March is National Nutrition Month! PLUS: Light & Lemony Tuna Noodle Casserole {Podcast #240}

March is National Nutrition Month, and this year’s theme is, Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right. On this week’s Cooking with the Moms radio podcast, we share tips for improving your family’s diet and serve up two new and nutritious recipes that will have you thinking green: Sweet Pea Soup and this Light & Lemony Tuna Noodle Casserole. This is NOT the tuna noodle casserole of your youth. We promise …

The trick to updating this 1950′s classic is to swap out the can of cream of mushroom soup for the real thing: mushrooms and a homemade “cream” sauce … without the cream.

We brighten up the flavor of our better-for-you casserole with lemon zest and fresh parsley and dill.

And let’s not forget about the peas! We use petite peas in this recipe because they’re more kid friendly than regular peas … in our humble opinions.

It’s casserole time.

Light & Lemony Tuna Noodle Casserole

Makes 6 Servings

People tend to have a love/hate relationship with tuna noodle casserole. We hope to turn all the haters into lovers with our casserole makeover. For this dish, we used whole wheat pasta (you could certainly use a whole wheat blend pasta if you prefer), mushrooms and onions for a big kick ofumami flavor, a homemade “cream” sauce made with a roux of olive oil and flour and vegetable broth vs. heavy cream, and we added green peas for color and extra fiber. The lemon zest and fresh herbs worked wonders boosting the flavor.

• 8 ounces dried whole wheat small or medium-size pasta shells
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup finely chopped onion (from about 1/2 medium onion)
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 cup all-natural vegetable broth
• Two 5-ounce cans water-packed tuna, drained and flaked
• 1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lightly oil or coat a 9 x 9-inch baking dish or pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Cook the pasta according to package directions in a large saucepan. Drain and quickly return to the saucepan. Set aside off the heat.

3. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a medium-size saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and golden, 5 minutes. (It’s OK to raise the heat to medium-low, but keep a watchful eye on the onions since they’ll cook quickly in the saucepan.) Add 2 more teaspoons of the oil, raise the heat to medium and add the mushrooms, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms give off their liquid and are softened, 7 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

4. In the same saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over low heat for about 1 minute. Add the flour and whisk constantly until smooth, 2 minutes.   Whisk the milk and broth slowly into the flour mixture. Raise the heat and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer and stir gently until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked mushroom mixture, tuna, peas, dill, parsley, and lemon zest until well combined. Add to the cooked pasta and stir well. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Top with the Parmesan cheese and bake until bubbly and the topping turns golden, about 20 minutes.

via:http://mealmakeovermoms.com/kitchen/2014/03/14/march-is-national-nutrition-month-plus-light-lemony-tuna-noodle-casserole-podcast-240/