One Pot Creamy Tuna and Shells
This one pot wonder will make you rethink the scary tuna noodle casseroles of the past. Fast and easy, this creamy concoction is wholesome and delicious!
I know tuna noodle anything tends to get a bad rep (not unlike the Shepherd’s Pie I talked about last week) which is why I decided a one pot tuna noodle wonder needed to be made, perfected, and posted.
No sense slaving over a ridiculously fussy tuna noodle casserole (or just a really bad one) when a 30-minutes, no-fuss version would do just fine.
Growing up, my mom made tuna noodle casserole a lot. A lot a lot.
I’ve always liked tuna so I don’t remember hating it but I also know I wanted a bit of a reinvention on the old dear (ok, so I do remember it being slightly gloopy and mushy).
One thing my mom always did was sprinkle just a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice over her portion of the tuna noodle concoction on her plate. It sounds a little weird, I know, but it eventually became a habit I adopted and it’s honestly really yummy.
The tart tanginess is perfect for the creamy tuna pasta.
In the version today, I recommend using fresh lemon juice (it’s kind of fancy and pretty to serve lemon wedges along with dinner especially on your average Tuesday night and might earn you a few extra rock star points) and I promise that the light pop of zesty lemon juice adds a ton of brightness and flavor to an otherwise everyday, dare-I-say-boring meal.
Sometimes it’s the little things (in this case the fresh lemon and parsley) that take a weeknight meal up just a few notches. And heaven knows I could use a few notches anytime I can get them.
This meal couldn’t be simpler – one pot, 30-minutes or less, tasty and wholesome. That’s a lot of super love going on for tuna and noodles.
What to Serve With This
- Simple Skillet Green Beans or another green vegetable
- Whole Wheat Dinner Muffins
One Year Ago: Cream Cheese Banana Bread with Sweet Cinnamon Topping
Two Years Ago: Cowboy Spaghetti
Three Years Ago: Meatball Soup with Pasta
One Pot Creamy Tuna and Shells
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 medium shallot, or 1/4 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic , finely minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups water
- 2 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 16 ounces small pasta shells
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 cans (5-ounces each) white albacore tuna, drained
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a 4- or 5-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the shallot (or onion) and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the milk, water, broth, shells, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, stirring often (at a simmer, not a rigorous boil) until the pasta is al dente, according to package directions (the pasta will continue to cook a bit over the next few minutes so don’t overcook it in this step). Each brand of pasta will will differ slightly; depending on the brand, you may need to add a bit more liquid toward the end of cooking time but do so gradually so it isn’t too soupy. There should be a bit of liquid left even after the shells are just tender. They’ll continue to soften up and the liquid will be absorbed as other ingredients are stirred in and as it rests.
- Stir in the milk or heavy cream, mustard, and lemon juice. Add the tuna and mix gently until combined. Stir in additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Let the pasta rest for 5-10 minutes – it will thicken up and get nice and creamy.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve with extra lemon wedges – it is delicious with lemon juice drizzled over the top of individual servings.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Like others, I added about 1 cup of frozen peas at the end. We also used spaghetti noodles because that’s what we had on hand. My husband and I both added shredded cheese to ours for both taste and creaminess; it was no where near creamy and just a little too bland without it. We probably would make it again, making a few adjustments of our own (adding cheese, more tuna, and peas).
This has been on weekly rotation in our house for ten years. I add 1-2 cups total of frozen corn and peas to the mix for a true one pot meal (microwave to dethaw and warm, then add to the pot at the end before the pasta resting step). One of those classic, perfect Mel’s recipes!
My 6 year old who loves to cook with me requested tuna casserole, which is grandma made him a few weeks ago. We (especially my husband) are not usually huge casserole fans so I was happy to find this version and WOW, we loved it! We added extra tuna and he requested peas too. It was so quick, healthy and easy. He really enjoyed making it with me. We love your tried-and-true recipes! Thank you!
Delicious. We are used to boxed Mac with canned soup and tuna casserole and this was an upgrade. I subbed 2 Tbs cream cheese for the heavy cream, doubled the tuna and added lemon zest and some shaved parmesan at the end. Really yummy and so much better than the boxed/canned stuff!
We were hoping this would be more “creamy” and had to add some cheese to make it more so. I also added peas and kale since it looked very naked with just pasta and tuna. I suppose we’re used to the creamed soup and frozen vegetables version. But I do appreciate this from scratch version. I will make it again with some modifications to our liking, though.
Not sure what I did wrong but mine was soupy
Is this supposed to be eaten warm or cold?
We eat it warm.
So yummy! Made this last night when my other meal plan fell through. Super quick and easy, and delicious. I didn’t have fresh parsley so I sprinkled in some dried as it was finishing cooking. Even my picky 5-year-old gobbled it up.
Hi Mel in step 2 it says stir in milk and also step 3 So I divide the 1 cup? Ty!
Sorry for the confusion. In step 3, it’s referring to the 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream.
Hey Mel! I LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it so many times. Recently, I’ve had to try doing non-dairy to help with my health. Do you think this recipe work with like almond or oat milk?
I haven’t tried that, but it’s definitely worth experimenting!
I love that this can be made with ease in 30 minutes using things I usually have in the pantry and fridge. My kids really enjoy this too and request it often. My daughter even asked to have it on her birthday. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!