Tuna lemon and pecorino pesto: this is how I solved the problem of dressing cold pasta. Not the usual dressing, but something delicious and very quick to prepare. Stored in the refrigerator, it can last for at least 6 days and not only to dress pasta; I often use it to accompany small bruschettas with the aperitif. All ingredients are easily available and we all usually have them at home. If you prefer to replace the pecorino romano with parmesan, it will definitely be just as good, but with the pecorino it has that delicious and unique flavor that makes everything more appetizing.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 222.68 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 5.24 (g) of which sugars 3.89 (g)
- Proteins 7.51 (g)
- Fat 19.87 (g) of which saturated 4.23 (g)of which unsaturated 1.04 (g)
- Fibers 0.60 (g)
- Sodium 1,195.80 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 65 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Necessary Ingredients for Preparing Tuna Pesto
- 1 oz oz nuts (almonds, walnuts, pine nuts)
- 2.5 oz oz canned tuna in oil
- 3.5 tbsp tbsp lemon juice (and grated zest)
- 1/3 cup cup basil
- 1.4 oz oz pecorino romano
- 1/4 cup cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp tsp fine salt
Useful Tools for Preparing Tuna Pesto
- Chopper
Steps to Prepare Tuna Lemon and Pecorino Pesto
To prepare tuna, lemon, and pecorino pesto, you need some nuts, and I used what I had at home: walnuts with almonds and pine nuts, but obviously, you can also use just one type or even change and use other types. It’s up to you based on your taste.
To prevent the pesto from darkening, I peeled almonds and walnuts by immersing them in boiling water for a few minutes so that the skin comes off in an instant. I cut the pecorino into pieces, grated the lemon peel, then extracted the juice and put them in the chopper along with the tuna. Washed and dried the basil, I broke it with my hands and added it to the other ingredients in the chopper, along with salt and EVOO, naturally.
Intermittently, I chopped all the ingredients and, only when they were well blended, I put the pesto in a jar and kept it in the fridge until ready to use.
And here it is, ready and very fragrant, tuna, lemon, and pecorino pesto.
