Ingredients

– Penne – 1 lb. cooked al dente
– Sword Fish– 2 steaks, trimmed from bone and cubed into 1 ½” pieces
– Garlic – 4 to 5 cloves, rough chopped
– Olive Oil – about ½ a cup
– Graffiti Eggplant – 2 cut into squares 1” or smaller
(substitute: Japanese eggplant)
– Cherry Tomatoes – 2 large handfuls, halved
– Pine nuts – ½ cup, toasted in a hot sauté pan for about 1 to 2 minutes
– Capers – 2 teaspoons
– Parsley – large handful, flat-leaf, rough chopped
– Lemon – zested and juiced
– White Wine – about a glass and a half
– Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

How to make the Pesce spada alla Bagnarese:

Bring your pasta water to a boil.  And cook your penne noodles al dente.  Drain.  Reserve a cup of the now starchy cooking water.

In a large sauté pan, heat 2 glugs of olive oil over high heat.  Add your eggplant and garlic.  Cook until you get some color on the eggplant, then remove to a plate.  Salt and Pepper your chunks of halibut.  Reduce heat to medium-high. Add a glug more oil in the same pan if needed, then sauté your swordfish until it starts to brown on all sides.

This should only take about 2 minutes or so.  Stir in ¾ of your parsley.  Add your wine and lemon juice, let the alcohol cook off a bit.  Remove the pan from heat and re-add your cooked eggplant and garlic.  Fold in your cooked penne, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, capers, and remaining olive oil.

Adjust your seasoning with salt and pepper.  Now take a look at your sauce coating the noodles… if they look too dry, add a dash of more olive oil and some reserved cooking water.

Transfer to a large serving bowl, garnish with remaining parsley, lemon zest, and enjoy.

Serves 4

Regional recipe from Calabria