Dairy Free Tuna Noodle Casserole {Gluten Free}
This cozy casserole has Italian seasoned sautéed vegetables, flaky tuna, and chewy pasta in an easy butternut squash sauce!
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!
Notes
*I like to use pre-cut butternut squash from the fresh produce section of my local grocery store. You can also peel and cube half a butternut squash yourself. It will add more prep time so plan accordingly! Frozen butternut squash can also be used. See Cooking Tips above for more information.
**Nutritional yeast can typically be found in the health food or baking section of your local grocery store. You can also order it online.
***I used gemelli Banza chickpea based pasta. It is packed with protein and fiber and has a good texture and taste.
****It can be hard finding a good dairy free, soy free butter alternative, but this dairy free butter is one my favorite finds. The base of it is cashews, so it is a no go for those of you with nut allergies. Earth Balance and Country Crock also offer good quality plant based butters that are nut free. However, it’s important to note they both do contain soy and/or legume products.
*****Here is the link to my easy 5-minute Homemade Italian Seasoning. It's bold, zesty and reminiscent of pizza seasoning flavor. Feel free to use your favorite Italian seasoning if you prefer.
Nutrition
Calories: 296kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 23gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 843mgPotassium: 530mgFiber: 8gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 11568IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!