1 Oven ready lasagne sheets (we used 12 of the sheets for our dish to make 3 layers of pasta)
2 cans solid white tuna in oil
1 medium onion, chopped
½ tsp. Onion powder
1/4 cup Fish Stock
3 cups Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
Lemon Pepper to taste
4 tbsp. Tomato paste

Cheese sauce:

4 tbsp. Wondra (instant flour)
4 tbsp. cold water
2½ cups milk
2 tbsp. butter
½ cup grated Romano cheese

To assemble:

2 cups smooth cottage cheese
¼ cup grated cheddar or Romano cheese
¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. melted butter or olive oil

Method: Soak the lasagne sheets, in batches, for 2-3 minutes in hot tap water. This improves the tenderness of the pasta and reduces the baking time. Spread sheets out on baking paper.

Drain the oil from the tuna into a frying pan (the oil is full of flavor!) and sauté the onion, until soft and beginning to brown. Add onion powder and the undiluted fish stock, tuna, pasta sauce, lemon juice and sugar. Season to taste and stir in tomato paste. Keep on one side.

Mix the Wondra with the cold water.

Bring the milk nearly to the boil, add the Wondra slurry - stir until thickened. Add butter and ½ cup of grated cheese.

To assemble: Use a 13 x 9 baking dish and butter it lightly. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position.

Preheat the oven to 350*F

Spread ¼ of the tuna sauce into the dish. Layer with pasta sheets. Add another ¼ of tuna sauce. Dot teaspoonfuls of cottage cheese here and there (use 1/3). Spread 1/3 of the cheese sauce over. Repeat layering twice more and end with a layer of cheese sauce. Mix the ¼ cup of grated cheese with the breadcrumbs and butter or oil. Sprinkle over the top.

Bake 45 minutes. Serve with a tossed salad.

Adapted from Ina Paarman's Tuna Lasagne

Submitted by: Tony Botz