Giada De Laurentiis’ Sicilian Penne with Swordfish and Eggplant Is Simple But Elegant

One of the ocean’s meatiest seafoods meets an equally satisfying vegetable in this pasta dish from Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis.

Packed with flavor, it’s a delicious recipe that must be tried.

De Laurentiis’ pasta dish features cubed swordfish

The chef’s recipe calls for penne pasta, olive oil, minced garlic cloves, red chili flakes, chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, diced Japanese eggplants, cubed swordfish steaks, white wine, and halved cherry tomatoes.

In her cookbook Everyday Pasta, De Laurentiis says of this dish: “Many Sicilian dishes feature swordfish, since it is very plentiful in the waters surrounding the island.”

The Simply Giada star explained her thinking in going with Japanese eggplant for this dish. “Eggplant is also found in many dishes from this area, but I prefer the texture and taste of Japanese eggplants over the larger ones because their seeds are so tiny; there is also no need to salt the cubed eggplant because they aren’t as bitter as the fully mature ones can be.” 

Get the complete recipe from chef De Laurentiis’ cookbook Everyday Pasta or on Food Network’s site.

The chef’s dish is a simple, quick weeknight dinner

De Laurentiis’ meal is a great choice for the weeknight table; that’s how quickly it gets done.

The chili flakes and parsley are heated in an oiled large skillet, “until fragrant.” The eggplant is added and cooked until it’s on the soft side. De Laurentiis then calls for the eggplant to be removed from the skillet and set aside to make way for the swordfish that’s been seasoned with salt and pepper. 

A bit more olive oil is added to the pan and the fish is cooked in it “until opaque.” The white wine is added and the mixture simmers until the wine has evaporated.

At this point, De Laurentiis says to add the halved tomatoes, cooked pasta, and eggplant, as well as more chopped parsley. The dish is sprinkled with extra-virgin olive oil and ready to serve!  

Reviewers loved the chef’s quick and delicious pasta recipe

Home cooks on Food Network’s site praised De Laurentiis’ lighter pasta recipe, especially how quickly it comes together as well as its satisfying ingredients.

“I’m not a fan of pasta, but WOW….Loved it. Most pasta leaves me with a too-full feeling I hate. This was great with plenty of flavor,” one person wrote.

Another reviewer said, “As always, Giada has very easy recipes that are quick and very good. i love how the eggplant absorbs all of the garlic flavor and the different textures is [sic] also nice too. i loved it!”

Lastly, one home cook wrote, “An excellent recipe blending the best of three ingredients in a light and unusual dish. … This opens up new possibilities for when I have too much swordfish. Really lovely and elegant. My dinner guests loved it.”