Spaghetti with Swordfish & Hot Peppers

Spaghetti with swordfish and hot peppers is the kind of fast, salt-air pasta you find on tables along the Sicilian coast. Cubed swordfish simmers briefly with garlic, jalapeños, plum tomatoes, and a splash of white wine, just five or six minutes total, which is exactly long enough to set the fish without overcooking it into rubber.

The finishing trick is what gives the dish its character: fresh mint stirred in off the heat, then a final shower of chopped fennel fronds over the bowl right before serving. Mint and fennel together cut through the richness of the swordfish and brighten the whole plate without competing with the chile heat.

The pasta gets cooked truly al dente and dropped straight into the pan with the fish so the starchy residue clings to the sauce. Toss, transfer to a warm bowl, scatter the fennel, eat immediately.

Pro Tips

• Cut the swordfish into uniform quarter-inch cubes so every piece cooks at the same rate. Bigger chunks turn dry and chewy.
• Use a wide sauté pan, not a saucepan. The fish needs surface area to cook quickly without steaming in its own liquid.
• Save half a cup of the pasta water before draining. A splash loosens the sauce if it tightens up while you’re tossing.
• Don’t skip the mint and fennel. They sound optional, but they’re the whole signature of this dish.

Variations

• Swap swordfish for cubed tuna steak or even fresh salmon.
• Add a handful of capers and pitted Castelvetrano olives for a more puttanesca-leaning bowl.
• Stir in a pinch of saffron with the white wine for a deeper, more aromatic seafood pasta.