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–+ servings
spoonful of the dish hovering over the casserole
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Vegan Chickpea Tuna Casserole

This super nostalgic dish is one of Eddie's childhood favourites: creamy sauce, tender noodles, and a crispy crust for the ultimate comfort meal.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Author: Lisa Le

Ingredients

For the casserole

  • 3 cups 280 g/10 oz bowtie noodles
  • 1 cup 250 mL/150 g frozen peas

For the Roux

  • 2-3 tbsp vegan butter or neutral flavoured vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion ~100 g/4 oz, diced
  • 2 ribs 90 g/3 oz celery, diced
  • 1/4 cup 40 g/1.5 oz all purpose flour (can sub tapioca or cornstarch)
  • 1 1/2 cups 375 mL broth (or pasta water + bouillon)
  • 1 tbsp 15 mL mushroom broth powder (you can omit if using seasoned broth or bouillon)
  • 3 tbsp 45 mL nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp 5 mL Old Bay Seasoning (can just add whatever spices/herbs you have if you don't have this)
  • 2 tbsp nori cut into small slivers
  • 1 cup 100 g/6 oz vegan cheese
  • 2 cups 500 mL soy milk (can sub any milk alternative)
  • 1/2 tsp 2.5 mL kosher salt (you can add more, the sauce needs to be salty enough to carry the pasta)
  • 2 cups 310 g/11 oz cooked chickpeas
  • 1/2 a sleeve of saltines for the crust I also like panko crumbs or potato chips!

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 190C (375F)
  • Cook your pasta noodles to a fairly firm al-dente, as the noodles will continue to cook when you bake. Blanch your peas when your noodles are al dente, heat through for a couple minutes, then drain and set aside.
  • In a pot over medium heat, prepare the creamy sauce by melting the butter, then sauteing your diced onion and celery until tender and the onion is translucent.
  • Add the flour and mix to create the roux. Add a splash of water (or broth) to loosen the mixture and allow the flour to thicken.
  • Stir in the remaining water, then mix again to incorporate the flour mixture.
  • Once fully incorporated, add the mushroom broth powder (omit if using broth), nutritional yeast, Old Bay seasoning, nori slivers, and vegan cheese.
  • Once the cheese has melted down, stir in the soy milk and heat through until thickened.
  • Taste and season with salt. The sauce should be well seasoned because it has to carry the seasoning for the pasta as well.
  • Flake your cooked chickpeas with a fork, you can leave some (or all whole) if you like, but flaking adds a bit of that tuna-like texture.
  • In a 9x13 casserole pan, combine the cooked pasta, peas, chickpeas, and sauce and stir to coat the noodles completely.
  • Top with crushed saltines, crushed potato chips, or panko crumbs to make a crust, and spread out evenly.
  • Bake for 30 minutes until bubbling and top of crust is golden brown.
  • Remove and serve!

Notes

To make this gluten-free, replace the noodles with your favourite gluten-free pasta, and sub out the flour for tapioca starch or cornstarch.