As we discovered in our Trip to Sicily: Part 1, Sicily is a region rich in seafood. Of the many kinds of fish that are widely available along the Sicilian coast is tuna, and one of the most popular ways to cook this fish is Sicilian-Style Tuna (Tonno Agghiotta).
Sicilian Tuna is a traditional recipe that calls for quintessential Mediterranean ingredients – tomatoes, capers, olives, garlic, onions, pine nuts, and anchovies – resulting in an explosion of flavors from sweet to salty to nutty.
Before digging into the recipe, let’s discover a bit more about the main ingredient – the tuna.
Tuna in the Italian tradition
Fishing for tuna is deeply rooted in Sicilian tradition, way back from the 9th century. The “mattanza”, which refers to the process of fishing for tuna, derives from the Spanish word “matar”, which means to kill. Skilled fishermen are catching tuna fish as they know the wind and the direction of the sea currents, allowing them to determine the best place to throw the nets used to capture the tuna.
May and June is the tuna fishing season. The last day of fishing is June 13th, the Day of Sant’Antonio di Padova, protector of the fishermen. On this day in fact, the fishermen used to sing in honor of their protector in order to have a good catch and to thank him for his protection in their daily activity, which is considered dangerous due to the size and weight of the tuna. Unfortunately, today this fascinating tradition is being lost, as the fishing of tuna has increasingly been modernized.
Sicilian-Style Tuna (Tonno Agghiotta) recipe ingredients
The sauce for this recipe calls for some of the most popular Mediterranean ingredients: tomatoes, capers, olives, garlic, onions, pine nuts and anchovies.
Tomatoes: A full post is not enough to celebrate the importance of tomatoes in Italian cuisine. Sicily is home to one of the most popular varieties of Italian tomatoes. The tomatoes from Pachino, on the southeast coast of Sicily, are small and sweet. They are similar to a classic cherry tomato but even smaller.
Capers: Sicily has the highest quality of capers, hailing from Pantelleria, an island off the southwest coast of Sicily. The harvest of capers is in September, and they are still bitter and hard when removed from their plants. They are then ripened in water and salt, or only in salt. Sicilian cuisine widely uses these capers in many recipes.
Pine nuts are very common in many south Italian recipes. We discussed them in the Pasta with Homemade Pesto recipe.
Anchovies are abundant all along the Sicilian coasts, and they provide the dish with a salty flavor.
How to make Sicilian-Style Tuna (Tonno Agghiotta)
Start by warming up red onions, garlic, anchovies and olive oil in a pan. When the oil is hot and the anchovies have dissolved in the oil, add the tuna to the pan and cook it until it has browned on each side but is still raw on the inside, and then remove it from the pan.
Add the tomatoes and capers to the pan and allow the tomatoes to cook for about 15 minutes. At this point, add the pine nuts to the sauce and let it cook for few more minutes. Add the tuna and the chopped olives to the pan and cook for 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and served in plates, pouring the sauce on top.
Sicilian-Style Tuna (Tonno Agghiotta) Variations and substituions
This dish is suitable for a pescatarian and gluten-free diet. It is very salty, so if you are on a low-sodium diet, reduce the quantity of anchovies, capers and olives.
This recipe is lighter than the original classic version, which calls for coating the fish in flour and frying it in hot olive oil, before adding the sauce.
If you have on hand a jar of my Authentic Italian Homemade Tomato Sauce, you can use that instead of the tomatoes. You will obtain a thicker, richer dish.
You can have as a side a portion of spaghetti, which you can dress with the tuna cooking sauce, for extra richness!
Which wine to pair with Sicilian-Style Tuna (Tonno Agghiotta)
Sicilian-Style Tuna (Tonno Agghiotta) pairs well with white wines that will complement the strong taste of the ingredients, without outpowering the overall flavor of the dish.
An Etna Bianco from Sicily will go well, as its minerality will complement the saltiness of the dish.
Another great choice is a Vermentino from Sardinia, which has a delicate and fresh taste, floral notes and a hint of saltiness.
Ingredients
- ¾ pound Tuna in 2 steaks
- 1 unit onions red
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1½ tbsp anchovies (see notes)
- 2 tbsp capers chopped (see notes)
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 4 tbsp green olives pitted and chopped (see notes)
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1¾ cups tomatoes cherry
Instructions
- Start by warming up red onions, garlic, anchovies, and olive oil in a pan.
- When the oil is hot, and the anchovies have dissolved in the oil, add the tuna and let it brown from each side. Remove the tuna and place it on a plate.
- Add the tomatoes, capers and allow the tomatoes to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the pine nuts, let it cook for a few minutes.
- Add the olives chopped and then, add the Tuna to the pan and let it cook for 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and served in plates with the sauce on top. (see notes)
Notes
- The dish is very salty due to the capers, anchovies, and olives. If you need to reduce your sodium intake, remove the anchovies and halve the qty of olives and capers.
- Sicilian tuna can be paired with a portion of pasta, its sauce can be used to dress the pasta.
Nutrition
Recipe card powered by WP Recipe Maker
