Tuna Antipasto — Homemade Antipasto de Atún Recipe

Versión en Español

Tuna antipasto is a cold appetizer of canned tuna simmered with tomato sauce, mustard, carrots, green beans, onion, bell pepper, and stuffed olives, served chilled with crackers or toast. It takes 20 minutes of preparation plus about 30 minutes of cooking and serves 4 people.

The idea of antipasto comes from Italian cuisine, where it names the starters served before the main courses of primo, secondo, and dolce. This tuna version is especially popular in Venezuela and Puerto Rico and has become a favorite party appetizer in Chilean homes as well.

How to Make Tuna Antipasto?

You soften onion, scallion, and red bell pepper in olive oil, blanch carrots and green beans for a couple of minutes, and then simmer everything with drained tuna, stuffed olives, tomato sauce, and mustard. Once cool, the antipasto is refrigerated in a glass jar and served cold.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of tuna antipasto contains approximately 180 kcal, 15 g of carbohydrates, 7 g of fat, 12 g of protein, 4 g of fiber, 6 g of sugars, 25 mg of cholesterol, and 400 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

Homemade Tuna Antipasto Recipe

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 large cans of tuna, drained
• 200 ml (7 fl oz) of tomato sauce
• 2 carrots, sliced into rounds
• 2 cups of green beans
• 1 onion, julienned
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 tablespoon of mustard
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Stuffed olives
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

1. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over high heat and add the onion, scallion, and bell pepper. Lower the heat slightly and sauté until soft. Set aside.

2. In a medium pot, bring water to a boil, add a teaspoon of salt, and cook the carrots and green beans for about 2 minutes, without letting them get too soft. Drain and set aside.

3. Add the carrots and green beans to the pan with the sofrito, then add the drained tuna, the stuffed olives, the tomato sauce, and the mustard. Mix everything well, cover, and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Store the antipasto in a covered glass container in the refrigerator until serving, and serve with soda crackers, water crackers, or toasted bread.

Additional Tips

Why simmer for 20 minutes

The 20 minutes over low heat are not for cooking the tuna. They let the acidity of the tomato sauce and the mustard soak into the vegetables and the fish, so the mixture becomes uniform in flavor.

Store it in glass

Glass containers are the better choice for antipasto because they do not transfer odors or metallic flavors, and they keep the tuna fresh for longer in the refrigerator.

Keep the vegetables crisp

Blanch the carrots and green beans for no more than 2 minutes. They will keep softening while they simmer with the sauce, and some bite makes the antipasto much more pleasant.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What kind of tuna is best for antipasto?

It is a matter of taste. Tuna in water is lighter, while tuna in oil adds more flavor and a richer texture.

2. How long does tuna antipasto keep in the fridge?

It keeps for up to 4 days refrigerated in an airtight glass or plastic container.

3. What goes well with tuna antipasto?

Soda crackers, toasted bread, whole wheat toast, and crostini all work well. It also makes a good filling for sandwiches and empanadas.

4. What other ingredients can I add?

You can add capers, gherkins, chopped celery, cooked corn, or cooked chickpeas for more texture and flavor.

What Is Antipasto?

Antipasto is the Italian name for the starters served before a meal, from cured meats and cheeses to marinated vegetables. The tuna antipasto made in Latin America is a cooked, preserve style version, closer to a relish, that is spread on crackers and keeps for several days in the refrigerator.

History and Origin of Antipasto

The origins of antipasto go back to the Renaissance, when hosts offered guests small foods before banquets to stimulate the appetite. Italian immigrants later brought the custom to the Americas, where cooks in Venezuela and Puerto Rico created the tuna and vegetable version that is now common at parties across the region.

Did You Know?

The Italian noun antipasto, plural antipasti, comes from the word pasto, which literally means meal. The prefix anti here means before, so the name simply describes what comes before the meal.

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