Paleo Tuna Pesto – Nut Free, Dairy Free

Tuna Pesto? It’s good. I needed a pesto that was nut and dairy free, and found a way forward from a twist on a pesto recipe that I found in this cookbook, gifted to me many years ago. Featuring some unusual but traditional Italian pasta sauces, one of the book’s recipes called for a can of tuna – which sounded awful, until I tried it. It’s delicious! Merging that recipe with a basil pesto – minus the Parmesan, dairy, and boosted big for fresh lemon – produced my version below.

Most of us are not eating a lot of tuna these days. But I keep this recipe in my rotation on occasion, because it is so easy and fast to make, it’s high protein, high fiber and minerals, offers some good fats, and it’s versatile. It can pair with anything from your favorite pasta to hearty veggies like green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, Romanesco, on a baked potato, or in a soft tortilla (like these delicious grain free tortillas). Use Banza chick pea pasta or Tolerant lentil pasta to keep the whole meal grain free, if you like (Banza has the softer texture of the two). This nut free, dairy free pesto also makes a great dip for veggie crudité or bagel spread – try it with this vegan cream cheese if you can’t use dairy. You can also vary the nut or seed choice; my favorite is organic sprouted pumpkin seeds, and this helps kids in my pediatric nutrition practice who have nut allergies. But, classic walnut or pine nut are wonderful too!

Note: Worcestershire sauce can be tricky to find gluten free, and without stuff like corn syrup – but it is a major piece of the puzzle in this recipe’s flavor. Don’t skip it. Find The Wizard’s brand gluten free, organic, vegan version and keep it on hand for this and other occasions calling for this complex condiment. In the US, Lea & Perrins claims to be GF also.

Paleo Tuna Pesto

Print Recipe

An unexpected variation on the usual pesto! If your family tolerates nuts, try this with walnuts or pine nuts. Enjoy tossed with cooked vegetables, a favorite pasta of any type, as a crostini or bagel spread, packable school lunch dip, or rolled up in soft tacos.

• CourseMain Dish

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Servings Prep Time 4 people 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Paleo Tuna Pesto Print Recipe An unexpected variation on the usual pesto! If your family tolerates nuts, try this with walnuts or pine nuts. Enjoy tossed with cooked vegetables, a favorite pasta of any type, as a crostini or bagel spread, packable school lunch dip, or rolled up in soft tacos. CourseMain Dish Servings Prep Time 4 people 15 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Servings Prep Time 4 people 15 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 ounces good quality olive oil
• 1 can (5-7 ounces) good quality tuna pole & line caught, non-BPA can
• 1/2 cup raw sprouted pumpkin seeds or walnuts or pine nuts if preferred
• 1/2 whole lemon washed, seeds removed
• 1 tsp gluten free Worcestershire
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger root peel and split before adding to food processor
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh curly parsley stems removed
• 6 cups fresh basil leaves stems removed
• salt/pepper to taste
• veggies or pasta of your choice

Servings: people

Instructions

1. Start vegetables or pasta that you will be seeing with the pesto: Green beans, or roasted cauliflower, broccoli, potato, or Romanesco work well. Steam, roast, or sear to desired doneness, about 15 minutes. While these are cooking, assemble the sauce.
2. Place half the olive oil in a food processor. Add the drained tuna, seeds or nuts, lemon wedges of an entire lemon including rinds (washed and seeds removed), Worcestershire, ginger root, and fresh herbs. Slowly add the remaining olive oil, and process until smooth.
3. Once blended, here is the consistency you're after. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, process to blend.

   
4. Toss sauce over warmed vegetables and serve.

   

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