I made Tuna Mornay the other day. To some people, this is a regular mid week meal. For me - or should I say, us – it was untried. I honestly had never tasted it. Ever.

So I googled and landed on Julie Goodwin’s page. For those of you who may not know her, Julie Goodwin was the first winner of Australian Masterchef. She was a home cook who has successfully made the leap into a cooking career.

Tuna Mornay

(based on Julie Goodwin’s Tuna Mornay recipe with a few little tweaks)

Ingredients

250g dried pasta swirls

50g butter

1 cup corn kernels (peas would work well too)

1 medium carrot, diced

1 brown onion, diced

¼ cup plain flour

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup grated tasty cheese, plus a little for the top

425g tin tuna in brine, drained

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

¼ cup breadcrumbs

Method

Cook the pasta (so that it’s al dente) and drain. 

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the corn, carrot and onion and cook until the vegetables are soft.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir.

Pour in ½ cup milk and stir until it is all incorporated and starting to form a thick, doughy sauce. 

Add another half a cup and repeat.  Add the last of the milk and cook for a minute more, stirring.

Toss in the mustard and cheese and stir until the cheese has melted. 

Add the tuna. 

Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Stir through the pasta and place into a baking dish.  Top with a scattering of cheese and breadcrumbs

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

It’s a winner at our house. My little lady thinks that the tuna is chicken, which is a bonus.

Do you have a special Tuna Mornay recipe?