Pasta & Fish: The Perfect Marriage
For most Italians, the sea is never very far away. Though a relatively small country, Italy has 5000 miles of coastline—so it’s easy to understand why fish and “frutti di mare” (literally “the fruits of the sea”) have always had a special importance in Italian daily life and in regional culinary traditions.
By Piergiorgio and Amy Nicoletti
The love Italians have for fish—and love is not too strong a word here—begins early in life; it’s common to see toddlers enjoying their first taste of filet of sea bass (branzino, in Italian) or sole (sogliola). Some of the most succulent seafood dishes in the world—from spaghetti with mussels to tagliolini with prawns and radicchio—can be found in Italy. Regional recipes for salt-water fish—and sometimes for fresh-water fish from Italy’s many lakes, rivers, and streams—are some of the most celebrated dishes in Italian cuisine.
It is well known that eating fresh fish is
one of the healthiest ways to make sure you and your family are getting your daily supply of proteins and minerals; so serving fish and fish-based pastas are always a wise choice. Compared to meat, poultry and even vegetables, fish is relatively economical—especially when part of a pasta dish. Many fish pasta dishes (paste di pesce) are delicious and gorgeous visually, yet very easy and quick to prepare. Seafood—which includes salt-water fish, mollusks, and shellfish—provide a dazzling array of color, texture and taste.
For Italians, pairing pasta with a choice of luscious seafood—such as squid (calamari), cuttlefish (seppie) and octopus (polpo), to name just the a few—is a kind of amusing culinary sport! There are hundreds of possible variations; the most popular ingredients in many regional paste di pesceinclude: clams, mussels, squid, cuttlefish and its gorgeous purplish-black ink, andoctopus. Other favorites are gamberoni, gamberi and gamberetti—all of which are variations of shrimp and prawns. Lobster, found along the coast of Sardinia, is also very much appreciated though very expensive. Some of the most popular fish pasta dishes are made with tuna fish, swordfish, and more recently, salmon. Though in Italy salmon must always be imported, in the last 15 years or so, it has become a very important part of Italian cuisine. Small-size fishes—such as anchovies, sardines and mullets—are also very important in many traditional regional recipes. Some of Italy’s most beloved recipes for these small fish come from the islands of Sardinia and Sicily. A specialty from the island of Sardinia is bottarga— a salted, pressed and dried roe (fish eggs) of either tuna or grey mullet—is featured in such favorite recipes as Spaghetti alla bottarga.
The secret of a perfect plate of pasta is often in its simplicity—and using a very small number of ingredients. Combine just a few really good—meaning fresh, locally produced—ingredients, cook them quickly and wisely, and you’ll always get great results. The few basic ingredients for some of the most exquisite Italian recipes are extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley, tomatoes and often dry white wine and chili peppers. When these essentials of Italian cuisine are combined with beautiful fresh fish, you can be sure that a delicious dinner will await you—whether you’re on the Amafi coast or Pennsylvania.
Some of our favorite fish sauce RECIPES:
