My Best Ever Tuna casserole

By Tom421

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. Barilla Whole Wheat Medium Shells
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 4 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 C. minced Onion
• 1 C. minced Celery
• 1/2 C. minced Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Flour
• 1/2 C. Dry White Wine (like a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, something you would drink, NOT cooking wine, EVER)
• 1/2 C. Chicken broth
• 1 C. Half and Half
• 1 C. frozen Peas
• 2 seven ounce cans of Tuna, drained and flaked
• 1 1/2 C. Bread Crumbs (make your own, fresh is better then that stuff in a can)

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from mykitcheninthemiddleofthedesert.wordpress.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cook the pasta to desired doneness, I always take it 1 minute longer than the directions on the box say. Drain well and set aside.

I have a pasta pot, so I use this to boil the pasta and make the sauce, over medium heat, sauté the onions and celery with the Olive Oil and 1 tablespoon of the Butter, for about 3 minutes or so, don’t brown the veg.

Add in the Red Bell Peppers and cook for about a minute.

Stir in the flour and cook for about another minute. Mix in the wine and reduce for 1 minute. Now whisk in the broth and bring to a boil to thicken.

Turn the heat down to low and stir in the half & half; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Throw in the peas, tuna and cooked shells, fold everything together and leave to heat through.

Preheat the broiler.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large microwaveable bowl (I use my big Pyrex measuring cup). This is optional, but I like to swirl in a couple dashes of hot sauce and then mix in the bread crumbs.

Spoon the Tuna mixture into a 9X13 inch ovenproof dish and top with the buttered bread crumbs. Pop the casserole under the broiler just long enough to brown the top and then … Let's Eat!!