When the Cat's Away the Mice Make Tuna Noodle

Tonight the wife is out and that means only one thing... Tuna Noodle.

Yes, tuna noodle, the smell of which makes my wife gag, even hours after it was cooked. But for me it is the premier comfort food. I love it and not ashamed. at all. Plus it is the meal that made me learn how to make a bechamel sauce, so how low brow is that?

TUNA NOODLE (not casserole)

serves 3-4 (or 1 if I am eating)

1 can tuna in water
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 pound dried pasta (something sturdy like rigatoni or spirals)
salt and pepper

caraway seeds (optional)
frozen peas (optional)

Get some water boiling and when it's ready add the pasta.

Heat up your pan to a medium heat and add the butter. When it is melted add the flour and stir, making it combine into a blob. Let it cook for a few minutes. Congrats, You have just made a roux.

Now add the milk. They say in the cookbooks to add it a little at a time, stirring always to keep it smooth, but i just dump it all in and stir away. So whichever method you choose, keep stirring until there are no more lumps. Guess what, you have just made a bechamel sauce. (Who knew such a simple meal uses so many fancy french cooking methods?)

Next, add the canned tuna with the water. If you want, add some caraway seeds (i like them because it makes me think of a tuna sandwich on rye). And at the very end of the pasta cooking add some frozen peas to the pasta water and let them cook. Then strain the pasta, combine it with the tuna sauce, and you're done. Just and salt and pepper.

That's right, no oven used in this recipe. Just the sauce over the pasta and onto the plate. That's why it's not a casserole.

And by substituting the tuna with cheese, you have a great mac and cheese recipe.