I have a love/hate relationship with canned tuna. It’s the quickest protein in the pantry. It’s one of the most ubiquitous canned items. It’s drenched in oil. It’s drowned in water. There isn’t much you can do with it. The portions in the can have been shrinking for years. Mercury. Dolphins. It’s boring.
I didn’t want to make yet another tuna fish sandwich, or tuna melt, for lunch. I’ve made tuna casserole for the kids before with mixed reviews [No, it didn’t come out bad, it was just too different for them]. I decided to try out a recipe that I’ve been aware of for years but never made. Traditionally, tonnato sauce is served on cold slices of veal that have been marinating in the sauce for five days. However kosher restrictions on eating meat and fish together prevent me from making the classic recipe.
But it doesn’t say anything about pasta…
This recipe is simple. Measure everything. Blend everything. The only thing I was missing from the traditional recipe were capers, which was sad, because I really like them. I didn’t have homemade mayonnaise either. I know, it’s like living on the moon.
- Prep Time : 10 min
- Ready Time : 10 min
Servings
Ingredients
- 250 1451s canned tuna in oil, some oil reserved
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 100 1451s
- 1 1468 juice and zest
- 5 1451s
- 3 743s
- 2 743s
- 1 1460
Directions
- Add ingredients together in a container.
- Blend with immersion blender until smooth.
Servings Per Recipe: 4 888s
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 229
- Total Fat: 13.5g
- Cholesterol: 18mg
- Sodium: 529mg
- Total Carbs: 7.6g
- Dietary Fiber: g
- Protein: 18.8g
The sauce went on the pasta and lunch was served.
Unless I made it wrong [I didn’t] I can’t understand why this is traditionally served with veal. With such a strong flavor, it would overwhelm the more delicate flavor of the meat. I guess until they invent a convincing synthetic veal, I’ll never know.
I don’t recommend experimenting with strong flavors, as the tuna and anchovies are quite strong in their own right. Variations might include smoked tuna, smoked sea salt, canned salmon (Salmoneto?), basil or cilantro, but always follow the original recipe first, so you know what you’re aiming for.