Skillet Tuna Casserole Lightened Up has been a go-to recipe in our household for many years. It’s quick, crazy-easy, and it’s a lighter version of a tuna casserole with a healthy dose of vegetables and a small amount of dairy.
Skillet Tuna Casserole Lightened Up
I’m a complete sucker for ooey, gooey, stretchy-cheesy dishes…and traditional tuna casseroles usually fall into this category, as they should. But sometimes, I want a lighter, tuna casserole that doesn’t pile on the calories from dairy fat.
So, I created this recipe years ago…and it has since become a go-to for busy weeknights.
Favorite pasta hack, right here…
The sauce in this recipe relies on one of my favorite kitchen hacks for cooking pasta. Basically, we hold back some of the pasta water (after cooking it) to use as an ingredient in the sauce.
This is no new discovery, but wow! does it ever work to knock down those fat calories from dairy or oil ingredients found in traditional white pasta sauces or casseroles. (See recipe below for steps).
I’ve been making this recipe for years and it’s always as easy as it was the last time I made it. Once you make it a time or two, you’ll probably feel the same way. It’s so easy, you kind of feel like cooking should be harder.
Here’s [my usual] quick, overview of Skillet Tuna Casserole steps:
- boil pasta
- chop veggies
- sauté veggies
- add all ingredients together
- simmer
- serve it up and scarf it down (but don’t forget to chew your food)
Want more light, busy-weeknight, skillet dinner ideas? Check out this Italian Fried Rice made with ground turkey, or feed a small army with my Magic Wand Any Sausage Skillet Meal. If you want to step up an elegant, yet super-easy entrée, try this Broiled Fennel Salmon for Weddings or Weeknights.
Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- angel hair pasta
- olive oil
- carrots
- green onions
- mushrooms
- frozen peas
- tuna
- 1% milk
- turmeric
- salt and pepper
Tools you’ll find helpful for this recipe:
- chef’s knife
- cutting board
- 3.5 quart stainless sauce pot (to boil noodles)
- stainless steel colander(to drain noodles)
- silicone tongs or rubber spatula (to stir things up)
- jumbo nonstick skillet (to sauté veggies)
- air-tight storage containers (for leftovers)
This recipe was originally published on Amanda’s Cookin’ in August, 2016.
Yields 4 1-cup servings
This easy, school-night dish won’t weigh you down. Uses canned tuna, plenty of fresh vegetables, and a light cream sauce. Make it even more nutritious with whole grain noodles. Serve warm or eat cold, your choice!
15 minPrep Time
10 minCook Time
25 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 4 oz Pasta Noodles (gluten free, if preferred)
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Carrots (shredded)
- 2-3 Green Onions (chopped, about 1/4 cup)
- 1 Portobello Mushroom (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup Frozen Peas (thawed)
- 1-7oz can Tuna (drained)
- 1/2 cup 1% Milk
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder (optional for color)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Follow package instructions and boil PASTA NOODLES until al dente (slightly undercooked, they’ll finish cooking later). Reserve 1 cup pasta water, divided in half and set aside. Be prepared to transfer cooked pasta to a colander; then cool-water rinse, drain, and set aside.
- While NOODLES are boiling, gather and prep other ingredients for cooking.
- Then, place a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat; heat OLIVE OIL until shimmering (about 2 min); add CARROTS and GREEN ONIONS; sauté until slightly translucent, stirring as needed (about 4 min).
- Add PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS; sauté until lightly tender, stirring as needed (about 4 min).
- Gently fold in remaining ingredients: PEAS, TUNA, MILK, 1/2 of the RESERVED PASTA WATER, cooked NOODLES, TURMERIC POWDER (optional), SALT, and PEPPER.
- Reduce heat to LOW and simmer until liquids have cooked down into a light, creamy sauce; stirring as needed (about 5 min); add more pasta water, if needed to adjust consistency.
Traci Antonovich
About my recipes: Minimal meat & more plants!
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