I’m not sure exactly where this recipe originally came from, but it has been a staple in my recipe box for YEARS now.  It’s sort of a freshened-up version of tuna noodle casserole.  A lack of cream sauce and a nice lemony twist updates this old classic.  Chances are that you will have almost all these ingredients on-hand, which makes any recipe a winner in my book!

This recipe takes about ten minutes to assemble and an additional twenty minutes of baking time… just perfect for making a salad and setting the table!

Lemony Pasta with Tuna  (Serves 4-6)

• 6-8 ounces uncooked pasta
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cans of tuna
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

Start with 6-8 ounces of uncooked pasta.  Go ahead and cook it and set it aside for later use.  I only use American Tuna (see this older post for all the information on it and the reasons why).  Even though you don’t have to drain it and end up with more weight than if you use a different brand of canned tuna, I still use two cans because I like to make sure there is plenty of tuna in the dish.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Put the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Cook the onion and garlic until tender.

Add the flour, Dijon, and lemon zest.  Stir to combine and slowly whisk in the broth until it is all combined and smooth.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer until just slightly thickened.  Gently stir in the tuna and cooked pasta and mix until combined.  There should be plenty of sauce… no one likes a dry pasta dish.

Carefully put the pasta mixture into a greased baking dish.

Combine the breadcrumbs with the melted butter.  Spread the mixture over the top of the pasta and garnish with the sliced lemons.  This will bake in the oven for around 20 minutes or until the top is browned and the edges are bubbling.

Tuna provides lots of great protein and the Omega-3’s needed for brain and heart health.  By using American Tuna, you can feed this to your entire family (toddlers, children, pregnant and nursing mothers) without any concern over mercury… AND you’re supporting American fishing families.  This product is definitely a favorite of ours.