Rich savory flavors of sweet tomato sauce wrapped around cheesy albacore tuna chunks and pasta. Top this tuna casserole recipe off with lots of shredded cheese for maximum flavor. A super easy one dish dinner the whole family with enjoy!
There comes a time in every woman’s day where dinner doesn’t exist. It is the end of the day and panic shows up. Panic to make an amazing meal quickly before all meltdowns with children (and husbands) happen. I can hear it now. We are just getting home for a long day. I am tired and really just want to order a saucy pizza. But then self-control kicks in and as the pantry gets stared at for about a good 10 minutes… well dinner is figure out… and a tuna casserole recipe is created! A healthy one dish dinner ready in about 30 minutes!
My mom used to make this for us as kids and it was a favorite. Whenever I tell people I am making this they give me a blank stare out of sheer fear of ruining flavors by adding canned tuna to an Italian pasta dish. I promise, tuna pasta casserole is delicious! Boil gluten free Penne noodles then add them to a large bowl with diced onions, garlic, tomato sauce, oregano and freshly chopped basil. If you don’t have the herbs on hand, no worries! It will still be delicious. Then toss in a couple of cans of albacore tuna fish and cheese and mix it all together. Slowly pour into a baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes to seal the flavors together. We have been getting our healthy ingredients from Thrive, an online discounted marketplace for healthy food. Gluten free pasta noodles cost about $4 per bag and Thrive has them for about $1 cheaper. Add up all your groceries at $1 cheaper each and there are big time savings happening!
For those that don’t like tuna I have to tell you the truth. This tuna casserole recipe compliments the tuna with a tomato base. Sweet tomatoes and melted cheese masks out any fish flavors, and brings out its hearty texture. Somehow all the ingredients together brings out the best of each ingredient.
Tuna is an incredible seafood to add to a healthy diet. It is high in protein and packed with good healthy Omega fats. Grilled or canned works here. Grill a big tuna steak one night just save the leftovers for this dish. I just use canned for the convenience. Please note that too much tuna in your diet is not good as it is high in mercury. Too much mercury is especially not great for pregnant woman. Casserole recipes are such an easy dinner that can pack in lots of nutrition into one dish.
For busy weeks this dish can be made the night before and then dinner is ready in about 20 minutes- just heat and eat! Using low fat cheese cuts down on the saturated fats. And thank goodness for all the gluten free pastas available now-a-days!
- 2 cups of Penne Rice Pasta
- 2 cans of Albacore Tuna (in water), drained
- 1, 2 lb. jar of marinara sauce
- ½ white onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup low fat shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup low fat shredding mozzarella cheese (for topping)
- ¼ tsp dry oregano (optional)
- ½ tsp dry basil (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- In a pot on the stove cook and prepare pasta according to instructions (usually cooks anywhere from 7-14 minutes).
- Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Spray 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl combine marinara sauce, garlic powder, optional dry herbs, diced onion, 2 cans of tuna, 1 cup of shredded low fat mozzarella cheese. When pasta finishes cooking drain and add. Mix well.
- Add all ingredients into a prepared baking dish. Top with remaining ½ cup of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Turn up the heat to 450 and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese on the top of the casserole has browned.
- Remove from oven and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Check out more of our savory gluten free pasta dishes:
Spaghetti Squash Pasta With Butternut Squash Sauce
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