Tuning Tunas



I have an undying affinity for canned tuna ( meow?!) and I guess it grew on me when I was in college, away from home and was on a student budget. Canned foods and instant noodles, a student's dietary trick for survival..that and the 1 peso Isaw. At least that's how much  it cost then. (When I was still young and full of dreams...)

 Tuna is versatile and preparing it is not overly difficult. Come on! It's canned tuna! It could be mixed with almost anything .It could be used for salads, on pizzas, sushis, pies, turnovers, tortillas, quesadillas,  canapes, sandwiches , dips and you can fill in the rest . It could be fried, baked, sauteed and I even like to eat it plain and straight from the can!   Emily already licking the back of her paws....

So here is another delicious dish so easy to make  you can have it on your table blindfolded and with one arm tied behind your  back in no time.

Cannelloni with Tuna and Ricotta filling

Drain liquid from 2 cans of tuna ( plain or in  oil ) and put tuna flakes in a mixing bowl. Add 500 g of ricotta cheese.  Cottage cheese could be used as substitute for ricotta. Set aside, away from the cats.

Using a small spoon, fill each cannelloni with tuna flakes and cheese mixture and place it on a baking dish. It is advisable to use a baking dish big and wide enough to hold the entire pack ( 400 g) of cannelloni without piling them.

No layers please. It's not lasagne..

In another mixing bowl,  mix 400 ml cream and 250 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Using a whisk, combine these two things thorougly. Season the cheese sauce with salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the stuffed cannelloni making sure each piece is submerged in liquid.

chop 125 grams of sun dried tomatoes. It gives the whole dish a pleasing salty and smoky taste. Scatter the chopped tomatoes over the cannelloni. Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminium foil and place it in a preheated oven ( 180°C) and bake for 20 mins. Take foil out and bake until sauce thickens and turns golden brown. Takes about 10 more minutes. Try not to burn the dried tomatoes as it will render a bitter taste.

Tasty...Tantalising...Tummylicious Tuna..