One-Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta

Our tuna asparagus pasta recipe takes that nostalgic favorite, the tuna noodle casserole, and gives it a modern update. Our one-pan pasta doesn't need any oven time and comes together in less than half an hour, making it a great weeknight dinner option. It's lighter and brighter than tuna noodle casserole, but like the original, it is made with simple, affordable, and accessible ingredients, many of which you might already have in your kitchen. (It's also very substitution-friendly, so you can swap in other vegetables or aromatics as needed to avoid an extra trip to the store.) If you’re looking for an easy meal that's comforting but also good for you, give this recipe a try.

Tuna Casserole: Updated

If you grew up in a casserole household, you undoubtedly ate your fair share of tuna noodle casserole. The creamy dish was usually made with canned tuna, egg noodles, and cream of mushroom soup. In addition, it usually had a crunchy topping made of either breadcrumbs, crushed potato chips, or canned crispy onions (the same ones you see atop green bean casserole). It was comforting and filling, but maybe not so healthy. This recipe brings tuna noodle casserole into the 21st century. The dish is much lighter and brighter, but it’s still plenty creamy.

Requires just one pan: Rather than boiling pasta in water, as most pasta recipes do, this one-pan recipe calls for cooking the curly cavatappi pasta noodles in a mixture of butter, water, and chicken broth so they soak up all of that amazing flavor. The liquid that remains after the pasta is cooked keeps the rest of the dish moist and creamy. 

Cooks on the stovetop: This quick pasta dinner doesn't need any oven time, so it's much faster than a casserole.

Uses oil-packed tuna: Tuna is the star of the show for this recipe. Remember that not all canned tunas are the same. Be sure to use a good-quality oil-packed tuna. Water-packed tuna is fine when the dish has a lot of other bold flavors, but it tends to be a little lackluster on its own. Since the other flavors in this recipe are delicate, we use oil-based fish. It has the best flavor for this dish. 

Has More Vegetables: We also add some fresher ingredients. Traditional tuna casserole usually contains peas, this new version incorporates asparagus spears, lemon zest and juice, and lots of baby arugula.

Ingredient Substitutes

While this recipe is modeled after a quintessential tuna noodle casserole, it’s simple and straightforward enough that you can play around with many of the ingredients. 

• Asparagus: Instead of the traditional peas, we’ve swapped in asparagus as our vegetable of choice. Try other delicate, bright green vegetables like green beans or thin broccolini if you like. You can also use frozen versions of these vegetables instead of fresh ones. 
• Pasta: Cavatappi noodles have a fun corkscrew shape that mimics the classic egg noodles you’re used to seeing in tuna casserole. Other short pasta shapes like penne, fusilli, or elbow macaroni are also great choices. 
• Baby arugula: Baby greens add an extra dose of fiber to this pasta. Arugula has a very mild yet peppery flavor that we love in this dish. Try incorporating other baby greens like kale or spinach if you prefer.

Optional Breadcrumb Topping

A crunchy breadcrumb coating is traditional for tuna noodle casserole. While this recipe doesn’t include it, you can easily whip up a batch of golden brown breadcrumbs to scatter over the top right before serving:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, toast 1½ cups torn rustic bread in 2 tablespoons melted butter. Cook until crisp and golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add ½ teaspoon lemon zest and season to taste with salt and pepper.
   

One-Pan Pasta Dos and Don'ts

• Do use a large enough pot to allow space for all of the ingredients plus room to stir. For this recipe, we call or a large, straight-sided skillet, but you could use a large saucepan instead. Avoid using a skillet with sloped sides as it won't allow the noodles to submerge properly.
• Don't add too much liquid, this would make the sauce watery.
• Do stir frequently to ensure the noodles cook evenly.
• Don't skimp on flavorful ingredients like the shallots, lemon zest, Parmesan, and arugula. The pasta will absorb the aromatic liquid as it cooks, and the other flavor boosters will give the brothy sauce plenty of oomph.