Fresh Taccozze Pasta With Sea Bass Recipes

SEA BASS "PUTTANESCA"

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Heat a large flat-bottom saute pan over medium heat. Melt the anchovy fillets in a little of their own oil until heated through, then add the white wine. Add the crushed tomatoes, olives, capers, basil, garlic and crushed red pepper if using. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for 3 minutes. Add the sea bass on top of the sauce. Cover the pan and poach the fish in the sauce for 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until firm but not overcooked, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
• Transfer the fish to a warm plate. Toss the pasta into the sauce to heat and coat evenly. Place the pasta on a serving plate and top with the sea bass. Sprinkle on parsley, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and add grated or shaved cheese. This is one fish dish that can stand up to added cheese.

SEA BASS ALLA FIORENTINA

Steps:

• Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow bowl, dredge the fish, tapping off the excess flour to create a light coating.
• In a medium nonstick fry pan, heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook the fish until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish to a plate.
• Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, tomatoes, water, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook at a simmer for 10 minutes. Add the basil and the fish and heat for 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

FRESH TACCOZZE PASTA WITH SEA BASS

Steps:

• To make the sauce: Pour the olive oil into the big pan, set it over medium heat, and scatter in the onion. Cook, stirring, for 3 or 4 minutes, until it begins to soften. Toss in the potato cubes, stir with the onion, and spread them out in the pan; cook for 5 minutes or so, tumbling them over occasionally, until they start to caramelize and stick to the pan bottom. Clear a space in the pan, and drop in the tomato paste; let it caramelize and toast in the hot spot for a minute, then stir together with the onion and potatoes.
• Drop in the celery and bay leaves, sprinkle on the salt, stir, and get everything sizzling, then pour in the cold water. Stir up the vegetables, cover the pot, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat to keep it bubbling nicely, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes start to fall apart and thicken the sauce.
• Drop in the cubes of fish and tomatoes, stir to distribute them, and heat the sauce back to an active simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes or so, until the sea bass is cooked through and the tomatoes have softened and dissolved into the sauce.
• Before cooking the taccozze-right in the sauce itself-I shake the diamond shapes by handfuls in a colander or strainer, removing excess flour. Then I drop all of the pasta at once into the simmering sauce. Stir and lift the taccozze with tongs, separating the flat pieces if they are stuck together. Cover the pan, and bring the sauce to a boil over high heat; cook the taccozze for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until al dente. Serve immediately in warm soup bowls.