Tuno Casserole

The challenge for Day 9 of Vegan Mofo is: Most retro recipe. Man, I had to wrack my brain a bit for this one. I didn't want anything to freaking weird. Any glance at old cookbooks is enough to make you grimace.

The first time I ever heard the word tuno was in a vegan cookbook I have. I thought it was so clever! So, naturally, when thinking of a retro recipe, tuna casserole eventually came to mind. But now, cruelty-free!

Tuno Casserole

2-1/2 c. vegan milk
1/2 c. raw cashews
1 t. minced onion
1/2 t. black pepper
3 t. kelp powder
2 c. cooked pasta (I used whole wheat rotini)
One onion, chopped
Small handful of mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1 c. or more of green peas (I used frozen)
2 cans of garbanzo beans, drained

Saute the the onion and mushrooms until the onion is softened. Stir in the peas.

While the vegetables are cooking, add the milk, cashews, onion, black pepper, and kelp powder to a blender and blend.

In a casserole dish, add the cooked vegetables, the cooked pasta, and the garbanzo beans. Pour on the sauce, and stir to mix and coat well.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 35 minutes.

Note: when you blend the cashews, you will probably still see chopped bits. This is okay. When you pour the sauce into the casserole dish and mix, you will notice it seems the sauce has all sunk to the bottom. This, too, is okay. When it is done baking, you will see it has all been soaked up into the pasta.

Serve. Enjoy!