American tuna | Capers in Cooking

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.

Canned tuna seems to be a staple in nearly every household. While we are all aware of the benefits of eating fish, I constantly hear people voice concerns about mercury when addressing fish that are larger and higher on the food chain (such as tuna). A product that we have absolutely fallen in love with is American Tuna. What could be so special about canned tuna? I could go on forever… but I will give you the abbreviated rundown.

It is pole-caught by American fishing families IN America. It is processed in America. (And speaking of the processing, it is minimal… another thing we love.) It is cooked only once and it is cooked after it is canned. There is no added water or oil. The only things inside these cans are tuna and natural juices from the cooking process. All this means that there is no by-catch to get trapped in nets. It is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. And the size and type of tuna used is nearly mercury-free. The mercury in this product is almost undetectable, which makes it completely safe for pregnant and nursing women or other people who have health concerns related to mercury.

If you have never used this tuna before, you might be surprised when you open it. It is NOT white, but it is a true albacore tuna. Did you know that some commercial canned tuna can actually be bleached to the shade of white we are all accustomed to associating with higher quality? And in some cases, the can is only required to contain a certain percentage of tuna. What is the other stuff in there? It remains a mystery to me.

DO NOT DRAIN THIS TUNA. The natural juices are simply mixed back into the tuna. The result is that no nutrients are lost down the drain. None of the weight you paid for is going down the drain. And you will use less mayonnaise. A win-win all around, if you ask me. The tuna soaks it right up.

Next up, add your mix-ins. The possibilities here are endless. I went the more traditional route. One thing we really like in tuna is tarragon. They just go so well together. I only added about two tablespoons of mayonnaise for both cans. A little chopped onion. Some celery seed.

One thing about passionate food people is that, well, we are passionate. I LOVE what I love and have equally strong feelings about the things I don’t. I do not like pickles. The rest of my family loves them, especially in tuna salad. Not to worry, a little gets set aside for myself and the rest of it gets chopped pickles (relish in the jar works, too!).

At this point, the world is your oyster. Salad with a scoop of tuna on top, tuna sandwich, tuna melt, tuna on crackers. Totally up to you. We had some whole wheat buns leftover from the night before. Waste not, want not. I toasted the buns (after all, this is a weekend lunch) and topped them with the tuna.

This is really something you can feel good about serving to your family. It’s quick and easy, delicious, and healthy. If you haven’t tried American Tuna yet… you are missing out. I will warn you that you will never look at another can of tuna the same way again.