Sicilian Tuna Salad Sandwich Recipe

Clarkson Potter is partnering with me!

Giada’s Italy Sicilian Tuna Salad Sandwich with light and bluffy toasted English muffins, cheesy white-bean spread, zesty tuna mixture.

I love cookbooks, and one of my favorite chefs is Giada De Laurentiis. She has a new cookbook, Giada’s Italy: My recipes for La Dolce Vita; it’s filled with recipes, like this Sicilian Tuna Salad Sandwich recipe, packed with flavor and adds a beautiful flare to the meal.

 

ABOUT Giada’s Italy:

With photos shot on location around her native Rome, Giada’s latest book is a lavish exploration of her food roots and the lifestyle traditions that define la Bella vita, with the contemporary California twist that has made her America’s most beloved Italian chef.

America knows and loves Giada De Laurentiis for her lighter, healthier take on classic Italian fare. In her newest cookbook, she invites fans and home cooks to learn the flavors and stories that have inspired her life’s work. Here, she shares recipes for authentic Italian dishes as her family has prepared them for years while infusing them with her signature fresh flavors to make them her own; like in her Grilled Swordfish with Candied Lemon Salad; Spaghetti with Chianti and Fava Beans; Asparagus with Grilled Melon Salad; Bruschetta with Burrata and Kale Salsa Verde; and Fennel Upside Down Cake. Filled with gorgeous photography of Italy, peppered with family stories, and complete with more of Giada’s tips and advice for cooking fabulous meals with ease, Giada’s Italy is a stunning celebration of Italy’s flavors as only Giada could present them.

Giada’s Italy Sicilian Tuna Salad Sandwich Recipe

My kiddos love tuna fish, and Giada’s Italy Sicilian Tuna Salad Sandwich was our first pick to make from the cookbook.

My kiddos noted it is far different from their tuna fish made with mayonnaise sandwiches. This Sicilian Tuna Salad Sandwich has many textures, beautiful colors, and delicious flavors.

We live in a city that is a gourmet desert.

Our choices for eating out are very few, with even fewer chain restaurants.

Cooking at-home meals that offer gourmet flavor and are as beautiful as the photos is a refreshing change.

Giada shares in her new cookbook about the recipe we chose:

As a kid, my family regularly enjoyed tuna salad with our Sunday lunches—probably because it could sit and marinate while my mom and aunt Raffy made other dishes for our big Sunday supper. My mom would then use the leftovers in sandwiches throughout the week, packing them up for a picnic or poolside snacks and school lunches. When I opened my restaurant in Vegas, I wanted to elevate those familiar, favorite tastes to an elegant open-faced version. I just love the way the toasted English muffins soak up all the flavors in their nooks while still staying light and crispy. And the cheesy white-bean spread—a perfect counterpoint to the zesty tuna mixture—is so creamy that you’ll never miss the mayo, which my family never used.

Giada’s Italy Sicilian Tuna Salad Sandwich Recipe Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (6.7-ounce) jar olive-oil packed tuna, drained and flaked
• 2 celery stalks with leaves, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
• 1 Tbsp. capers drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 Tbsp. Fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp. Kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3 English muffins, toasted
• ¼ cup baby arugula

Giada’s Italy Sicilian Tuna Salad Sandwich Recipe Directions

In a food processor, combine beans, mascarpone, salt, and lemon zest, and process for 30 seconds, until pureed. With the machine running, add lemon juice and olive oil, and continue to process until smooth, about another 30 seconds. Set aside.

Stir together tuna, chopped celery stalks and leaves, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

Spread 2 Tbsp. Of white bean spread onto each English muffin half. Arrange a few arugula leaves on spread and top with 2 Tbsp. Of tuna salad and a drizzle of olive oil.

Recipe(s) reprinted from Giada’s Italy © 2018 by Giada De Laurentiis. She was published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Penguin Random House LLC division.

About Giada De Laurentiis

GIADA DE LAURENTIIS is the Emmy Award-winning star of Food Network’s Everyday Italian, Giada at Home, Giada’s Holiday Handbook, and Giada in Italy; she is also a judge on Food Network Star, a contributing correspondent for NBC’s Today Show, and the author of seven New York Times bestselling books. She recently published the eighth in her series of books for young readers, Recipe for Adventure. She has a namesake restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip with a second location planned for 2018. Born in Rome, Giada grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives with her daughter, Jade