Tortellini Tuna Casserole

This tortellini tuna casserole for two is a twist on a classic tuna casserole. The creamy from-scratch sauce is made with fresh mushrooms, white wine, and garlic and is tossed with cheese tortellini and peas. Plus, there’s no need to boil the pasta – it cooks right in the sauce while in the oven.

When I mentioned to Bill that I wanted to make an updated tuna casserole, an old favorite of mine, he responded, “I think I’ll skip that one”. Turns out it was a go-to “Fish Friday” dish in his home growing up and one he’d long grown tired of. He’d had his fill, thank you very much.

His reaction left me wondering how our relationship would fare moving forward since I’m totally on team tuna noodle casserole. What was apparently a ho-hum dinner in his opinion, was, for me, comfort-food heaven. Growing up, I loved a bubbling hot casserole dish full of tender noodles coated in a cream of something soup. I still do.

And so, as is my way, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. I can handle our differing views on other topics, but his lukewarm feeling about tuna casserole was too much. So, in order to save our relationship, I needed to create a new and improved version of the contentious dish. One that captures the cozy nostalgic feeling of the classic, but with a few upgraded twists with the power to bring people together instead of tearing them apart.

Tortellini Tuna Casserole

Unlike the giant casseroles of my childhood, this tuna casserole is small-scale and serves two, with some leftover for lunch the next day.

• Instead of opening a can of cream of mushroom soup, we’re making the sauce from scratch. I’m not opposed to that gelatinous hallmark of the classic dish, but making our own sauce gives us more control over the flavor, which is decidedly fresher and less salty than the soup version.
• The sauce starts with finely chopped mushrooms, onions, and garlic that cook together until most of their moisture has been cooked out. I like to add some white wine towards the end of their cook time which adds flavor and makes it easy to scrape up all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. If you don’t have any wine on hand you can use chicken stock or even some water for this step.
• Once the veggies are cooked add some butter and flour. They will help thicken the sauce after you’ve added the milk and cream. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes until it starts to thicken.
• For the tuna, I like to use white albacore tuna packed in water. Drain it and stir it into the sauce breaking up any big chunks with the spatula. Add a cup of frozen peas, too.
• Instead of egg noodles, I like to use packaged cheese tortellini. I use the refrigerated kind and haven’t tested frozen ones in this recipe. You don’t have to boil the pasta first, just stir it right into the sauce and it will cook in the oven. At this point, transfer the pasta and sauce to a 1 1/2-quart baking dish.
• For the topping, combine dried breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, and some olive oil. Sprinkle it over the top of the pasta and sauce and pop the baking dish in the oven. Bake the casserole for 30 minutes at 375°F for about 30 minutes.
• The tuna casserole will be bubbly hot when you take it out of the oven so let it stand for a few minutes before serving. I like to add a lightly dressed green salad on the side to balance out the richness of the casserole.

This tortellini tuna casserole may not be the answer to world peace, but it did bring both of us to the table and Bill, in his diplomatic way, gave it a chance. It might have been the from-scratch sauce or maybe it was the cheese tortellini – whatever it was, Bill cleaned his plate while I reveled in luring him to my side of the debate. It was, as they say, a happy ending.

Happy casserole-making,

More Baked Pasta Recipes

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Baked Ravioli with Spinach Rosa Sauce |This one-pan pasta dish takes advantage of some short-cuts for a low-maintenance dinner that’s perfect for weeknights.

Summer Squash Tortellini Bake |Summer squash baked up with some tortellini and a creamy smooth goat cheese sauce. It’s a cozy pasta dinner for two.

One-Pan Baked Tortellini |This is another one-pan wonder that goes from stove top to oven to table in about 30 minutes. A GGG reader says, ” Made this last night, easy, simple to prepare and delicious, a big hit with hubby.”