Lunch / Dinner
Cajun Tuna Casserole
With just a bit of restyling, plain old tuna-noodle casserole goes from a kid-pleasing meal to a dressed-up adult dinner.
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTA AND TUNA, COOK:
FOR THE SAUCE, MELT:
WHISK IN:
FOR THE TOPPING:
Cream-of-mushroom soup is ubiquitous to tuna noodle casserole, but we replaced it with our own sherry-laced sauce for a flavor boost.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 3-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.
For the pasta and tuna, cook farfalle in a pot of boiling, salted water according to package directions; drain.
Pat tuna dry with paper towels. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning over both sides of steaks. Sear steaks in 2 Tbsp. oil in a skillet over medium-high until blackened on both sides, about 2 minutes per side; transfer tuna steaks to a plate. When cool enough to handle, break tuna into chunks.
For the sauce, melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onions, celery, garlic, thyme, and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Add sherry and soy sauce; cook until liquid evaporates.
Whisk in milk and bring mixture to a boil. Cook until sauce thickens, 2–3 minutes. Stir in pimentos and Parmesan.
Combine farfalle, sauce, and tuna in a bowl; season with salt and pepper; transfer into prepared dish.
For the topping, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add bread crumbs; toast until brown, 2–3 minutes. Stir in parsley. Spread crumbs over tuna mixture and bake until brown, 30 minutes. Remove casserole from oven; cool on a rack for 10 minutes before serving.
Blacken tuna steaks in a hot skillet. It's OK if they don't cook through, they'll finish cooking in the oven.
Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture to soak up the butter and to thicken the sauce.
Gently combine chunks of tuna with the farfalle and sauce, taking care to keep the tuna pieces intact.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 369
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 24%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 42mg 14%
Sodium 599mg 24%
Carbs 36g 12%
Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 20g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.