Garden pasta, red pepper, zucchini, broccoli, tuna, and cheese, combined in a flavorful and creamy sauce

2 cups garden spiral pasta
1 large red bell pepper
1 large zucchini
1 head broccoli or approximately 2 cups chopped
1 large can tuna, drained (I used 6 ounces of tuna)
1 cup (4 ounces) monterey jack cheese, grated (or more)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon hot sauce (or less)
2 Tablespoons oil
3 Tablespoons flour
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain.

2. Chop bell pepper, zucchini and broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Saute in oil, then add soy sauce. Don't overcook; vegetables should still be crisp.
 
3. In small saucepan, melt butter. Add salt, pepper and hotsauce. Whisk in flour. Add milk. Stir constantly and bring to a boil over med heat. Boil & stir one minute.

4. Add vegetables to pasta in large bowl. Add sauce & stir together. Stir in one handful cheese. Place in 9"x13" baking pan and sprinkle remaining cheese over top.

5. Bake in 375* oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

This recipe was submitted to Tammysrecipes.com by Amy B. She writes, "This might not seem like anything special, but it is a pretty tasty dinner."

When I (Tammy) made the recipe, I used the full amount of hot sauce (we use Tapatio brand) and we thought it was a little too hot for our tastes. I also used more cheese than the recipe calls for, probably at least double (8 ounces or more), but I didn't measure that. It was good that way!

This is a delicious way to eat veggies with a little meat and cheese. It was fun to make, and a nice all-in-one dinner! As noted above, we prefer less hot sauce and more cheese than this recipe calls for. It didn't taste like a "tuna casserole" to me; in fact, I hardly noticed the tuna part! This is a great summer casserole recipe! My rating: 9/10.