Light swordfish and eggplant pasta with mint is my lighter version of the classic Sicilian recipe: a symbolic dish of Mediterranean cuisine.
Swordfish is a lean fish, making it particularly suitable for low-calorie diets.
I purchase it both fresh and thawed from the freezer section.
Eggplant is a vegetable rich in water and fiber.
In season from June to September.
Choose eggplants with a green stem, firm to the touch, with smooth, taut skin without blemishes, and an even color regardless of variety, shape – long, oval, round – and color – purple, black, white, red, striped.
I used eggplant in the form of a light cream, slightly colored and flavored with tomato sauce, becoming a smooth sauce perfect to enhance the delicate taste of swordfish.
I finished the dish with fresh and fragrant mint leaves.
The light swordfish and eggplant pasta with mint is a complete meal as it concentrates the characteristics that define a balanced meal in one dish.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 berry black oval eggplant
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- as needed tomato sauce (homemade)
- 160 g whole-wheat caserecce
- 2 steaks swordfish (weight according to dietary plan)
- 1 pinch garlic powder
- 1 shot white wine
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- leaves mint
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil (raw)
Suggested Tools
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Chopper or Mixer
- 1 Pan with lid preferably glass
Preparation
Thoroughly wash the eggplant, remove the peel, and cut it into chunks, removing the seed part – which, if you chose a good berry, will be few or absent.
Place the eggplant chunks in a saucepan without water and stir for a couple of minutes as if you want to brown them.
Add enough water to cover them – without overdoing it: if you put too much, they will float.
Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, until they are tender.
Drain them, wait until they are warm, and squeeze them well with your hands to remove excess water.Place in the mixer:
– the squeezed boiled eggplant;
– a pinch of salt;
– a pinch of pepper;
– 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce;
and blend until smooth and velvety homogeneous cream is obtained.
Rinse the swordfish steaks under running water and pat the remaining water with kitchen paper towels: they must be very dry.
Whether fresh or thawed, remove the swordfish steaks from the fridge at least half an hour before cooking them.
Further pat them with kitchen paper towels.Remove any skin, bone, and cartilage residues, then cut the swordfish into chunks.
In a pan, heat a sprinkle of garlic powder.
Deglaze with a shot of white wine.Add the swordfish and brown over high heat until it changes color evenly but without overcooking.
Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper and mix.Cook the pasta, rinse it under running water, and drain it.
Meanwhile, add the eggplant cream to the swordfish and heat until boiling while stirring.Pour the pasta into the pan with the swordfish and eggplant and mix.
With the heat off, add the mint leaves whole or chopped and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Plate.
Grind a little more pepper.Your light swordfish and eggplant pasta with mint is ready.
Enjoy your meal!
Storage, Tips, and Variations
If you prefer a more delicate taste, prepare the eggplant cream in white.
If you don’t like mint, replace it with basil or parsley.
Use whole-wheat pasta to increase fiber content.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use another type of fish?
The recipe calls for swordfish, but you can replace it with fresh tuna steaks.
