Vitello Tonnato is a classic from Piedmont, Italy: chilled, paper-thin slices of veal topped with a silky tuna-caper sauce. In Italy it is usually served as a cold appetizer, though it also works beautifully as a light main course.
To make it, the veal is gently simmered in an aromatic broth with vegetables, white wine, and herbs, then cooled and sliced very thin.
Meanwhile, you blend the salsa tonnata by puréeing tuna, capers, anchovies, and hard-boiled eggs into a smooth, creamy sauce. Spoon it generously over the veal, garnish with extra capers, and chill before serving.
The flavors are balanced and elegant: delicate veal paired with a savory, briny sauce. Vitello Tonnato is make-ahead friendly, perfect for summer lunches and ideal on holiday menus such as Christmas.
You may also see it called “vitel tonnè”, but the Italian name used today is Vitello Tonnato.
Try this wonderful traditional Italian meat recipe and you'll be hooked!
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Ingredients
Prep Time: 30 Min | Cook Time: 1 Hour | Rest time: 2 Hours | Servings: 6
FOR THE MEAT:
- 800 g (~1.7 pounds) veal eye of round (magatello/girello)
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 250 ml (~1 cup) white wine
- 1.5 liters (~6 ¼ cups) water
- 1 bay leaf
- Cloves, to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Black peppercorns, to taste
- Salt, to taste
FOR THE TUNA SAUCE:
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 100 g (~3.5 oz) tuna in olive oil, drained
- 4 anchovy fillets in olive oil
- 5 g (~½ tablespoon) salted capers
- Caperberries for garnish, to taste
- 150 ml meat broth (reserved from cooking the veal) – about ½ cup + 2 tablespoons
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
To make Vitello Tonnato, you will need two pots with slightly high sides, a smaller one for boiling the eggs and a larger one for holding the meat and its broth.
A very sharp knife is essential for cutting the meat into very thin slices. Many people use an electric slicer.
Another essential tool for making the tuna sauce is an electric food processor or a immersion hand blander to blend the ingredients evenly.
Instructions
Cook the Veal
Step 1) - To prepare Vitello tonnato, start by preparing the vegetables. Wash them well, then peel and trim the carrot and cut it into chunks. Trim the ends of the celery stalk. Peel the onion and cut it in half, then peel the garlic clove.
Next, clean the meat. With a sharp knife, remove any visible fat or connective tissue.
Step 2) - Place the veal in a large pot with high sides. Add the prepared vegetables to the pot along with the cloves and black peppercorns.
Then pour in the white wine.
Step 3) - Finally, add enough water to completely cover the meat. Season with salt and drizzle in the olive oil. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil.
Once the liquid reaches a boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat slightly. Simmer for about 40 minutes.
TIP: As a rule of thumb, cook veal for about 30 minutes per 500 g (1 lb). For 800 g (about 1 ¾ lbs), 40–45 minutes will be enough. If you have a kitchen thermometer, check that the internal temperature of the veal does not go above 150°F (65°C). The meat should remain slightly pink in the center for best flavor and tenderness.
Step 4) - While the meat is simmering, skim off any foam that rises to the surface using a slotted spoon.
When cooked, remove the veal from the broth, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it cool completely at room temperature.
Reserve about 150 ml (½ cup + 2 tbsp) of the cooking broth, which you will need later for the tuna sauce.
Make the Tuna-Caper Sauce
Step 5) - Meanwhile, prepare the hard-boiled eggs. Place them in a small pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, cook for 10 minutes. Drain, cool them quickly under cold running water, peel, and cut them in half.
Place the hard-boiled eggs, drained tuna, anchovy fillets, and salted capers in a blender or food processor.
TIP: To desalinate the capers, rinse them under cold running water for a few minutes.
Step 6) - Blend everything together while slowly adding a little of the reserved meat broth. Continue blending until you get a smooth, creamy sauce. It should be thick enough to coat the meat without being watery.
Step 7) - By now the veal should be completely cooled. Slice it very thinly with a sharp, smooth-bladed knife (or use an electric slicer if you prefer).
Arrange the slices neatly on a large serving platter, slightly overlapping if needed but keeping them mostly in a single layer.
Step 8) - Spoon the tuna-caper sauce generously over the veal slices, spreading it evenly. Garnish with a few extra capers or caperberries. Cover the platter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Your Vitello Tonnato is now ready to enjoy! Serve it chilled as an elegant appetizer or as a light main course for any occasion.
Storage
You can store Vitello Tonnato in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Be sure to cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or, even better, transfer it to an airtight container to keep it fresh and prevent the sauce from absorbing other odors from the fridge.
Since this is a cold dish with a delicate tuna-egg sauce, it is best enjoyed within a couple of days while the flavors are at their peak.
Freezing is not recommended, as both the veal and the creamy sauce would lose their texture and flavor once thawed.
Tips
Tie the meat for even cooking
If your cut of veal is irregularly shaped, it’s a good idea to tie it with kitchen string before cooking. This simple step helps the meat keep a uniform shape, which ensures it cooks evenly and makes it much easier to slice thinly once cooled.
Cooling in the broth
Instead of draining the veal right after cooking, you can let it cool directly in its broth. This method takes longer, but it keeps the meat wonderfully moist and enhances its flavor.
If you choose to cool the veal in the broth, make sure the meat stays completely covered with liquid. Any part left exposed will dry out and may darken, which can affect both the appearance and texture of your slices.
Reusing the broth
Remember that the cooking broth is full of flavor from the veal, vegetables, and spices. You only need a small portion for the tuna sauce, so don’t waste the rest! Use it as a base for a risotto, soups, or to add depth of flavor to other recipes. It’s a delicious bonus from preparing Vitello Tonnato.
Origins
Vitello Tonnato, once commonly called vitel tonné, became especially popular in Piedmontese restaurants during the 1980s, but its roots go back much further. The earliest versions of the dish date to the 18th century, when it was prepared with leftover meat and considered a humble recipe of the poor.
The version we know today spread throughout northern Italy thanks to Pellegrino Artusi, who included it in his famous 1891 cookbook Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.
The Arrival of Tuna
In its original form, vitello tonnato was served with a simple sauce of anchovies and oil. Tuna was introduced later, when Artusi updated the recipe in 1891, adding tuna and capers to create the creamy “salsa tonnata” we associate with the dish today.
By the 1980s, Vitello Tonnato had become a true icon of Italian cuisine and a must-have on restaurant menus. At that time, many Italians referred to it as vitel tonné, which led some to mistakenly believe the dish had French origins. In reality, the name comes from the French word tanné, meaning “cured,” not from thon (tuna).
This linguistic mix is tied to the history of the Duchy of Savoy, where both French and Italian were official languages, though in everyday life - even among the nobles - most people spoke the Piedmontese dialect, rich with French expressions.
More Italian Veal Recipes
- Stuffed Veal Breast Recipe
- Veal Milanese recipe (Cotoletta alla Milanese)
- Italian Veal Stew with Potatoes (Spezzatino)
- Lemon Veal Scallopini (Scaloppine al Limone)
- Veal Scallopini with Mushrooms (Scaloppine ai Funghi)
Vitello Tonnato: FAQs
Vitello Tonnato is usually served as a cold appetizer, often accompanied by fresh bread, breadsticks, or light salads. It also pairs well with roasted or boiled vegetables and chilled white wines.
In Italy, Vitello Tonnato is traditionally considered an appetizer, especially for festive meals. However, because it is protein-rich and served cold, it can also be enjoyed as a light main course during summer.
The classic recipe calls for a lean cut of veal, typically the eye of round (magatello), simmered in broth with vegetables and spices. The tuna-caper sauce is made with tuna, anchovies, capers, hard-boiled eggs, and olive oil.
The traditional way is to spoon the tuna-caper sauce over thin slices of veal. However, salsa tonnata is so versatile that Italians also use it as a spread on sandwiches, with roasted vegetables, or even as a dip for crudités.
Recipe Card
Vitello Tonnato Recipe (Veal with Tuna-Caper Sauce)
Ingredients
For the Meat
- 800 g veal eye of round (magatello/girello) - ~1.7 pounds
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 250 ml white wine - ~1 cup
- 1.5 liters water - ~6 ¼ cups
- 1 bay leaf
- cloves - to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- black peppercorns - to taste
- salt - to taste
For the Tuna Sauce
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 100 g ~3.5 oz tuna in olive oil - drained
- 4 anchovy fillets in olive oil
- 5 g salted capers - ~½ tablespoon
- caperberries - for garnish, to taste
- 150 ml meat broth - reserved from cooking the veal (about ½ cup + 2 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Start by preparing the vegetables. Wash them well, then peel and trim the carrot and cut it into chunks. Trim the ends of the celery stalk. Peel the onion and cut it in half, then peel the garlic clove.
- Next, clean the meat. With a sharp knife, remove any visible fat or connective tissue.
- Place the veal in a large pot with high sides. Add the prepared vegetables to the pot along with the cloves and black peppercorns.
- Then pour in the white wine.
- Finally, add enough water to completely cover the meat. Season with salt and drizzle in the olive oil. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil.
- Once the liquid reaches a boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat slightly. Simmer for about 40 minutes.
- While the meat is simmering, skim off any foam that rises to the surface using a slotted spoon.
- When cooked, remove the veal from the broth, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it cool completely at room temperature.
- Reserve about 150 ml (½ cup + 2 tbsp) of the cooking broth, which you will need later for the tuna sauce.
- Meanwhile, prepare the hard-boiled eggs. Place them in a small pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, cook for 10 minutes. Drain, cool them quickly under cold running water, peel, and cut them in half.
- Place the hard-boiled eggs, drained tuna, anchovy fillets, and salted capers in a blender or food processor.
- Blend everything together while slowly adding a little of the reserved meat broth. Continue blending until you get a smooth, creamy sauce. It should be thick enough to coat the meat without being watery.
- By now the veal should be completely cooled. Slice it very thinly with a sharp, smooth-bladed knife (or use an electric slicer if you prefer).
- Arrange the slices neatly on a large serving platter, slightly overlapping if needed but keeping them mostly in a single layer.
- Spoon the tuna-caper sauce generously over the veal slices, spreading it evenly. Garnish with a few extra capers or caperberries. Cover the platter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
- Your Vitello Tonnato is now ready to enjoy! Serve it chilled as an elegant appetizer or as a light main course for any occasion.
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