Stanley Tucci’s Easy 10-Minute Lunch Is Summer in a Bowl

If “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” solidified anything about the beloved actor, it’s that he’s a sucker for pretty much all Italian cooking. And even though Stanley Tucci once told Allrecipes he eats pasta practically every day, those dishes aren’t the only way he honors his Italian heritage.

Beyond his pasta casserole and summer tomato pasta, the Tucc has shared many of his other Italian faves—like the string bean soup that’s so good you’ll even crave it in a heatwave, and the Tuscan cod he once served Robert Downey Jr. for dinner.

Recently, Tucci took to Instagram to make yet another summer classic hailing from Tuscany. 

“It’s a beautiful sunny day—this is probably the last one we’ll ever get—and I’m going to have a salad that I love that’s great in the spring or the summer,” Tucci said in the video. 

It’s not a traditional salad made with lettuce and other summer produce—but, rather, a Tuscan bean salad complete with white beans, tuna, and fresh seasonal veggies.

Stanley Tucci's White Bean & Tuna Salad

We know the Golden Globe Award-winning actor enjoys some pretty interesting food combos—yes, we are referring to his grilled cheese and pea soup—but white bean and tuna salad is quite beloved by many Italians. Traditionally, it’s served as a light meal on warmer days—or as an antipasto at a summer dinner. 

The protein-packed salad is incredibly easy to make—which is lucky for us because you should know by now that Tucci rarely shares exact measurements. Tucci’s beloved salad combines tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, basil, cannellini beans, and tuna, all dressed simply with olive oil and salt. 

First, he dumps the veggies into a bowl, then tops them with cannellini beans, which he says he’s “warmed up a little bit.” Then, he adds the tuna—he uses canned dark tuna packed in olive oil—and, finally, a “copious amount” of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt. Tucci tosses the salad to mix the flavors, but also to let the beans work some magic.

“What’s really nice is, when the beans are just that little bit warm, they start to warm up the other ingredients [for] a beautiful, refreshing summer salad,” he says. 

Naturally, Tucci pairs the salad with a glass of San Pellegrino—he’s nothing if not a loyal brand partner—just before going off-camera to grab a fork and some bread. 

Did we all just get sucked into watching a Stanley Tucci San Pellegrino ad? Maybe. But did we also discover an easy, 10-minute lunch recipe that will get us through the rest of summer? You bet we did. Well played, Mr. Tucci, well played.