Swordfish with Spaghetti Puttanesca
Tomato week is coming to an end, but it will live on forever in our hearts.
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As I was tomato week planning, I kept thinking about puttanesca, which is a sauce that I remember eating growing up, but not necessarily as an adult. It’s usually more of a “pull things out of the pantry” sauce, but I wanted a more summery version with market tomatoes.
This recipe isn’t a traditional puttanesca because of the fresh tomatoes, and because I swapped anchovies for miso. It was a bit of a Hail Mary test because I forgot to grab anchovies, and it works! What miso lacks in fishy flavor, it makes up in deeply funky-umami flavor, and I think it’s a pretty decent sub. If you have anchovies, you can definitely use them, I just didn’t want to take another trip to the store. I added fish to make this more of a meal, and because a sauce like this is made for a meaty fish. I tested both swordfish and tuna here, and while I think both work, I happen to like swordfish better in this application.
Before we jump to the recipe, we’ve reached the end of Tomato Week! Here’s what else we’ve been cooking:
Swordfish with Spaghetti Puttanesca
Serves 4
1.5 lbs swordfish
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp capers
1/2 cup olives, roughly chopped. I like a mix of green and black
1 tbsp miso
4 gloves garlic, smashed
3/4 pound spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan, about 1/4 cup
Handful of rough chopped herbs (basil, parsley, oregano), about 1/2 cup
Salt & Pepper
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl about 2 tbsp olive oil in the pan and add the garlic. Cook for about a minute, add the miso and cook for another minute more. Add the capers and olives, cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, mix, let burble over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust for salt, but you might not need it because of the capers, onions and miso.
Add spaghetti to water and cook two minutes less than al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
Salt both sides of the swordfish. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add the swordfish and cook on each side 4-6 minutes depending on thickness. Once the fish is flipped, the second side might need a tad longer. The fish will flake when it’s cooked. Remove and set aside to rest.
Once the pasta is cooked, add to the skillet with the puttanesca, add the pasta water, and cook for two minutes more, constantly stirring so some noodles don’t overcook compared to others. When the pasta is cooked, remove from the heat, add in the herbs and parmesan, and mix to incorporate.
Divide pasta among 4 bowls. Top with portion of flaked fish, herbs, and another swirl of olive oil.