Description

Creamy, comforting Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole made from scratch! Packed with veggies like mushrooms and peas and just as satisfying and flavorful as the original. Serves a crowd and makes great leftovers. Dairy free!

Ingredients

Units Scale

12 oz pasta of choice (egg noodles, brown rice fusilli, whole wheat, etc)
1/2 cup raw cashews (see notes for nut free option*)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or butter
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 tbsp flour (all purpose or whole wheat)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast** (optional)
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
2-5oz cans tuna, drained (I like Wild Planet or Safe Catch)
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
lots of freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup breadcrumbs

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Instructions

Boil noodles in a large pot of salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside. While pasta boils, place cashews in a small bowl and cover with hot water.
Melt butter/oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for another minute.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Drain cashews and place in blender with 2 1/2 cups water (I used my Nutribullet). Sometimes I like to add a splash of soy sauce for more umami! Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
Pour in cashew cream and nutritional yeast and whisk well. Once mixture starts to simmer, add peas, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until mixture has thickened. Stir in drained tuna and noodles.
Pour into baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spray top with cooking spray and bake for 25 minutes. Enjoy with Frank's hot sauce! Store in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Notes

To freeze: Follow the recipe except for the topping. Place in a freezers-safe dish and let it cool completely. Cover and freeze. To reheat, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Top with breadcrumbs and bake per the recipe.

*If you can't do nuts, you can omit cashews and use 2 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk and a handful of parmesan or cheddar! If it needs to be thicker, make a slurry by stirring together 1 tbsp cornstarch with a splash of milk in a small bowl and stir into sauce.

**1/2 cup grated parmesan or shredded cheddar can be used if you're not dairy-free.