Tunaitalian Recipes

ITALIAN-STYLE TUNA SALAD

Steps:

• Mix olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper together for the dressing.
• Mix bread, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, tuna, olives, and capers together gently. Pour dressing on top and serve.

TUNA ITALIANO

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute garlic in oil until golden. Stir in onion and water and cook until onion is soft. Stir in the tuna with its oil, olives, beans, garlic salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer while pasta is cooking.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Toss pasta with tuna mixture, top with Romano and serve.

ITALIAN TUNA SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk together the lemon juice, capers and Dijon mustard in a large bowl. While continuing to whisk, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream. Whisk in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the beans to the dressing and mash gently with a spoon. Add the tuna, flaking it with a fork into bite-size pieces. Toss lightly to coat. Top the tuna mixture with the arugula, treviso, endive, shaved fennel, parsley leaves and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using your hands, toss the salad together, bringing the dressing up from the bottom of the bowl until everything is coated evenly.

ITALIAN-STYLE TUNA SANDWICH

Steps:

• Make the salsa verde: Whiz parsley leaves and 1/2 cup oil in a food processor or blender to a pesto-like consistency, then transfer to a small bowl. (Alternatively, chop parsley by hand and combine with oil.) Add garlic, chopped olives, anchovies, capers, lemon zest and red pepper to parsley mixture and stir well. Season with salt if necessary and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Thin with more oil as desired.
• Cut baguette crosswise into 4 equal pieces, then split each lengthwise with a serrated knife. (If using rolls, split each lengthwise.) For each sandwich, lay bread flat, crust side down. Spread cut sides with 2 tablespoons salsa verde. Put a few lettuce leaves on 1 piece of bread and arrange 2 ounces of tuna over lettuce. Top tuna with 1 egg, quartered. Season egg lightly with salt and pepper. Add sliced serrano chile, if using. Drizzle with a little more salsa verde, then press sandwich closed.

TUNA ITALIAN

Steps:

• Cook onion until tender but not brown.
• Add soup, milk, and cheese.
• Heat and stir.
• Break tuna in chunks and add to remaining ingredients.
• Pour into 2 quart casserole dish.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

ITALIAN TUNA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Place spinach on a plate and microwave it for 6 minutes on HIGH to defrost it; place it in a clean kitchen towel and wring it dry; set aside.
• While the spinach is defrosting, get a big pot of water on the stove; bring to a boil; then salt the water liberally and cook the shells to al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, heat a deep large skillet over medium heat.
• Add in the olive oil, then melt the butter into the oil.
• When the butter melts, add in the onions and garlic; cook 4-5 minutes until tender.
• Sprinkle the flour around the pan and cook for a minute, then whisk in the wine-it will cook off and the mixture will thicken almost immediately.
• Whisk in the stock, then whisk in the milk and bring it to a bubble.
• Reduce heat slightly; season the sauce with nutmeg, hot sauce, and mustard; season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Simmer 2-3 minutes to thicken; then add in the spinach, separating it as you add it to the sauce.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Back to the sauce, add in the tuna, flaking it as you go; then stir to combine.
• Heat the spinach and tuna for a minute or so.
• Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce.
• Transfer mixture to a casserole dish; cover it with the cheese.
• Place the casserole under the broiler for 2 minutes to brown the edges and the cheese.
• Top with parsley and serve.

SICILIAN TUNA

Steps:

• Marinate tuna:
• Combine oil, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, oregano, and tuna in a large sealable bag and seal bag, pressing out excess air. Let stand at room temperature, turning occasionally, 30 minutes.
• Grill tuna:
• Remove tuna from marinade and shake off any excess. Lightly oil grill pan and heat over medium-high heat until smoking. Grill tuna, turning once, until pale pink in center, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, make sauce:
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add diced celery and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives, and capers and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in basil, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and remove from heat. Spoon sauce over tuna and sprinkle with celery leaves.

SICILIAN-STYLE TUNA STEAKS (TONNO ALLA GHIOTTA)

Steps:

• 1. In a medium skillet over moderately high heat, warm the oil. Season the tuna with salt and pepper and sauté, turning once, until golden on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Remove the tuna and set aside. Do not clean the pan.
• 2. In the same pan over low heat, sauté the onion, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, capers, olives, raisins, and tomatoes, and continue cooking, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. If the tomatoes don't release much juice, add the fish stock or water to give the sauce some body.
• 3. Return the tuna to the pan and cover it with a tight-fitting lid. Cook over moderate heat until the tuna reaches the desired doneness, 2 to 3 minutes for medium.
• 4. Add the parsley and basil and stir to incorporate, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the fish with the sauce spooned over the top; garnish with pine nuts.