Pasta con Melanzana e Pescespada
(Pasta with Eggplant and Swordfish)

Servings: 2

What you’ll need:

• ½ slice swordfish slice (230g), remove boney spine and outer skin

• 1 medium eggplant (250g) 

• 1 clove garlic, half of clove minced, other half of clove remains whole

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Salt (¼ tsp.)

• Pepper (⅛-¼ tsp)

• 1 handful of Parsley, chopped

• 200g of your favorite tube pasta (I like calamarata, rigatoni, and paccheri)

Instructions

1. Place a shallow but wide dish on medium heat. Add olive oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the whole pan. Add the halved garlic piece that is intact and let it fry in olive oil for 1-2 minutes, just enough to give the oil some flavor, not enough to let the clove burn (turn clove or stir clove if necessary). 

2. Add in the chopped tuna pieces, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes until the tuna loses all of its pink color. Add a pinch of salt while stirring. 

3. Once the tuna is cooked through, add in the chopped fresh tomatoes, stirring to combine. Add a pinch more salt and the black pepper and let the tomatoes simmer with the tuna for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

4. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil. Add a small handful of salt (roughly ¼ cup) to the water, then cook pasta according to the package directions. Just before draining the pasta, reserve ½ cup pasta water in a mug. 

5. Drain the pasta and, if the tomatoes have softened and the consistency of the ragù is combined, add the pasta to the pan (note: if there’s not enough space for the sauce and the pasta in the pan, add the sauce to the pot where you cooked and drained the pasta, then add the pasta on top). 

6. Stir to combine the pasta with the ragù. If needed, add a splash of pasta water to the pasta and ragù in order to make it a little creamier or to have the pasta and the ragù blend better. 

7. Stir in minced garlic and chopped parsley. 

8. Serve and enjoy immediately.