Pasta Swordfish Tomato Eggplant (Printable Recipe)

A Sicilian pasta with swordfish, tomato, and eggplant for a light yet hearty summer meal.

# Ingredients You'll Need:

→ Base Components

01 - Kosher salt for pasta water and seasoning
02 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

03 - 1/2 pound eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
04 - 1 medium garlic clove, gently crushed
05 - 8 oz ripe cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

→ Protein & Pasta

06 - 3/4 pound swordfish, skin removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
07 - 1/2 pound rigatoni or spaghetti

→ Flavor Enhancers

08 - 1/4 cup dry white wine
09 - 1 teaspoon minced fresh mint and/or oregano leaves

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Fill a small pot with salted water and bring to a boil. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add diced eggplant and cook, stirring, until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggplant to paper towels to drain.
02 - Add crushed garlic to the skillet, lower heat to medium-low, and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove and discard garlic.
03 - Increase heat to medium-high and add swordfish pieces. Cook, stirring, until fish is opaque and just starting to brown lightly, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente according to package timing.
04 - Add cherry tomatoes and white wine to skillet and cook until wine has reduced slightly and raw alcohol smell is mostly gone, about 2 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break up the swordfish slightly. Stir in fresh herbs and season sauce with salt.
05 - Return cooked eggplant to skillet. When pasta is cooked, transfer to skillet along with about 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Cook, stirring, until sauce has reduced to a silky glaze. Drizzle generous amount of olive oil over pasta, toss to combine, then transfer to bowls and serve.

# Extra Tips:

01 - Young, in-season eggplants with small seeds don't require pre-salting. Only salt older eggplants with large seeds for 15-30 minutes to reduce bitterness.
02 - Fresh mint mixed with oregano approximates the traditional Italian herb nepitella, which is difficult to find outside Italy.
03 - Breaking swordfish into irregular pieces during cooking helps distribute it better throughout the pasta than perfect cubes.
04 - Use high-quality olive oil for finishing as it significantly impacts the final flavor and appearance of this simple dish.

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