Silly question, making a tuna pasta bake with white sauce...

[sarahsandy]

Can I put it in the oven on very low for about an hour/90 mins whilst going out to get it crisped up?

I think it would go dry (kind of dehydrated) and the pasta would absorb too much moisture from the sauce and be all floppy and disgusting.

20 mins in a hot oven would be enough to heat it through, so I'd just do that when you get back. Or set your oven on a timer to come on 20 mins before you get home if you need to eat the minute you get indoors (if your oven has a timer).

But I wouldn't leave a pasta bake in the oven for 90 mins.

Also, it would be unlikely to crisp up at a low heat anyway. If you want a crispy top then you need a decent heat.

In addition to the above posters, don't leave your oven on and leave the house!

What if you're delayed, have an accident etc?

No I would not leave anything in an oven and go out

No, the pasta will go all soggy. Also the house might catch fire.

That would make the top crispy !

Thanks everyone.

Another silly question, if I make up the pasta bake so put the white sauce, tuna, sweetcorn and pasta in the oven dish, warm, then put straight in the fridge, and put in the oven when home, would that be alright?

I am a terrible cook and always question myself so apologies.

I wouldn't put warm anything in the fridge because it would affect everything that's already in the fridge.

How long will you be gone? If it's a couple of hours I'd probably just leave it (covered) on the side and then put it in the oven when I got home.

Thanks yeah maybe like an hour or 90 mins!

I wouldn't, but not because of putting it in warm. I wouldn't leave pasta sitting in sauce for all that time because it will absorb liquid from the sauce and go soggy.

You could make up the white sauce, and either leave it in the fridge or leave it out (it will be totally fine) and then just mix everything together and bung in the oven for 20 mins. If the sauce has been in the fridge then maybe a bit longer, but I would leave it out with no qualms.

This is working on the assumption that you're putting cooked pasta in the bake - if it's raw, I'm guessing it would take longer to cook.

So for anyone who's interested in my tuna pasta bake last night... I left it on the side with the plate on top of it, warm for about 50 mins, came home chucked a load of cheese on top and put it in the oven for 20 mins - it was really nice still!