Home / all / Friselle con Tonno with Nonna

Recipes, Guides, Lifestyles by GRATSI

Friselle con Tonno with Nonna
EAT

STEFANI'S KITCHEN

Friselle con Tonno with Nonna

Friselle are a traditional twice-baked bread from Southern Italy, especially popular in Puglia during the summer months.

By Stefani Poci

 |  

@chefstefp

July 20, 2026

By Stefani Poci

Ingredients

  • 6

    friselle

  • 3

    cans Italian tuna in olive oil

  • 1

    pint cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 1

    medium red onion, thinly sliced

  • 2

    tbsp capers

  • Oregano, to taste

  • Salt, to taste

  • Olive oil, generous drizzle

  • Basil for topping

Instructions

SHOP GRATSI white wine

TOTAL TIME

15 minutes

4-6 servings

SHOP GRATSI white wine

Friselle are a traditional twice-baked bread from Southern Italy, especially popular in Puglia during the summer months. The bread is baked until completely dry and crisp, then lightly soaked with water so it softens just enough while still keeping its signature crunch. We get ours from a local bakery, and it becomes the perfect base for olive oil, juicy tomatoes, and all the flavours layered on top.

One of the most classic versions we love is friselle con tonno, topped with ripe tomatoes, tuna, oregano, capers, and lots of good olive oil. It’s simple pantry cooking at its best and comes together in minutes after a day at the beach. Growing up, this was always one of those effortless summer lunches that somehow tasted even better eaten outside in the heat. This is every nonna’s version of a “girl dinner.”

The tomatoes soak into the bread while the tuna and olive oil add richness and saltiness to every bite. Rustic, fresh, nostalgic, and the taste of a Southern Italian summer.

STEP 1

In a large bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, tuna, red onion, capers, oregano, salt, and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Mix gently until combined.

Chopped cherry tomatoes on a white plate, with fresh basil leaves and slices of bread in the background. A white bowl with halved cherry tomatoes surrounding a pile of tuna. Fresh basil leaves and slices of bread are in the background. A white bowl filled with chopped cherry tomatoes, sliced red onions, tuna, capers, and fresh basil leaves. Slices of bread, a glass of water, and more basil are in the background.

STEP 2

Quickly dip each frisella into water for just a few seconds. They should soften slightly while still staying crunchy in the centre.

A plate of sliced crumpets with holes in the middle, sitting on a white surface near a window. A bottle labeled GRATSI is in the background, and green foliage is visible outside. A hand reaches for a spongy round bread dipped in honey on a plate, with a salad bowl and a bottle of white wine labeled GRATSI in the background.

STEP 3

Arrange the softened friselle on a serving platter and spoon the tomato and tuna mixture generously over top.

STEP 4

Finish with extra olive oil and basil. Enjoy immediately with a glass of Gratsi White Wine, al fresco.

A white bowl holds a salad of cherry tomatoes, red onions, tuna, capers, and basil, with bread slices and a basil sprig in the background. A spoon rests in the bowl, and a person’s hand is partially visible. A spoon adds a mixture of tuna, cherry tomatoes, red onions, capers, and basil onto sliced bread on a plate. Fresh basil leaves are visible in the background. An older woman and a young woman smile at the camera. The young woman holds a slice of bread topped with tomatoes, onions, and meat. More topped bread slices are on the plate in front of them.

The market

Someone pours Gratsi Red Wine from a sleek black box into a clear glass, both showing the Gratsi logo, set against a white background.
Red Wine

$39

A person pours Gratsi White Wine, a zero sugar, low-sulfite boxed wine, from a large Gratsi box into a clear Gratsi-branded glass on a wooden block.
White Wine

$39

A hand holds a Gratsi Rosé Wine box with black text and a red spout against a white background, suggesting a refreshing, zero sugar experience.
Rosé Wine

$39