuna mixture evenly with the panko mixture.
- Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the topping is golden, about 17-20 minutes.
- Allow the bake to cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve.
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