Pasta with swordfish alla ghiotta 

The pasta with swordfish all'agghiotta is a tasty first course with a tantalizing scent, easy to prepare and of sure effect, in which the pasta is seasoned using a traditional Sicilian fish recipe: the swordfish all'agghiotta (often called, in a not perfectly correct way, "alla ghiotta"), a dish that has a leading role in the Sicilian maritime gastronomic culture. Originally from Messina, it then spread throughout the island with numerous variations and also in Calabria there is a similar recipe: all versions have in common tomatoes, olives and capers, to which onions are almost always added and in some cases raisins and pine nuts. In addition to swordfish, very common and appreciated for the preparation of agghiotta are the stocco (also called stocco alla missinese). It is common custom that the exquisite sauce that is leftover from agghiotta is used for the seasoning of a first course: sometimes I happen to want to prepare pasta directly with this recipe, in which case it takes less than a couple of ounces of swordfish to get a truly exceptional dish.

Ingredients

pasta, 360 grams

swordfish, 180 grams

onions, two medium

tomatoes, 400 grams (or tomato puree)

Capers, a handful

green olives, about ten

salt to taste

chili pepper

extra virgin olive oil 

Preparation

Peel the onion and slice thinly. Brown the onion in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of oil, then add the pitted olives, the capers well rinsed and squeezed and the peeled tomatoes, removed from the seeds and cut into small pieces. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the swordfish cut into chunks to the prepared sauce and continue cooking for another ten minutes over low heat. In the meantime, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water. Carefully add a little salt, keeping in mind that capers and olives are already very tasty, and a pinch of chili. Drain the pasta and season it with the sauce: our pasta with swordfish all'agghiotta is ready to be served on the table.