Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Low Calorie, Vegetable Loaded
This healthy, allergy friendly version of a classic American comfort food uses an easy, homemade butternut squash sauce instead of canned 'cream of' soups. It's brimming with Italian seasoned sautéed carrots and onions, flaky tuna, sweet peas and chewy pasta. Topped with a sprinkle of Italian seasoning and baked until bubble this cozy recipe is nutritious and delicious.
Why I Love This Recipe
Italian seasoned onions and carrots create a scrumptious, savory base that combines with flaky tuna, peas, and pasta. Instead of using store bought canned soups, an easy, creamy butternut squash "cheese" sauce coats this healthy homemade dish.
Filled with wholesome ingredients, Dairy Free Tuna Noodle Casserole is a cozy complete meal in a bowl. Serve it with gluten free garlic toast or baguette and a side of Lemon Garlic Green Beans or a simple side salad.
Dairy Free Tuna Noodle Casserole is a versatile recipe! So many vegetables could be used in this dish. Try it with broccoli, corn, asparagus, parsnips, zucchini, or yellow squash.
You can also swap out the seasonings. I make this recipe with a Homemade Italian Seasoning, but it would also be delicious seasoned with Cajun Seasoning, or Fajita Seasoning.
Gluten free pasta tips
Gluten free pasta is notoriously sticky from all the starch that’s released into the water. To prevent the noodles clumping and breaking, drain and then cover with fresh water and re-drain 2-3x times to remove as much starch as possible. Then, drizzle about 1.5 tablespoon of neutral oil and stir.
Furthermore, I used gemelli Banza chickpea based pasta. I like the shape and chickpea pasta is chocked full of both protein and fiber. Any tubular or rotini pasta would work in this dish.
Nutritional yeast
Nutritional yeast can typically be found in the health food or baking section of your local grocery store. You can also order it online. It is a commonly used vegan/vegetarian cheese substitute. It's has a nutty cheesy flavor, is a complete protein, and is B vitamin rich. For those of you who are interested, here is some more detailed information regarding this product.
Let's talk butternut squash
Firstly, compared to fresh pre-cut cubes, it’s less expensive to purchase a whole butternut squash. However, it does take more time. When I want to make this more quickly, I spend the extra cash on pre-cut squash cubes from the fresh produce aisle of my local grocery store. Or…..
Frozen butternut squash will also work in this recipe!! I have tried thawed and frozen and both turn out well.
For both frozen and thawed butternut squash: make sure all pieces are separated and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit following the oil/seasoning instructions.
- For thawed butternut squash: bake 28-35 minutes turning halfway through.
- For frozen butternut squash: bake 35-40 minutes flipping once halfway through.
Finally, keep in mind frozen butternut squash typically comes in 10 oz bags and the recipe calls for 16 oz of butternut squash. So, I typically use 1 ½ bags of frozen squash.
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📖 Recipe
Dairy Free Tuna Noodle Casserole {Gluten Free}
Equipment
- 1 blender or food processor
- 1 large rimmed baking sheet
- Aluminum foil optional
- 1 12" skillet
- 1 Large wooden spoon
- 1 8x8 casserole dish
Ingredients
Butternut Squash "Cheese" Sauce
- 1½ tablespoon light olive oil
- 1 16 oz pkg fresh pre-cut butternut squash may use frozen or ½ medium butternut squash peeled and diced*
- 2 pinches salt plus more for baking
- 1 dash black pepper
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast**
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup chicken broth
Pasta, Vegetables, Tuna
- 1 8 oz box gluten free tubular pasta or rotini***
- 2 tablespoon dairy free butter****
- 1 medium onion small diced
- 3 medium carrots small diced
- 4 teaspoon Homemade Italian Seasoning***** divided
- 1 heaping cup frozen peas
- 3 5 oz cans tuna in water, drained and crumbled
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
Instructions
Make the Butternut Squash "Cheese" Sauce
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up if desired.
- Place squash cubes on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with 2 pinches of salt, and a dash of black pepper. Use spatula and stir to combine on baking sheet. Make sure squash is separated into a single layer.
- Bake for 15-30 minutes (depending on how large the squash cubes are) tossing once halfway through. Bake until very tender. If you want a smokier flavored cheese sauce, bake longer for more browning.
- Set squash aside to cool on baking sheet about 10-15 minutes.
- Reduce oven heat to 350℉.
- Add squash to blender along with nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, broth, and 2 pinches of salt. Blend until completely smooth about 15-20 seconds. Set aside.
Boil the Pasta
- While butternut squash is baking:Cook pasta in salted water 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time. Drain and rinse 2x. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and stir to coat pasta to prevent sticking. Set aside.
Sauté the Vegetables
- While butternut squash and pasta cook:Add butter to a large skillet over MEDIUM heat. When butter is melted and bubbling lightly, add onions, carrots, and 2 pinches of salt. Sauté stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender about 5-7 minutes.
Add the Spices
- Add 2 teaspoon Homemade Italian Seasoning and sauté stirring constantly until fragrant about 30 seconds.
Combine all the Parts
- Remove from heat and add peas, tuna, and butternut squash "cheese" sauce. Stir to combine.
- Add pasta, stir gently to combine.
Temper the Eggs
- If the mixture is still very hot, you'll need to temper the eggs. This helps increase the temperature of the eggs to prevent them from curdling or scrambling when added to a hot mixture:Add a small scoop of mixture to beaten eggs and stir to combine. Now it's safe to add the eggs to to the tuna noodle mixture and stir to combine.
Transfer to a Casserole Dish
- Grease an 8x8 casserole dish. Add vegetable, tuna, and pasta mixture to the dish. Use a wooden spoon to spread evenly inside the dish. Sprinkle remaining 2 teaspoon Homemade Italian Seasoning evenly over the top.
Bake
- Bake at 350℉ covered for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes and enjoy!
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