Forget the canned soup—this quick and healthy tuna noodle casserole turns pantry staples into a skillet supper in a flash! Serve with a tossed salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

Makes 6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 40 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

8 ounces whole-wheat egg noodles
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups nonfat milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 ounces canned chunk light tuna (see Ingredient Note), drained
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Ingredient Note)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables; stir to coat. Add milk and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Stir in tuna, peas and 1/2 cup Parmesan until evenly incorporated. Then, stir in the noodles (the pan will be very full). Remove from the heat.
4. Sprinkle the casserole with breadcrumbs and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Broil until bubbly and lightly browned on top, 3 to 4 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 406 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 53 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrate; 32 g protein; 5 g fiber; 684 mg sodium; 593 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Calcium (30% daily value), Potassium (17% dv), Iron, Vitamin A & Vitamin C (15% dv), good source of omega-3s.
3 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat-free milk, 3 lean meat

TIP: Ingredient notes: Canned white tuna comes from the large albacore and can be high in mercury content. Chunk light, on the other hand, which comes from smaller fish, skipjack or yellowfin, is best for health-conscious eaters. According to a recent study, canned white tuna samples averaged up to three times more mercury than chunk light tuna samples. FDA/EPA advice recommends no more than 6 ounces of albacore a week; up to 12 ounces canned light is considered safe.

We like Ian’s brand labeled “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets. To make your own, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until crispy, about 15 minutes. One slice of fresh bread makes about 1/3 cup dry crumbs.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare through Step 3, spoon into an 8-inch square glass baking dish, cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cheese (Step 4) and bake, covered, at 350ºF for 50 minutes. Uncover and cook until browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes more.

Fantastic. Will make over and over. Easy. Thought it would be bland but had great taste.

Angela Leach, Albuquerque, NM

I really didn't like the taste of this. It might be better with more tuna. Just didn't have a lot of flavor. "Sprinkle flour over the vegetables" - I'm not sure what this meant... was I supposed to add this to the mushrooms and onions? I added it to the peas, but that didn't seem right.

Sally, Los Angeles, CA

When you sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and oil in the pan and then add your milk you are making a white sauce. This replaces the creamed soup that is sometimes used in casseroles. You must read the whole recipe before commenting.

Barb, Lima, OH

This is a simple and straight-forward version of comfort food. I won't used canned cream soups, so I liked this. FYI- you always want to cook flour before adding milk, so that you don't have the taste of flour... make sense now? It's a thickener. Anyway, I added some fresh thyme. But, that's me... always wanting a little extra flavor. I might try tarragon, another time, for a variation. Fast and quick, though.

Foodie Wife, Monterey, CA

This was very bland and a disappointment. The sauce needs to cook longer because it was not thick enough.

Peg, Falmouth, ME

This was great! Could have used a bit more salt and pepper, I thought... but easy to make and prep ahead.

Kristen, Baltimore, MD

Followed the recipe but it did lack flavor. Next time I will add more herbs and another can of tuna. I think this is a good meal if you have a large family and you are on a budget.

BeachStarr, Redondo Beach, CA

This was disappointingly bland for the number of flavorful ingredients - it didn't even taste like tuna fish! I wouldn't make it again.

Elizabeth, Raleigh, NC

This was a little bland but I gave it 3 stars because of how quickly it came together. It will serve as a good basic recipe to be tweaked a little bit for added flavor.

Christina, Las Vegas, NV

Barb, if you're going to comment on a comment, make sure YOU read the whole thing. She actually made the dish, not just read the recipe. Yes, the flour goes over the mushrooms and onions-the peas haven't come into the recipe yet. Easy recipe with most things on hand already.

Elizabeth, Wilmington, NC

While I modified the recipe quite a bit and I added more salt, I thought it was quite good over all. My modifications were oat flour for the a/p flour, unsweetened almond milk for the nonfat milk. I also added 3 cans of tuna and used Asiago instead of Parmesan cheese. Instead of putting it under the broiler I served the rest of the cheese on the side. I substituted chopped pecans for the bread crumbs and served these on the side as well. With my modifications, I actually made the dish slightly healthier.

Rica, Oakland, CA

Looks good! And no canned soup!

Joanie, Austin, TX

This was quick and easy. I did add more salt and pepper as I found the milk mixture bland. I also added herbs to the panko crumb topping and my husband and we thought it was fabulous.

Daisy, Winnipeg, MB