Tuna Steaks with Pesto Pasta Salad

This is a lovely fresh fish dish for the warmer weather; and what's more it's super easy too. 

I've used my Walnut & Basil Pesto which I tend to always have on standby in my fridge, but jarred pesto would be absolutely fine too. 

I also cook the tuna so it's seared on both sides, and then rare and blushing pink throughout the middle as that's how we prefer it; but cook for a little longer if you'd prefer to cook it all the way through (I find this can dry it out a little though).

The below serves 4-5 people. 

Tuna Steaks with Pesto Pasta Salad

Here's how:

• x4 tuna steaks
• 250g pasta shapes (I used conchiglie)
• 2 tbsp Walnut & Basil Pesto or any pesto you have to hand
• 200g cherry tomatoes
• 1 large, or 2 smaller courgettes
• 1 lemon
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Fry Light Olive Oil (or a generous drizzle of olive oil if you're not cutting calories)

Firstly cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, as a rule of thumb, for most dried pasta, it is 9-10 minutes in just boiled, salted water for al dente, firm-to-the-bite pasta. 

In the meantime, add a few sprays of the Fry Light to a griddle pan and place on a medium heat.

Season the tuna steaks on both sides with a pinch of black pepper and sea salt and then add to the pan once hot. Cook each tuna steak for 1.5 minutes, and then turn over and cook for a further 1.5 minutes, then remove from the pan and place onto a plate or a board to rest. 

In the meantime, get the 'salad' ingredients ready, by simply halving the cherry tomatoes, and using a vegetable peeler to make ribbons of the courgette. Also cut the lemon into wedges and set aside for the moment.

Once the pasta is cooked, use a ladle or a small cup to take out a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water and then drain and give a good shake. Return to the pan, away from the heat, and add the Walnut & Basil Pesto or the other pesto you may be using, and give a good stir. Add one tablespoon of the pasta water and stir to loosen the sauce a little, add more if it still seems a little claggy. 

Now add the cherry tomatoes and the courgette ribbons to the pan and stir through and then simply pour or spoon into a serving dish.

Now take the tuna steaks, and use a sharp knife to carve into thick chunks of a couple of the tuna steaks and scatter all over the top of the dish, leaving a couple of whole tuna steaks, then take one wedge of the lemon and squeeze all over the tuna, and then give one final seasoning of sea salt and black pepper all over the dish.

Drizzle over a few drops more of the pesto directly onto the tuna steaks.

Add the lemon wedges and serve. Enjoy! 

If you love fish like us, here are a few other dishes you may love:

• Sticky Asian Salmon
• Morrocan Fish Stew
• Plaice with Roasted Vegetables and Lemon Parsley Butter
• Haddock Fish Cakes
• Family Fish Pie
• Smoked Salmon Carbonara
• One Pot Fish Curry
• Chilli Crab Noodles
• Gourmet Seafood Burger
• Pesto Topped Haddock with Herby Couscous

Tuna Fishcakes

These fishcakes are super quick and easy to make, really tasty and if you're stuck at home with children during the COVID-19 pandemic as we are, they are a good activity to get the little ones involved in cooking. They're also a great store cupboard recipe, as much of what you will need, you are likely to have in the cupboard or fridge and whenever we have leftover mashed potato, fishcakes are inevitably on the menu the following day.

Tuna Fishcakes

Tinned tuna is actually a really good store cupboard ingredient for these times and in addition to the recipe for these Asian-style tuna fishcakes I've listed out a few other ideas below with the ingredients needed:

• Tuna Pasta Salad (uni style): Cooked fusilli pasta, mayo, spring onions, cucumber, tomatoes, sweetcorn, squeeze of lemon, black pepper

• Tuna Pasta Bake: a simple tomato sauce (onion, garlic, tinned tomatoes, dried herbs such as basil, rosemary or oregano and olive oil) stirred through the pasta with the tinned tuna, then put into an oven-proof dish and topped with a little cheese before baking

• Tuna Nicoise Salad: tinned tuna, boiled egg, tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, cooked new potatoes (or leftover roast or boiled potatoes), red onion, olives, anchovies

• Jacket Potato Topping or Sandwich filler: tuna, mayonnaise, tinned sweetcorn

• Tuna & Sweetcorn Frittata: A thick baked omelette made up of x3-4 eggs, sweetcorn, some fresh herbs if you have them (parsley or dill would work), a finely chopped pepper, red onion, a handful grated hard cheese (Cheddar, Red Leicester or Parmesan would work) and milk

The below served x4 of us for a lovely lunchtime meal served with a ribbon salad which is simply x2 carrots, and 1/2 a cucumber cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler, drizzled with a tiny bit of soy and topped with some sesame seeds, as well as a variety of dipping sauces, one being just Sriracha, one a chipotle mayo (just mix together) and finally an Asian dipping sauce of soy, fish sauce, chilli oil, sesame oil and some fresh ginger. Sweet Chilli Sauce would work too.


Here's how:

• x2 tins tuna
• 1 red onion
• 3-4 tbsp leftover mashed potato
• 3cm piece of ginger
• Handful fresh coriander 
• 1 egg
• 1 slice of bread blitzed into breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp Sriracha
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• Sesame oil to fry

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and put a little sesame oil into a frying pan on a low heat.

Finely dice the onion, peel and finely chop or grate the ginger, and roughly chop the coriander and add to a mixing bowl.

To that bowl add the leftover mashed potato, the drained tuna, the fish sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, salt and pepper. Use a fork to roughly mix together. It should be a chunky texture so don't be tempted to use a hand blender here.

Now into a bowl crack one egg and beat and set aside.

Pop the breadcrumbs into another bowl, and finally add the flour to a third bowl. Add the Chinese Five Spice, a pinch of salt and black pepper to the flour and give a quick mix.

Now you're ready to assemble, get a chopping board or a plate to place each fishcake as it's formed ready.

Now go in with your hands and get about 1.5 tbsp of the mixture and roll into a firm ball, then place in the palm of one hand and lightly press down with the other to get it flatter and like a fishcake size and shape. 

Drop the formed fishcake into the flour then turn over, next dip into the beaten egg and finally toss into the breadcrumbs and then set on the board or plate and then repeat until all of the mixture is used up.

Now place about 4-5 of the fishcakes (depending on size) into the pan and allow them to brown for a few minutes, then use a tablespoon to gently turn over and cook the other side. I sometimes add a little oil to the pan using Fry Light at this stage so they're not too dry.

Once cooked through, remove the fishcakes and put onto a baking sheet and place into the oven to keep warm (nobody wants cold mash potato in anything!). Repeat the process and place the final fishcakes into the oven for five minutes before you're ready to serve. Enjoy!

Tuna Fishcakes

Baby Bites Spiced Tuna Fishcakes

This fishcake dish is another great finger food recipe for your weaning tot and one that has some really delicate spicing to introduce your little darling to some new, interesting flavours.

It uses tinned tuna too so is a really economical dish and makes enough for 3 fishcakes – two of which can be popped into the fridge or freezer for a later date.

Also these are really tasty and full of delicious flavour so they can be enjoyed by all of the family – just up the quantities.

I served here with some cooked carrot batons and baby corn but any vegetables you have will work – I just like to use a variety and introduce Bridget to as many different vegetables as possible to work out which she likes – so far most of them!

Here’s how:

6 new potatoes

1 tin of tuna (I use John West No Drain in Spring Water)

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped coriander

2 spring onions

1 clove garlic

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon paprika

1 egg

1 slice of brown or granary bread

Drizzle of oil (vegetable or rapeseed or something light in flavour)

Firstly place the new potatoes into the microwave and cook for 6 minutes – check they are cooked through – if not cook for a further minute or two.

In the meantime, finely slice the spring onions, coriander and parsley and mince the garlic and set aside for a moment.

Place the potatoes into a small bowl and use a fork to crush and mash – if they aren’t easy to crush add a tiny drizzle of oil. As with the Mexican Salmon Fishcakes you want the potatoes broken down but not turned into a smooth mash – it just helps the fishcakes to hold some structure and not fall apart if you do this.

Once the potatoes are suitable crushed, add the spring onions, garlic, coriander and parsley and the herbs and stir.

Now open your tin of tuna and pour into the bowl giving a good stir with a fork to evenly distribute the tuna.

Now add the egg and stir through.

Blitz the bread into breadcrumbs and place onto a plate or in another bowl and at this time drizzle the oil into a non-stick pan and place on a low-medium heat.

Now scoop out a heaped tablespoon of the fishcake mixture and shape into a small rounded shape – like a mini burger. The mixture will be wet from the egg so place onto the plate of breadcrumbs and gently pat down to coat, then turn over and repeat. Shape all of the mixture into fishcakes and if freezing wrap in clingfilm and allow to cool before popping into the freezer - likewise if chilling. 

Then place into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Simultaneously cook the vegetables and allow both to cool to a suitable temperature before serving to little one.