Spanish Tuna Pie for Lenten Season

This post is also available in: Español

Try the Spanish Tuna Pie, this is a savory option for lent and Pi Day!

In Mexico, most of the families embrace the flavors of classic Spaniard cuisine. In my case, my grandpa was from Madrid, so a lot of the meals my grandma would prepare were inspired by the staples of Spanish cuisine.

In this Spanish Tuna Pie recipe, I am using same flavor profile from my grandma’s original bacalao dish but replacing cod with canned tuna for a more accessible and easy option.

Cooking cod or bacalao takes a long time as the classic recipe calls for dry salted cod that requires soaking, pressure cooking, and shredding by hand. While using tuna cuts down on cost and cooking time too.

Get to know the Tuna you buy at the store.

The kind of tuna I am using is wild caught skipjack, a premium tuna that is harvested without impacting the ecosystem avoiding bycatch of other species. For me, this is important and look for brands that follow high-quality standards not only on the product but their fishing practices too.

When buying canned tuna, I recommend to check the labels and learn about the process of how the tuna is caught and harvested. Also pay attention to the ingredients on the can, which should be tuna and not other proteins like soy.

Recently, in Mexico, there was a big scandal about canned soy sold as canned tuna. In the United States, we have higher standards, but it is always a good idea to get informed and read the labels.

Bake the Spanish Tuna Pie, ready in 40 minutes!

⁣I love easy recipes, and this Spanish Tuna Pie is the perfect example. The hardest thing will be waiting for the pie to be ready.

The recipe has simple ingredients such as diced potatoes, capers, piquillo peppers, garlic, pickled peppers, olives, and tomato puree. All seasoned with oregano and Latin spices. Cooked for a few minutes in the stove and then using this tuna dish to make the pie.

The pie crust is commercial, but you can use your recipe if you have a homemade pie crust for savory applications.

Print Recipe

5 from 9 votes

Spanish Tuna Pie

Try the Spanish Tuna Pie; this is a delicious option for lent and Pi Day. This recipe is simple to make and inspired by Grandma’s classic recipe. It has potatoes, capers, piquillo peppers, olives, tomato sauce, spices, and canned tuna. 

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Spanish Cuisine

Keyword: pie, tuna

Servings: 6 people

Author: Chef Adriana Martin

Ingredients

• 2 cans skipjack tuna
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 white potatoes cleaned, peeled, and diced
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• 1 piquillo pepper chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1/2 cup manzanilla olives
• 1 tablespoon pickled red peppers
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon latin spices (sazon latino)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 pie crusts

Instructions

• In a skillet saute the potatoes with the garlic. Then add the canned tuna and combine.  Continue cooking and add the piquillo peppers, the capers, the pickled red peppers, and the olives.
• Season with the spices and add the tomato puree — cook for 10-15 minutes, and set aside. 
• Use a pie glass pan and add the pie crust. With a fork make some punches for allowing the dough to cook thoroughly. 
• Add the tuna mix you made, preferably cold or at room temperature. Close the pie with the second layer of pie crust. Beat an egg and add eggwash for a golden finish. 
• Bake the pie at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes until crust is golden brown. Serve immediately and pair with a salad. 

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