Lingue with Swordfish
Lingue al Pescespada
Region: Italy, Sicily
Category: Pasta with Fish
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy

The only member of the Xiphiidae family is the swordfish, a nomadic billfish that occasionally ventures into very cold, deep waters and returns to the surface in a stupor after its dive. The swordfish caught in the Straits of Messina have long been famous and figure prominently in cucina messinese. The famous Greek Sicilian of Magna Graecia, and the world's first purported cookbook writer, Archestratus of Gela, who wrote about 350 B.C., recommended the swordfish from the Strait "hard by the edge of Pelorum's jutting forehand" (that is, Messina). This preparation is popular with Sicilian housewives who use a pasta called lingue that is wider than linguine and narrower than fettuccine.

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 25 minutes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil     3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed     2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped     One 1/ 2-pound swordfish steak, diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste       Water as needed     10 large fresh basil leaves     3/4 pound lingue or linguine

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then cook the garlic cloves until they begin to turn light brown. Remove and discard.

2. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring, until the liquid from them has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add the swordfish, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to low, stirring for 4 minutes and adding some tablespoons of water if necessary to keep the sauce from becoming too thick. Add the basil leaves, stir, and remove from the heat. Check the seasoning and let the sauce rest for a few minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, salt abundantly, and add the pasta. Drain when al dente and toss with the swordfish sauce. Serve without cheese.

Variation: 

Note:  Archestratus fragment 34 in Athenaeus 1969-93: (VII) 314.

Posted: 01/10/2007