Strozzapreti with Swordfish Pasta Recipe from Sicily.
Strozzapreti with swordfish is a delicious example of how Southern Italians pair pasta with swordfish. It’s full of typical Mediterranean flavours and very easy to make!
Sicilian Strozzapreti with Swordfish.
Swordfish is a very popular steak fish loved by children and adults alike. As a kid, I remember eating it a lot when on holiday in Spain. I’m talking about a fair number of years ago now, of course, which I guess is a way of saying I’m no spring chicken!
Today, you can find swordfish in supermarkets or fishmongers everywhere! But, outside of Italy, it’s most often served as a main course either fried, grilled or oven baked. However, swordfish is a fabulous fish for pasta recipes. I only started eating it with pasta after moving to Italy. In fact, since coming to live here in 2003, I’ve developed a passion for almost any kind of seafood pasta!
Luckily for me, my hubby is Sicilian and he loves to cook and eat seafood pasta dishes. He’s introduced me to so many wonderful dishes at home in our kitchen and whilst travelling around Italy. Most especially in Sicily, where seafood is king of the kitchen and pasta its queen!
Step 1 Prepare the ingredients.
Seafood in Sicily.
I’ll never forget our first trip to Sicily for Valentine’s 2004, when we went to eat at a trattoria in the small harbour of Acitrezza . The restaurant had a wonderful display of seafood, most of which I couldn’t put names too. It was my first time eating things like sea dates, sea urchins, venus clams, mantis shrimps, razor clams, bottarga and more. And my first time eating pasta with some of these.
Step 2 Fry the garlic. capers and olives in olive oil and then add tomatoes.
Since that day, I’ve been hooked on the Sicilian seafood, on pasta with sea food and on my hubby too! (We weren’t married then.) The way to this woman’s heart was obviously through her stomach!
Step 3 Add the swordfish to the skillet
The pasta for this recipe.
Enough reminiscing! Now for the subject of today’s post, Sicilian strozzapreti with swordfish! As I have mentioned in other posts, strozzapreti pasta is an elongated type of trofie, most often handmade. But, we can also buy it dried. The name ‘strozzapreti’ means priest strangler or choker. You can read how this pasta got its name on my strozzapreti post.
Strozzapreti pasta is very often eaten with heavier meat sauces, especially away from coastal areas. However, it’s also a popular pasta partner for richer seafood sauces like this pasta with swordfish.
Step 4 Cook the fish and other ingredients for about 10 minutes. Then add parsley.
In Sicily, they also make a divine pasta with swordfish and eggplant and mint . However, normally the main ingredients are those typical of Central and Southern Italy; tomatoes, capers, olives, garlic, parsley and a little peperoncino for those who want theirs to have a bit of a kick!
Step 5 Add cooked pasta to the swordfish sauce.
This strozzapreti with swordfish recipe can also be made with other short pasta such as casarecce, rigatoni or penne. Do try it. I’m sure you’ll love the combination and be coming back for more time and again!
Step 6 mix the cooked pasta and swordfish sauce together.
Please do let me know if you make this pasta with swordfish dish. I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon Appetito!
Step 7 serve immediately and buon appetito!
SAVE THIS RECIPE FOR LATER?
If you want to save this recipe for later, you can print it, bookmark this page or save it to Pinterest.
Other Sicilian seafood pasta recipes to try!
- Spaghetti with baccala alla ghiotta
- Busiate with prawns, almonds and bottarga
- Sicilian fresh tuna meatballs with pasta
If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and other types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of my newly published autumn/winter pasta recipes cookbook!
This recipe was first published in 2017 but has been updated with new photos and text.
Swordfish pairs so well with pasta in this recipe full of the flavours of the Mediterranean. Easy to make and perfect for summer meals and seafood lovers!
- 400 g strozzapreti pasta (14oz) or other short pasta
- 500 g cherry tomatoes (17oz) halved
- 500 g swordfish steak/s (17oz) cut into cubes
- 10 g salted capers (0.5oz) or you can use capers in oil
- 1-2 garlic clove peeled
- 2 tbsp black olives pitted
- 1 handful of chopped parsley
- 1 tsp peperoncino flakes red chilli pepper to taste
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper for pasta and to taste
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Put a large pan of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again.
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If using salted capers desalinate them under running water, rinsing several times thoroughly. Peel the garlic.
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Cut tomatoes into quarters. Skin the swordfish steak/s and cut it into strips about 2 cm wide, then cut it into cubes.
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Pour a little olive oil into a non-stick frying pan or skillet, heat it and add the garlic clove, peeled and left whole (so it will be easier then remove it) cook for about 2-3 minutes over a medium heat until it softens.
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Add the olives and capers, then season with salt and pepper. Then add the halved tomatoes. Cook well for about 10 minutes on low heat. Add peperoncino flakes if you are going to use them.
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At this point add the swordfish cubes and stir the ingredients for even cooking. Cook over a low heat for another 5 minutes. (Swordfish doesn't take long to cook)
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Add half the amount of finely chopped parsley, cook for a further minute. Remove the garlic and turn off the heat.
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Cook the pasta al dente in the boiling water according to the instructions on the packet. When cooked, drain the pasta and pour directly into the pan with the fish and cherry tomatoes.
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Sprinkle with remaining parsley (always finely chopped) and mix all the ingredients together well Serve while still hot.
This pasta dish can be kept in the fridge for a day if you have leftovers but it’s better to serve immediately after cooking. You can also freeze it but only if the fish was fresh not frozen.
Instead of strozzapreti you can use other types of short pasta such as penne, rigatoni, cavatelli etc
You can use fresh or frozen swordfish for this recipe. If you can't find swordfish it's also very good with fresh tuna.
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This recipe is right up my alley! I love all these flavors, especially the capers and tomatoes. I never would have thought to cut up the swordfish like that too; what a great idea! thank you for sharing. Pinning to make later
Wow, what a great combination of flavours! Ill make sure to try this soon as I think my family will love it! We live in Spain so we should be able to get good quality and fresh swordfish. Thanks for sharing!
I need to try this soon for something different! I just need to find a good source of swordfish.
I’ve never tried swordfish but I sure am interested after reading this post. It sounds delicious. This recipe looks super easy but the outcome looks amazing. Thanks for the motivation to try something new!
We loved this! Kids even had second helpings
This Strozzapreti with Swordfish sounds simply delightful!! I adore all of your post , I feel like I am sitting at your table getting a lesson in true Italian dishes. I wish swordfish was a common fish to buy at the markets in the states but it is not unfortunately.
While stationed in Germany, my husband and I visited Sigonella Air Base in Sicily for work. We ate seafood dinner in Catania and experienced dishes like this one. You’re right, they are addictive. I will take this one for a spin and relive those memories. Thanks for sharing!
Happy Holidays!
I just wanted to drop by and share my thoughts on this wonderful tasting Strozzapreti with swordfish. It turned out perfect. I made it exactly as directed and was thrilled with the results. I could not have asked for a better pasta dish! This recipe is a keeper.
Your posts always bring a welcome feel of the good kind of homesickness to this Italian girl abroad! I miss Italian food, and as much as I can replicate most of the recipes you share, sometimes it’s a little more challenging. Swordfish is not an easy find here in Sweden, but the next time I have the chance to get it it will definitely be paired with cherry tomatoes and strozzapreti for sure!
I love swordfish so much and this is just the kind of simple recipe that makes it shine. Thanks for the inspiration!
This looks delicious and healthy. If have to see if I can get any decent swordfish in this neck of the woods!
Made this for the family and it was a hit!
I love the shape of this pasta and the dish looks so flavorful! Saving so I can make this for dinner tonight!
This is so unique! I can’t say that I have had swordfish pasta, but it is definitely something that I would love to try!
This dish was super simple to make but was packed with flavor!! We loved it!
Beautiful simple recipe. I believe it comes together to make a fine plate of pasta indeed. Thank you for the inspirations.