The minute I tasted a dish similar to this one on the coast of Sicily, I knew I had to recreate it. Swordfish is a common ingredient in pasta there and adds such great meaty texture without weighing things down. As the tomatoes burst, they form a chunky sauce that pairs perfectly with bite-size pieces of fish. Casarecce is a short, twisted pasta that’s Sicilian in origin and becoming easier to find at major grocery stores these days, but feel free to use any short shape you like.
PrintPasta with Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Swordfish
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
1 pound (454 g) swordfish
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 pints (about 4 cups, or 600 g) cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes
12 ounces (340 g) casarecce, or other short pasta
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine
¼ cup (10 g) loosely packed chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
1. Trim the skin from the swordfish and cut the flesh into bite-size cubes, ½ to ¾ inch (1 to 2 cm) in size. Season all over with salt and pepper and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to burst and release some of their juices, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Push the tomato mixture to one side of the skillet.
3. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than the package instructions for al dente, about 8 minutes.
4. Spread the swordfish in a single layer in the open space of the sauté pan. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom, about 1 minute. Flip the fish cubes and continue to cook on the other side until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir to combine the fish with the tomatoes.
5. Pour the wine into the pan and simmer, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom on the pan, until some but not all of the liquid has evaporated, 1 minute or less. Remove from the heat.
6. When the pasta is ready, reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of pasta water with a measuring cup, then drain the pasta. Add the pasta and reserved pasta water to the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, tossing and stirring, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce thickens and coats the pasta, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the parsley, toss to combine, and serve.