Tuna with roasted red peppers and tomatoes

Spezzatini di Tonno con Pomodorini e Pepperoni

This dish requires a minimum of fuss and preparation. The quality of the ingredients should shine through, especially the freshness of the tuna.

Spezzatini is the term usually used for cubes of beef slow braised in wine. In this recipe the key to success is very rapid deep frying of the tuna so that it retains pinkness inside while the outside begins to brown. You may want to test temperatures and timings with a cube or two of tuna first.

2 Red peppers

9 Small vine tomatoes

500mls Ground nut oil

600g Tuna – fresh not tinned!

2 table spoons flour

2 table spoons Olive oil

1 table spoon Balsamic vinegar

To taste Salt and pepper



1. Put the red peppers in a hot oven to roast for 40 minutes. Remove and skin the peppers.

2. Put the tomatoes whole to roast in an all metal frying pan or a small roasting dish in a hot oven for 20 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.

3. Cut the tuna into 2-3 cm cubes. Dust with flour all over.

4. Heat a deep fat fryer to 190 degrees C. Carefully insert some of the tuna cubes so that they are free to move and cook for 30 seconds so that are beginning to brown on the outside but remain pink inside. Strain.

5. Put a half of roasted red pepper on each plate. Place alongside it a couple of roasted tomatoes.

6. In the pan that the tomatoes were cooked in add some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and place on a gentle heat for a minute to combine the flavours. Spoon the sauce so created over the tomatoes on each plate. Add the strained fried tuna. That’s it.