This is another fantastic recipe using your own homemade Aioli and the best quality tuna you can find. Originating in Piedmont, Northern Italy, this dish was traditionally served with cold poached veal, finished with capers, and can still be found at nearly every restaurant there—each claiming theirs is the best. Tonnato sauce is essentially a smooth tuna mayonnaise, and though it may sound unusual, it pairs beautifully with vegetables like grilled peppers, zucchini, or heirloom tomato salad. Here, we serve it with charred broccolini and finish with breadcrumbs for added texture.
I love it alongside a big grilled steak, sliced thin for the table—Top Sirloin is perfect—as the steak also shines with a touch of this sauce.
For wine, try Barbera d'Alba or Barbera d'Asti—high acid, low tannin, fruity wines that balance the umami-rich tonnato and complement smoky grilled flavors. If that feels heavy, Gamay offers a bright, juicy, low-tannin alternative that lifts the dish without overpowering the sauce.
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Ingredients
Tonnato Sauce
1 cup house made aioli
1 6oz. American Tuna - No Salt
Lemon juice to taste
Salt to taste
2 heads Broccolini
½ cup bread crumbs or torn, day-old bread, toasted
Home Made Aioli
1 egg yolk
Juice of a lemon
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 cup of neutral oil
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Directions:
For the Sauce:
Once you’ve made your aioli, blend in the tuna, lemon, and a touch of salt for just a few seconds until smooth, not chunky. This is all about the subtle, umami-rich flavor of high-quality American Tuna.
For the Aioli:
Add an egg yolk, minced garlic, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and oil to the cup of a hand blender. Blend from the bottom up, letting the vortex slowly draw the oil into the blade—the fastest, easiest, most foolproof way to make homemade aioli. A true game changer.
If it’s too thick, add a teaspoon of water or lemon juice; if too thin, drizzle in oil while blending.
To Finish:
On a very hot grill, toss your vegetables (broccolini here) with oil and salt, then grill 3–4 minutes per side for a nice char without overcooking.
Lay down a thick slather of Tonnato sauce and top with the warm broccolini.