Potatoes and Green Beans with Tonnato Sauce
By Kelly SongPublished on May 26, 2026
Time
40 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Tonnato Sauce
1 large egg 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ½ cup vegetable oil 1 (5-ounce) can olive oil-packed tuna with packing oil, flaked6 anchovy fillets 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ½ teaspoon pepperPotatoes and Green Beans
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch piecesTable salt for cooking vegetables 1½ pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled, halved¼ cup extra-virgin olive oilBefore You Begin
Be sure not to drain the oil from the tuna can, and don’t be tempted to substitute extra-virgin olive oil for the vegetable oil; olive oil tastes bitter after being blended. Use small red potatoes measuring 1 to 2 inches in diameter. This recipe uses only a portion of the tonnato sauce; use the remaining sauce for drizzling over roasted or blanched vegetables, roast chicken or delicate fish, or even as a spread for sandwiches.
Instructions
- Process 1 egg, 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard in blender until smooth, about 20 seconds. With blender running, slowly add ½ cup vegetable oil until incorporated and mixture is thick and creamy, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed, about 2 minutes.
- Add 1 can olive oil-packed tuna, flaked with packing oil; 6 anchovy fillets; 1 tablespoon rinsed capers; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; and ½ teaspoon pepper to blender. Process until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
- Bring 6 cups water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Add 1 pound green beans, cut into 1½-inch pieces, and 2 tablespoons salt and cook until green beans are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beans to colander to drain briefly. Transfer beans to large bowl.
- Add 1½ pounds unpeeled, halved small red potatoes to still-boiling water. Cook until paring knife meets no resistance when slipped into center of potatoes, 7 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to colander to drain briefly. Transfer potatoes to bowl with green beans.
- Toss green beans and potatoes with ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil. Transfer to large serving platter and drizzle with ½ cup tonnato sauce. Serve.
for the potatoes and green beans
Time
40 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Tonnato Sauce
Potatoes and Green Beans
Ingredients
Tonnato Sauce
Potatoes and Green Beans
Ingredients
Tonnato Sauce
Potatoes and Green Beans
Why This Recipe Works
Tonnato, which translates to “tunafied” in Italian, is a classic condiment that combines the meaty flavors of canned tuna and anchovies in a creamy fresh-made mayonnaise. The base relies on emulsifying eggs with oil. To do this, we use a blender to whip the two into a thick, voluminous sauce before blending in the remaining ingredients. We prefer the neutral taste of vegetable oil here instead of olive oil, which can taste bitter if over-agitated. Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and capers (all traditional) add pops of acidity and salinity. For the tuna, we prefer the fatty texture of the olive oil-packed kind over the water-packed kind and include its packing oil in the sauce for additional flavor. While tonnato sauce is traditionally served atop thinly sliced cold veal in Piedmontese cuisine, modern-day versions drizzle it on any number of proteins and vegetables. Here, we drizzle the sauce onto potatoes and green beans that we cook sequentially in heavily salted water.
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