Description
This Tunacado recipe is a flavorful copycat of the popular Joe & The Juice sandwich, combining a creamy tuna spread whipped to perfection with a spicy pesto aioli, fresh tomato, ripe avocado, and crispy toasted bread for a delicious and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Spicy Pesto Aioli
- 1/4 cup pesto
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chili crunch
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Fine salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Sandwich
- 5 ounces canned tuna, drained
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon drained capers
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste, or 3 anchovy filets
- 1 tablespoon dried dill or 2 sprigs fresh dill
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 thin slices whole wheat flatbread, sourdough, or focaccia
- 4 slices tomato
- 1 large ripe avocado, sliced
- Pickled sliced banana peppers, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Spicy Pesto Aioli: In a small bowl, stir together pesto, mayonnaise, chili crunch, honey, and lemon juice. Season with fine salt and ground black pepper to taste. Set aside until sandwich assembly.
- Make Tuna Spread: Place tuna, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic cloves, capers, anchovy paste or filets, and dill in a food processor bowl. Pulse on high until smooth and whipped, about 1 minute, scraping sides as needed.
- Finish Tuna Mixture: Stir in diced red onion, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning as desired for balanced flavor.
- Toast Bread: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working two slices at a time, place bread cut side down and weigh down with a small skillet or pot. Cook until golden brown and crispy inside, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and toast remaining bread slices similarly.
- Assemble Sandwiches: Spread spicy pesto aioli evenly on the toasted sides of all bread slices. Divide tuna mixture onto two slices. Layer each with 2 tomato slices and desired amount of avocado slices. Add pickled banana peppers for a tangy, spicy kick if preferred.
- Serve: Close sandwiches, slice in half, and serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Choose a sturdy, thin bread like flatbread, sourdough, or focaccia for best toasting results and sandwich structure.
- Using a food processor ensures a creamy, whipped texture for the tuna spread.
- Adjust chili crunch amount in the aioli for preferred spice level.
- Pickled banana peppers add a tangy contrast but can be omitted or replaced with other pickled vegetables.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute mayonnaise with a vegan alternative.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 36g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 26g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
