The Italian Cold Dish That Sounds Wrong but Tastes Right

Vitello tonnato is one of those Italian dishes that sounds unusual until you taste it — cold veal, sliced thin, covered in a silky tuna and caper sauce. It's a Piedmontese classic that works as an appetizer or a main, travels well, and is always made ahead. These four versions go from the traditional to a lighter everyday option.

Vitello tonnato (cold veal with tuna sauce) leans into everything we love about this iconic antipasto: delicate veal paired with a velvety, rich tuna sauce. Aromatic vegetables, white wine, bay leaves, and cloves give the meat a gentle depth that keeps the flavors balanced rather than heavy. Serve it chilled in thin slices when you want something elegant that you can prepare ahead for a dinner party or holiday spread.

Pro tip: you can use some of the fragrant veal cooking liquid to adjust the consistency of your tuna sauce, keeping it silky without weighing it down.

Old-fashioned Veal with Tuna Sauce (Vitello Tonnato) is a Piedmont classic that leans into richness, from the veal itself to the creamy, savory sauce. Tuna in oil, anchovies, capers, hard boiled eggs, and Marsala wine create a deeply flavorful topping that feels both nostalgic and celebratory. It makes a beautiful centerpiece for a leisurely lunch or a special-occasion main course when you want a true traditional spread. This is the most elaborate of the four — rated Difficult, it takes about 70 minutes total. Worth it for a special occasion.

Pro tip: you can blend a spoonful of the warm vegetable broth into the tuna, anchovy, and egg mixture to help the sauce turn smooth and easily spoonable.

Vitello Tonnato and Mayonnaise takes the timeless veal-and-tuna pairing and leans into creaminess with the addition of mayonnaise. This classic second course works in any season, bringing a rich, comforting texture to the plate while still feeling light enough to serve chilled. It’s an easy dish to pull together ahead of time, then slice and sauce just before guests sit down.

Pro tip: you can chill the tuna and mayonnaise sauce thoroughly before serving so it thickens slightly and clings better to the thin slices of veal.

Light veal with tuna sauce keeps all the character of traditional vitello tonnato while dialing back the fat for a gentler, everyday option. The veal is cooked with onions, carrots, rosemary, bay leaves, garlic, and cloves, so it absorbs lots of aroma without needing heavy additions. This version works across seasons and is especially appealing when you want something refined yet light enough for a weeknight dinner.

Pro tip: you can let the veal cool completely in its cooking liquid so it stays tender and nicely infused with the onion, carrot, and herb aromas.

All four versions are better made the day before — the veal needs time to cool in its cooking liquid and the sauce thickens as it chills. Take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before serving so the veal loses its chill and the tuna sauce comes back to a silky, spoonable consistency. Slice thin, sauce generously, and serve cold. That's all there is to it.