Pretend I’m Not Writing About Casserole
Written by Rachel, Posted in Thoughts
Do you have a strong opinion about Tuna Casserole? Some people do. That’s ok. (I seem to remember my friend, Heather, strongly disliking it.) We happened to be having it for dinner last week on family Skype night. My mom always asks what I’m making for dinner. When I told her Tuna Casserole all she said was, “Oh.”. I felt like I needed to defend my decision. But, I think I lamely said, “It’s going to be good though!”, not actually knowing if it would be. In the end, it was. What it wasn’t was a typical Tuna Casserole. No way. Not even close. There’s not a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup in sight.
There’s actually no cream in this anywhere. Don’t get me wrong, I like cream. But, I decided to healthify (is that a word? I see a red line under it, but I’m usin’ it anyways) the traditional dish.
My version has mushrooms, peas, carrots, garlic, and watermelon radish. The sauce is thickened with cornstarch instead of making a roux with flour and oil, and has parmesan cheese instead of a typical bechamel sauce (because I usually make Tuna Casserole by adding some tuna to leftover Mac and Cheese). I used The Flavor Bible to gain inspiration for what flavors would complement the tuna and I was pleasantly surprised.
If you’re not a Tuna Casserole fan, you could call it Tuna and Veggie Pasta and maybe you’d be inclined to try it?!
Happy Eating!
Not Your Average Tuna Casserole
Last modified on 2013-03-13 22:29:45 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
- 2 C cooked rotini rice pasta
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 watermelon radish, grated
- 2 carrots, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 C mushrooms, chopped
- 2/3 C peas (frozen)
- 1 t dijon mustard
- 1 t lemon juice
- 1 T balsamic vinegar
- 1 T cornstarch
- 1/2 C water, divided
- 1 C pasta water
- pinch cayenne
- 1/2 t dried basil
- 1/2 t dried parsley
- 1 t garlic sea salt (or regular sea salt)
- pepper
- 1 can tuna
- 1/3 C parmesan cheese, grated (plus a little more for topping)
- Cook pasta. While it cooks, heat pan, add shallot, carrots, radish, and mushrooms, and 1/4 C water. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, peas, tuna, and seasonings; cook 1 minute.
- Whisk cornstarch with 1/4 C water, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and dijon. Pour over veggies, bring to a boil and cook for a minute or two.
- Stir in cheese.
- Add pasta water and stir.
- Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Let sit for a few minutes before serving so pasta can soak up the sauce.
- Serve topped with a little bit of parmesan cheese.