Vic gives you the full recipe of how to cook Mezzo Rigatoni Con Pesce Spada e Melanzane (swordfish and eggplant) as seen on season 2, episode 2 of Eat! Drink! Italy!
Mezzo Rigatoni Con Pesce Spada e Melanzane
Ingredients
- 1 lb. mezzo rigatoni
- 1 medium Eggplant
- 1 lb. swordfish (take out blood line and dice into 1 inch squares)
- 1 pint fresh cherry tomatoes
- 1 pint Tomato sauce (see our recipe here)
- 8 oz. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves diced garlic
- Fresh basil
- Trapani sea salt
- Chili flakes
Instructions
- Keeping the skin on, dice the eggplant into half-inch squares.
- Heat 4 oz. of extra virgin olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan on medium heat.
- Put eggplant squares in olive oil, and fry until brown.
- Remove eggplant from olive oil and place on a white paper towel. Leave eggplant to rest until recipe calls for its inclusion.
- Boil water in an 8-quart saucepan adding 1 tablespoon of salt. When water comes to a boil, you are ready to add the mezzo rigatoni.
- Cook mezzo rigatoni according to instructions on the package. I like to take the pasta out 30 seconds before the recommended cooking time to insure the pasta is cooked al dente. This is very subjective, but please don’t overcook the pasta.
- In a 12 inch sauté pan on medium heat, heat up 2 oz of extra virgin olive oil. Add 2 cloves of diced garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and add 4 basil leaves broken by hand. Sautee until garlic is light brown. Now you’re ready to add the swordfish.
- Add diced swordfish to sauté pan. Sautee until slightly browned.
- Add quartered cherry tomatoes and salt to taste. Continue to sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce and then previously fried eggplant squares. Continue to sauté for 3 minutes.
- Drain rigatoni and add directly to sauté pan. Sautee for 1 minute, flipping ingredients together. Now you are ready to plate this dish.
- Spoon mezzo rigatoni and swordfish mixture into each bowl, garnish with ricotta salata, fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
