Tuna pasta & aubergine bake

Make a healthier version of tuna pasta bake with added aubergine and peppers – it packs in three of your five-a-day. Despite the cheesy topping, it’s low in fat, too

Prep:10 mins
Cook:45 mins
Serves 4
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 502
fat 9g
saturates 3g
carbs 63g
sugars 0g
fibre 12g
protein 36g
salt 0.9g

Ingredients

2 tsp rapeseed oil
1 large or 2 small red peppers , deseeded and diced
2-3 large garlic cloves , finely chopped
500g passata
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 large aubergine , cut into small pieces
2 tbsp capers (not in salt)
30g basil , chopped
2 x 110g cans tuna in spring water, drained
300g wholemeal penne
250g tub quark
1 egg
50g finely grated parmesan
½ tsp dried oregano

Method

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the peppers over a medium heat for a few minutes to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more, taking care not to burn it.
Pour in the passata, then stir in the oregano, chilli flakes, aubergine, capers and half the basil. Add the tuna, but don’t stir too much as you don’t want to break it up too much. Cover the pan and simmer over a low heat for 15 mins until the aubergine is tender, carefully stirring a couple of times.
Meanwhile, boil the pasta following pack instructions. Tip the quark into a bowl and beat in the egg and three-quarters of the parmesan.
Drain the pasta and tip into a deep 30 x 20cm oval ovenproof dish. Spoon over the cheesy mixture and lightly spread to completely coat the top. Sprinkle with most of the remaining parmesan and oregano, then bake for 15-20 mins to set the top. Scatter over the last of the basil and reserved parmesan, then serve with salad, if you like. Leftovers will keep chilled for three days. Reheat in the microwave until piping hot.