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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
7 minutes
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Serves
1 as a main or 2 as a side
Author Notes
As spring gets closer each day, I’m filled with a giddy lightness, very much looking forward to the brown landscape transforming into one filled with buds and tenderest leaves. This much-awaited season makes for easy eating, where only a little cooking is needed to make foods to shine. Tonnato sauce, which I rave all about here, makes an ideal pairing for seasonal stars fava beans and tender asparagus spears. Once the sauce is made, it will keep for up to 1 week. It is so versatile and delicious, however, it likely won’t last that long. If you cannot find fava beans, fresh or thawed frozen peas work just as well. You could also use thin green beans, snap peas, broccoli florets, even sunflower sprouts. Really, anything juicy and green can be swapped in! Similarly, feel free to explore different crunchy bits instead of the sunflower seeds, such as toasted pecans or walnuts. After draining the tuna, save that oil for salads or cooked grains. —Melina Hammer
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Ingredients
- Tonnato
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1/2 cup
mayonnaise
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1
(6.7-ounce) jar oil-packed tuna, drained
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3 tablespoons
salt-packed capers, rinsed of their salt
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2
anchovy fillets
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1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
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4 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
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Juice from 1 lemon (2 to 3 tablespoons)
- Vegetables
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1 cup
fava beans, shucked
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6 ounces
thin asparagus
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3 tablespoons
tonnato (above)
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2 tablespoons
toasted, salted sunflower seeds
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1/4 cup
chopped curly parsley
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Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Tonnato
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Combine the mayonnaise, tuna, capers, anchovies, pepper, oil, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of water in a small high-speed blender. Blitz until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add another tablespoon of water and blitz again until uniform. Transfer the tonnato to a jar with a lid and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 week.
- Vegetables
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Blanch the fava beans for 2 to 3 minutes in boiling water, then plunge into an ice bath until cool. Squeeze or peel the favas to remove and discard the skins.
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Snap the woody ends from the asparagus and set up a steamer (I place a steamer basket in a large saucepan filled with about an inch of water). Steam the asparagus over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until bright green. Shock the asparagus in an ice bath to halt their cooking. Transfer the spears to a tea towel and blot dry.
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Swirl the tonnato onto a plate. Nestle the fava beans on one side and stack asparagus next to them. Top with the sunflower seeds, a shower of parsley and a drizzle of olive oil, and lots of pepper.
Melina is the author of 'A Year at Catbird Cottage' with Ten Speed Press. She grows an heirloom and pollinator garden and forages wild foods at her namesake Hudson Valley getaway, Catbird Cottage. Melina loves serving curated menus for guests from near and far seeking community amidst the hummingbirds, grosbeaks, finches, and the robust flavors of the seasons.
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