Pisto and Tuna Empanada Recipe: Easy Spanish Puff Pastry Pie 2026

This pisto and tuna empanada takes one of Spain's most beloved vegetable preparations, pisto, and bakes it inside golden puff pastry with flaked canned tuna. The result is a savory pie with a lighter, crisper crust than the traditional dough, and it comes together with very little fuss.

Pisto is a slow-simmered mix of onion, peppers, zucchini and grated tomato, cooked down until sweet and concentrated. Here it is made a day ahead if you like, so the flavors meld and the filling is cold enough to handle easily when you assemble the empanada.

It is a wonderfully practical dish for feeding a crowd: slice it small for an appetizer or serve generous wedges as a main course with a simple salad. Either way, it is best served warm rather than piping hot, so the filling sets as it rests.

Ingredients for Pisto and Tuna Empanada

Makes 6 servings

• 100 g onion
• 1 yellow or green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 zucchini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 500 g ripe red tomatoes
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 sheets rectangular puff pastry
• 240 g canned tuna (drained weight)
• 1 egg

How to Make Pisto and Tuna Empanada Step by Step

1. Chop the vegetables

Peel and finely chop 100 g of onion. Wash 1 yellow or green pepper and 1 red pepper, remove the seeds, and cut them into small dice. Wash 1 zucchini and dice it the same way.

2. Sauté the onion

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and sauté the onion for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time.

3. Grate the tomatoes

While the onion cooks, grate 500 g of ripe red tomatoes and set them aside.

4. Add the peppers

Once the onion is soft and translucent, add the diced peppers and sauté for 10 minutes more.

5. Cook the zucchini

Stir in the diced zucchini and cook the whole mixture for another 5 minutes.

6. Simmer with the tomato

Add the grated tomatoes, season with salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar, and cook uncovered over low heat for 40 minutes, stirring so it doesn't stick. The pisto is ready when the tomatoes have released and lost their water. Let it cool completely.

7. Lay out the pastry

Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Unroll 1 sheet of puff pastry and place it on a baking tray. As a guide, our sheet measured 35 cm wide by 25 cm high.

8. Fill with the pisto and tuna

Mix the cooled pisto with 240 g of drained canned tuna and spread the mixture over the pastry, leaving a 2 cm border free around the edge.

9. Cover with the second sheet

Top the filling with the second sheet of puff pastry and press it gently over the filling.

10. Seal the edges

Seal the edges firmly, pressing and rolling them closed so the filling stays put. At this point you can keep the empanada in the fridge until you are ready to bake it.

11. Brush with egg

Brush the surface of the empanada with 1 beaten egg and prick it all over with a fork so steam can escape during baking.

12. Bake the empanada

Bake for 20 minutes at 180 °C (350 °F) until golden. Then let it cool slightly on a wire rack.

13. Serve

Serve this delicious puff pastry empanada either as an appetizer cut into small bite-size portions or as a main course in larger slices, accompanied by a salad of your choice.

Tips for the Best Pisto and Tuna Empanada

Make the pisto ahead

We like to prepare the pisto the day before so the flavors come together and it is cold enough to shape the empanada easily. You can double the quantities and freeze it, so the next empanada is ready in no time.

Choose your pastry

You can use a store-bought puff pastry sheet or make your own homemade puff pastry, depending on how much time you have and how ambitious you feel.

Assemble in advance

You can also put the empanada together a few hours ahead and keep it in the fridge until the moment you bake it. It is ideal when you need a simple dish for many people, whether as a bite-size appetizer or a main course.

30 Top Recipes I Keep Coming Back To at Home

If you're anything like me, your kitchen rotation probably includes a blend of cozy comfort classics, well-loved dishes from around the globe, and desserts that make everyone happy.

When a rich, indulgent treat is calling my name, I typically reach for this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this refined Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a luscious Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And whenever something fruity and soothing sounds right, this timeless French Tarte Tatin recipe is my go-to.

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Whenever tapas and Mediterranean cooking are on my mind, I bounce between this punchy Basque Tuna with Tomato recipe, golden Patatas Bravas Air Fryer recipe, velvety Tirokafteri Greek Dip Sauce recipe, and a cooling Burrata Salad with Tomato and Pesto recipe. This elegant Italian Vitello Tonnato recipe is another one I love to serve when the occasion calls for something a bit more upscale.

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And when I'm building drinks and a whole spread for company, I'll regularly match dinner with this cooling Original Cuban Mojito recipe, a potent Long Island Iced Tea recipe, or a pitcher of this fruity Bleeding Spanish Sangria recipe. To fill out the table, I like to add this zesty French Remoulade Sauce recipe alongside, or finish things off with this eye-catching Mediterranean Black Rice with Squid recipe.

Additional Tasty Recipes the Whole Family Will Enjoy

After years of testing and fine-tuning dishes in my own kitchen, I've come to believe the finest recipes are built on straightforward steps, dependable methods, and serious flavor.

What follows are the dishes I genuinely cook over and over—whether it's a fast meal just for me or something memorable for friends and family.

On the sweet side, the rich, silky Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is one I turn to when I want something impressive yet simple. Another dessert I adore is the caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled on the well-known Central European chimney cake. If baking is your thing, understanding how to make syrup for better dessert texture helps, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

When something light and uncomplicated is what I'm after, I'll usually go with the timeless Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a flawlessly cooked Simple Poached Egg Recipe. For richer comfort cooking, I'm quick to point people to the filling Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the smooth Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the fast weeknight go-to One Pot Pasta Recipe.

I'm also fond of sharing dishes with global roots, such as the genuine Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, crisp Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and the traditional Spanish Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is another area I return to often, since it cuts down on time while still delivering excellent results. The ones I make most include Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for those steering clear of wheat, my cozy Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that classic baked pasta can still be decadent, cheesy, and deeply satisfying without any gluten.

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