Spaghetti With Swordfish in Tomato Sauce With
Fennel
By Arthur Schwartz (New York Times 6/25/00)
2 pounds
swordfish cut in slices about 1/2- inch thick
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 cup parsley, loosely packed and finely cut
2 teaspoons fennel seed
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can crushed Italian plum tomatoes
Salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) to taste
I pound spaghetti.
1. Cut the skin off the swordfish; then cut the fish into
cubes. Place in one layer in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
(If preparing ahead, cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate until 15 minutes before serving time.)
2. In a medium-size saucepan, combine the oil and garlic
and place over low heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle,
but not color, add the parsley, the fennel seed and the hot
red pepper. Raise the heat slightly and continue to cook
for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Add the crushed
tomatoes to the oil-and-garlic mixture, stir well and bring
to a simmer over medium heat. Season with salt to taste,
then simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring a couple of
times. (The sauce may be prepared ahead. If refrigerating,
reheat to warm before proceeding.)
4. Put a large pot of water over high heat to boil for the
spaghetti.
5. Pour the warm sauce over the swordfish and place in the
oven. After the fish and sauce have cooked in the oven for
about 10 minutes, add salt to the boiling water and boil
the spaghetti until done to taste. Bake the fish and sauce
for an additional 10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling
gently around the edges and the fish is cooked.
6. Drain the spaghetti; then return it to the pot in which
it was boiled. Pour about two-thirds of the swordfish sauce
over it and toss well. Place the dressed spaghetti into a
warmed serving bowl, top with the remaining sauce and serve
immediately.
Yield: 4 servings as a main course; 6 as a first course.