📋 Pasta with Swordfish Ragu and Eggplants

A delicious summer Ragu made with swordfish. I use the meat from behind the neck and around the top fin. It is tastier and costs half the price of the steak meat. Eating every part of the fish is a way of honoring its death.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword fish ragu pasta, pasta with swordfish, swordfish ragu

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 440kcal

Author Laura Tobin

Equipment

Ingredients

18 oz swordfish – from neck 500
3 eggplants long would be best
10 oz fresh long tomatoes for tomato sauce
1 sprig fresh basil leaves
4 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
2 peeled garlic cloves
18 oz penne rigate pasta
½ cup dry white wine optional
1 tablespoon salt for the pasta
1 teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Fry the eggplants

Cut the eggplants into cubes, removing the skin and deep fry the eggplants in hot olive oil
3 eggplants, 4 tablespoon olive oil
Drain them in kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil

Peel the fresh tomatoes

Place the fresh tomatoes into a pan and cover with boiling water for 10 minutes
10 oz fresh long tomatoes
After 10 minutes in boiling water the skin of the tomatoes will come out easly with the help of a sharp knife

Cook the swordfish

Wash the swordfish and dry the excess water with a paper towel and remove the skin with a sharp knife
18 oz swordfish – from neck, 4 tablespoon olive oil
In a large pan with high hedges, stir fry the fish, be careful not to overcook it.
Remove from the pan. Once slightly cooked, it will be easy to remove the bones and cartilage from the flesh.
Wait until it cools down before you start to clean it. DO NOT CLEAN THE PAN AFTER YOU HAVE COOKED THE FISH
Clean the fish and place the clean fish meat aside

Making the sauce

In the same pan where you cooked the fish, stir fry the garlic cloves
2 peeled garlic cloves, 4 tablespoon olive oil
Cut the tomatoes into slices, add the basil and let them stew at medium to low temperature in the same pan you fried the swordfish.
1 sprig fresh basil leaves
Add 1 teaspoon of salt and simmer until the tomatoes melt into a sauce.

Putting it all together

In a separate pan, you can start boiling the pasta
18 oz penne rigate pasta
Add the fish and the eggplants to the sauce and mix. Taste and adjust for seasoning
Pour half cup of white wine and stir and let it evaporate (optional)
Add the cooked pasta into the pan and stir
Transfer into a serving place and serve and add pepper or hot chili if you like spicy food

Video

Notes

This recipe is best made with the meat from the neck and around the top fin.
Use San Marzano tomatoes and long eggplants
Once the swordfish is slightly cooked, it will be easy to remove the bones and cartilage from the flesh.
DO NOT CLEAN THE PAN AFTER YOU HAVE COOKED THE FISH
If you think the eggplants can be too acidic, cut them in slices and let them drain in salt for 2 hours before frying them.
Pasta should always be al dente, cook 1 minute less than what is written on the package

Nutrition