Tuna Casserole

overhead partial view of mediterranean style tuna casserole in a white bowl

5 from 80 votes

Tuna Casserole - Mediterranean Style

When it's time for dinner my Mediterranean-Style Tuna Casserole is guaranteed to bring smiles and requests for seconds to your dinner table! My easy to make casserole is loaded with delicious and easy to find ingredients.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American, Italian - American

Servings:

Calories: 518kcal

Ingredients

Bechamel

4 tablespoon butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
1½ cups milk I used whole milk
½ cup grated Romano cheese
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion

9.2 ounces albacore tuna two 4.6 ounce cans
12 ounces uncooked pasta cooke al dente- I used cavatappi
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups baby bella mushrooms sliced (or button mushrooms)
1 cup sweet onions diced
2 cloves garlic finely diced
14 ounces artichoke hearts one can sliced
3 ounces sundried tomatoes reconstituted and sliced
14 oz cherry tomatoes with juice 2 cups fresh cherry tomatoes can be used instead
1 cup kalamata olives sliced
1 tablespoon basil finely chopped
1 tablespoon Italian parsley finely chopped (save a little to garnish the mozzarella, so it melts in)
1 cup shredded mozzarella more or less as desired

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bechamel Sauce

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and the flour to the pan.
Using a wire whisk, blend the flour and butter together, this is a roux. Let the roux cook over low heat for 5 minutes, this will cook out the flour taste.
Add the stock to the roux and mix it together. This is your basic white sauce.
Add the milk, grated Romano cheese and seasonings to the sauce and mix well.
Your sauce is now a bechamel, If it’s too thick, add a little more milk or water to the sauce (if you’re feeling decadent a little heavy cream can be added)
Place the bechamel off to the side until you’ve finished preparing the remainder of the ingredients.

Tuna Casserole

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Prep the ingredients
Start cooking the pasta
Saute the mushrooms and chopped onions
Place the pasta in a baking dish and add the mushroom onion mixture, cherry tomatoes (and the juice from the can), sun dried tomatoes, olives, artichokes, basil and parsley. Mix the ingredients together.
Add the tuna to the pasta mixture, and blend it into the pasta.
Add the bechamel to the casserole and lightly mix the sauce in.
It does not have to be completely mixed.
Bake the Tuna Casserole in a 350 degree preheated oven for 20 -25 minutes.
I like how pasta gets a little crunchy around the edges from being exposed to the heat, but if you’re not a fan, cover the dish with foil to keep all the pasta moist.
Carefully remove the casserole from the oven and top it with shredded mozzarella and sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Return the casserole to the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted.
Serve with grated Romano cheese and enjoy!

Nutrition