I decided to mince the onions and saute them in pepper, oregano, basil, and paprika then added minced garlic at the end. I also didn't have celery and I added an extra can of tuna and a little bit of Dijon mustard and parmesan this time. Those little tweaks enhanced the flavor beautifully.
It's one of my current favorite quick and easy meals, and makes pretty big batches for our little family so it gives plenty of leftovers.
I accidently bought the giant shell pasta, and I didn't have any celery, but the recipe still turned out nicely. It was a good "picnic" lunch to take with me and my kids to the zoo.