This casserole made with tuna, noodles, mushrooms and sauce brings back fond memories of a warm kitchen and a happy family meal. I developed this one-pot meal to re-create these flavors, but cut down on the chopping, cutting and cooking time.

Helpful Hints:

— Look for low-sodium, no-added-sugar pasta sauce.

— You can use any type of mushrooms.

Countdown:

— Prepare ingredients.

— Make recipe.

Shopping List:

To buy: 10 ounces canned white meat, low-sodium tuna packed in water*, 1 package frozen chopped onion, 1 package frozen diced green pepper, 1 bottle low-sodium, no-sugar-added pasta sauce**, 1/4 pound fresh linguine, 1 piece Parmesan cheese, 1 package sliced baby bella mushrooms and 1 bunch fresh tarragon or 1 bottle dried tarragon.

Staples: canola oil, salt and black peppercorns.

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TUNA CASSEROLE

2 teaspoons canola oil

3/4 cup frozen chopped onion

1 cup frozen diced green pepper

1 cup reduced-sodium, no-sugar-added pasta sauce**

1 cup water

1/4 pound fresh linguine

10 ounces canned white meat, low-sodium tuna packed in water, drained*

3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper, pasta sauce and water. Bring to a simmer, add linguine, stir to distribute it in the skillet and cook gently for 5 minutes.

While linguine cooks, break up tuna with a fork or knife into small pieces. Add tarragon and mushrooms to the pasta. Add tuna. If skillet is too dry, add 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes and serve on two dinner plates.

Yield: 2 servings.

Per serving: 539 calories, 91 calories from fat, 10.2 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 4.1 g monounsaturated fat, 47 mg cholesterol, 49.3 g protein, 60.8 g carbohydrates, 6.5 g dietary fiber, 12.6 g sugars, 198 mg sodium, 1,153 mg potassium, 470 mg phosphorus.

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 4 vegetable, 4 lean protein, 1 fat.

Shop Smart

* Canned white meat, low-sodium tuna packed in water, drained, containing per ounce: 33 calories, 0.2 g fat, 0.1 g saturated fat, 14 sodium.

** Tomato paste (no salt added), containing per tablespoon: 13 calories, 9 mg sodium.

From “Delicious One-Pot Dishes” by Linda Gassenheimer, published by the American Diabetes Association.