The Joe & the Juice Tunacado Sandwich recipe is all the rage right now, and that’s why I’d like to introduce my version of the tunacado sandwich – the Tonnato-cado. Tonnato is an Italian sauce that is not commonly used (but really, it should be!), and it contains everything I love – anchovies, lemon juice, capers, and either egg yolks (if you’re really going for it) or mayo. I’ve of course taken some liberties in combining the humble tuna salad and the equally amazing tonnato, but in this sandwich I felt like the name “Tonnatocado” sounds right.
This sandwich is a recreation of Joe & the Juice’s tunacado, but it also can hold its own as a stand-out sandwich. Make it for your lunches throughout the week, or just as your perfect staple recipe to use when the tunacado craving strikes.
Table of contents
- What is tonnato?
- Ingredients for this tonnato-cado recipe
- Why aren’t we using pesto in this tunacado sandwich recipe?
- How to make the basil vinaigrette for this recipe
- How to make the tuna “tonnato” portion of this tunacado
- How to assemble this tunacado sandwich recipe
- FAQ
- Looking for similar recipes?
- What is the bread for this recipe?
What is tonnato?
Tonnato is an Italian condiment often made with tuna, anchovies, lemon juice, olive oil, and either egg yolks and olive oil (to emulsify) or mayonnaise, if you are looking for a short cut! In a traditional tonnato recipe, the ratio of mayo and lemon juice is high, creating a really smooth, rich sauce.
In this tunacado sandwich recipe, I wanted all the brininess of tonnato, but in a thicker consistency that could be spread on bread, tuna-salad-style. But I also wanted a lighter base than mayo, so I opted to throw some cashew cream in there. Which personally, I think tastes even better. There are a few liberties taken with this tonnato spread, but the results are beyond worth it.
Ingredients for this tonnato-cado recipe
Everything you need for this recipe is below, it looks like a lot, but really everything comes together in minutes!
- 1/2 serving whole wheat focaccia recipe, cut into two long pieces
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use half this amount if using Morton’s
- 1 5 oz. can tuna packed in oil
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 2 sprigs fresh dill
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 small lemon, for juicing
- 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use half this amount if using Morton’s
- 1/2 large avocado sliced thinly
Why aren’t we using pesto in this tunacado sandwich recipe?
This sandwich is light, but there still is a lot going on. I opted to replace cheese-based pesto with a pesto vinaigrette that is 1) lower on ingredients 2) just as high in flavor and 3) very similar in consistency to the Joe & the Juice tunacado sandwich.
I’m no expert on Joe & the Juice’s secrets, but it felt like in this tunacado, a basil vinaigrette was the way to go!
How to make the basil vinaigrette for this recipe
I already talked about how simple and easy the basil vinaigrette is, so here’s where I prove it.
To make this vinaigrette there’s no blanching, no mortar-and-pestle, no chopping. Just combine the basil, vinegar, olive oil and salt in a blender and add in 1/4 cup of ice water. Make sure the ice water is ice cold.
Blend to emulsify, and you have a beautiful basil for the tunacado sandwich recipe!
How to make the tuna “tonnato” portion of this tunacado
This one is also simple, you just need a food processor to create the “whipped” texture of their tuna cream.
First make sure you’ve soaked some cashews in boiling water. Drain them and add to a blender with a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup of cool water and blend into a cashew cream.
Then just add the tuna (drain any excess oil from the can), the anchovies, the dill, garlic, red pepper flakes and 1/2 tsp of salt. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon. Pour in the cashew cream and pulse until the tuna is smooth and almost “whipped.”
How to assemble this tunacado sandwich recipe
Now that all the parts of the recipe are prepped, here is how to bring it all together!
- Set the oven to broil on high. Put the bread slices cut side up on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes or until crisp on the interior.
- Slather both sides of the bread with the basil oil, then add sliced avocados on one side, and half of the tuna mixture on the other. Optional (and if they are in season!) add 2 slices of tomatoes to the avocado.
- To get extra crispness, put a skillet on medium heat and “grill” the sandwich for 3 minutes on each side. This is optional, but so so good.
- Serve warm!
FAQ
Absolutely! This sandwich is great to make, store separately and assemble throughout the week.
I recommend keeping the basil vinaigrette in a small jar on container in the fridge. Do the same with the tuna “salad.” Keep your avocados either ripe and on the counter or ripe and in the fridge. And you can store the bread in the pantry or the fridge, just make sure not to slice it until you need it! All of these will keep very well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Just for your defrosting sanity, don’t try to freeze the tunacado
Looking for similar recipes?
Here are a few from the site, that I LOVE, and will give you equal tuna-cado satisfaction!
What is the bread for this recipe?
The most important part of the tunacado is the crispy bread. I like to use my Whole Wheat Foccacia recipe for this, which you can find linked here:
And that’s it for this Joe & the Juice tunacado sandwich remake!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you.
Tonnato-cado Sandwich – Joe & the Juice Tunacado Sandwich Recipe
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 small blender
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Skillet
Ingredients
- 1/2 serving whole wheat focaccia, recipe linked here
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt use half this amount if using Morton's
- 1 5 oz. can tuna packed in oil
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 2 sprigs fresh dill
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 small lemon for juicing
- 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt use half this amount if using Morton's
- 1/2 large avocado sliced thinly
Optional ingredients
- 4 tomato slices see notes
Instructions
- First, soak the cashews in boiling hot water. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Cut the pieces of focaccia in half through the center, creating a "top" and "bottom" for your sandwich. Set aside.
- In a small blender, add the basil, vinegar, olive oil, 1/2 tsp of salt and ice water. Blend until smooth and store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Rinse out the same small blender. Drain the cashews and add them in. Add another 1/4 cup of cool water and a pinch of salt and blend until smooth. This is your cashew cream.
- In a food processor, add the tuna (drain any excess oil from the can), the anchovies, the dill, garlic, red pepper flakes and 1/2 tsp of salt. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon. Pour in the cashew cream and pulse until the tuna is smooth and almost "whipped."
- Set the oven to broil on high. Put the bread slices cut side up on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes or until crisp on the interior.
- Slather both sides of the bread with the basil oil, then add sliced avocados on one side, and half of the tuna mixture on the other. Optional (and if they are in season!) add 2 slices of tomatoes to the avocado.
- To get extra crispness, put a skillet on medium heat and "grill" the sandwich for 3 minutes on each side. This is optional, but so so good.
- Serve warm!
Looks great! Any recommendations for an avocado replacement for those of us that are allergic (tragic I know!)
You can totally omit! You might want to add some tomato slices or lettuce just to give yourself an extra layer to the sandwich, but you won’t miss the avocado!
Looks so good! Can’t wait to make it. Any ideas to substitute for cashews? (allergies to cashews in my house but not other nuts). Thanks!
You can use walnuts as a great sub! Or greek yogurt to sub out the cashew cream entirely!
Thank you! I used walnuts and it was absolutely delicious.
This is the MOST amazing thing I’ve ever tasted. I’ll never make tuna salad a different way again. I love the use of water instead of tons of oils and the basil spread itself was incredible.