The Gourmet Sauce You Can Make From A Can Of Tuna

What can you do with a simple can of tuna? Or perhaps better yet, what can't you do? Canned tuna is a mainstay in many people's kitchen cabinets due in part to its sheer versatility. From easily upgrading your weeknight pasta to concocting Spanish-inspired tuna patties, a can of tuna can make for a stress-free ingredient no matter the occasion. And although there are tons of ways to upgrade canned tuna, it turns out, canned tuna is a crucial ingredient in a delicious gourmet sauce.

If you haven't made tonnato sauce before, here is your sign to change that. This delicious sauce originates in Italy and features tinned tuna as one of its prominent ingredients. If you know anything about the Italian language, this might not come as a shock to you, since "tonnato" is very similar to "tonno," the Italian word for tuna. This sauce is rich, but extremely usable, and can act as a meat sauce, a dip for veggies, or as a spread for bread or crostini. And with simple, usually-accessible ingredients, there's no excuse not to try it!

Fish-based sauce of some variety has been a longtime favorite of the denizens of the Italian peninsula, dating all the way back to the time of the Romans, when a sauce called garum ruled their cuisine. Though those days may be gone, Italian fish sauce lives on in the extremely craveable form of tonnato. Consisting of tuna, anchovies, capers, pepper, and a preferably-homemade mayo, there's no question that this sauce is very fish-forward. The umami taste of the tuna and salty anchovies is supported by the capers, all while being wrapped up in a smooth mayonnaise base.

The dish most closely associated with this unique sauce is vitello tonnato, an antipasto dish that seems to have originated in the Piedmont region of Italy. The dish amounts to veal that has been either boiled or poached, which is then thinly-sliced and chilled. It's served cold with that creamy, fishy tonnato sauce drizzled over it. Paired with some fresh sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, this sounds like the perfect dish to add a southern European flair to your next picnic.

Vitello tonnato might sound like an absolute delight, but the wonders of tonnato sauce don't end at that one single dish. A quick look online reveals that word of tonnato's versatility has gotten out, and now people are putting it on virtually everything. You can start by veering away from strictly veal — tonnato is also a worthwhile addition to meats such as chicken and turkey, as well as roasted pork.

But you also don't have to be limited to just meat dishes. Roasted veggies are a great option with a bit of tonnato on the side. The likes of broccoli, eggplant, zucchini, and green beans are all solid choices for this idea. And if you aren't in the mood for roasting, you could even make a caprese-inspired tongue-twister of a dish, tomato tonnato, consisting of seasoned sliced tomatoes with fresh basil and tonnato sauce. The culinary world really is your playground with salty, umami tonnato sauce. Simply grab one of your go-to tuna brands and start whipping up some sauce.