When I was around 12 my mom had a friend who had children that closely matched the age of my sisters and me. She lived right by our school. Occasionally, when mom had to go into town we would go to this friend's house for dinner. It was one of these days when I first experienced tuna casserole.
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My mom's friend's version of tuna casserole, as I now know, was pretty classic. It was tuna, pasta, and vegetables in a cream of mushroom sauce, covered with crushed potato chips and baked. My mom was a great cook but, for whatever reason, had never made anything like the tuna casserole I had that day. It made such an impression on me that I remember it more vividly than almost anything else from that period of my life. Interestingly enough, to this day, that is the only tuna casserole I've ever had.
It was that tuna casserole I had in mind while creating this creamy tuna pasta recipe. Essentially, I wanted to make an updated version of that tuna casserole from well over 20 years ago. Gone are the crushed potato chips, cream of mushroom soup and long baking time. Now, we can all have that flavour and experience in under 30 minutes. If you are looking for more quick weeknight meals, check out my guide to simple food for inspiration.
Getting Started
The first thing to do is get a big pot of salted water on the stove for the pasta. Next, put a frying pan on the stove over medium heat for the sauce. With that, it is time to get down to the real work.
For the sauce, start with a base of carrot, onion, and celery. Peel and dice 1 onion and 1 carrot, then slice 1 celery stalk. This classic combination of vegetables, known in French cooking as a mirepoix, is the foundation of so many great dishes.
Start Cooking the Vegetables
By the time the vegetables are cut the pan should be nice and hot. Add in 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil. The butter is for the flavour and the olive oil helps prevent the butter from burning. Once the butter melts, add in the vegetables.
Garlic and Roasted Red Pepper
While the vegetables are cooking, peel and slice 2 cloves of garlic. Also dice about a ½ cup of roasted red pepper. The roasted red pepper is optional, but it adds a nice sweet tone to the overall flavour that I really enjoy.
Give the carrot, onion, and celery a stir then add in the roasted red pepper and garlic.
Adding the Tuna
While the garlic and peppers are cooking, open up the can of tuna. Drain the liquid right into the frying pan. This is a small trick that adds a really nice subtle tuna flavour to the sauce that you will not get from the tuna itself. The pan should be hot enough that the juice evaporates very quickly.
The Cream Sauce
After the tuna juice mostly evaporates, add in 1 cup of whipping cream and a ½ cup of frozen peas. Do not skimp out on the cream here. If you use blended cream, coffee cream, half and half, or milk, it will curdle and it will be gross. If you want a lighter version of this, take the time and make a bechamel instead. Otherwise, enjoy the rich, delicious flavour of full-fat, 35% whipping cream. For more on building cream and butter-based sauces, have a look at my sauce making guide.
Once the cream and peas go into the pan, bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer.
Cooking the Pasta
Around this point, the pasta water should be boiling. Add the pasta in and cook it according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, chop about a ½ cup of parsley.
Drain and Combine
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it as you normally would. While it is draining, add the tuna to the sauce and stir to break it up.
Finish the Creamy Tuna Pasta
Add the pasta into the sauce along with the parsley. Toss or stir the pasta to coat it with the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve by itself or with a green salad.
If you are not a big fan of tuna, you could substitute canned or fresh salmon, chicken, or ham. No matter what protein you use, it will be delicious.
Final Thoughts
This creamy tuna pasta has become one of my go-to quick lunches, and the first bite always takes me right back to that dinner at my mom's friend's house. It is comfort food at its finest, and I love how flexible it is with whatever protein you have on hand.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can Tuna In Water 170 g
- 1 box Rotini 500 g
- 1 sm Onion, diced
- 1 med Carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 stalk Celery, diced
- ½ cup Diced Roasted Red Pepper
- 2 cloves Garlic, Peeled and minced
- ½ cup Chopped Parsley
- 1 cup Cream
- ½ cup Frozen Peas
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put a large pot of salted water on the stove on high for the pasta.
- Put a large frying pan on over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil and butter into the pan.
- Once the butter has melted add in the carrot, onion and celery.
- Sauté until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and roasted red pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
- Open the can of tuna and drain the liquid into the pan and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the cream and peas. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Put the pasta into the boiling water and cook as per the directions on the box.
- Add the tuna into the sauce.
- Once the pasta is cooked drain it and add it into the sauce along with the parsley. Toss to evenly coat the pasta.
- Taste the pasta and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
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