Posted By Mary Freeland on March 10, 2010

Today we start with an Italian lesson on our blog. What does the word in the title of this post mean? Tuna. Fitting that our tour of Tuscan cuisine takes us to southern Italy with a dish that originated there; Peperoni rossi ripieni de tonno, or Tuna in Rolled Red Peppers.

Roasted red peppers start this dish off with rich flavor that hits the pallet and makes one think of warm weather. Whether you choose to char your peppers over open flames or purchase them packed in water, these delights are a wonderful foundation for nearly any stuffing. Most abundant in mid-summer, yet available year round, roasted peppers a great way to travel to Tuscany through food. Found in colors as vibrant and the oranges and reds we talked about in this post peppers are a culinary trip to Tuscany in themselves.

Tuna in Rolled Red Peppers:

Ingredients

3 large red peppers (canned or fresh roasted)
1 7oz can of tuna fish (drained)
3 black olives, 3 green olives, pitted and chopped finely
1 small celery stalk, minced
3 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley (chopped)

Split peppers in half, removing all seeds and membranes and lay flat. Slice into halves. Pat dry with a paper towel.
Flake tuna add in oil, lemon, lemon juice and all remaining ingredients. Season to taste with coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper, mix well.
Placing skin side down, spread out pepper slices and fill with tuna, patting the mixture firmly in an even layer into peppers. Take care not to rip the flesh. Roll peppers up and place them on a lined cookie sheet in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Just prior to serving slice each roll into halves with a very sharp knife. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with olives and Italian parsley as garnish.

Categories: Italian Recipes, Uncategorized
Tags: Italian, Italian Recipes, Italy, tuscan