Description
This Calabrian Fish Ragu is a vibrant and flavorful Italian-inspired dish featuring tender cubes of firm white fish simmered in a spiced tomato sauce with fragrant toasted fennel and black peppercorns. Served tossed with linguine and topped with crunchy pangrattato and freshly grated Parmesan, it’s a comforting yet elegant seafood pasta that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Fish and Spice Mix
- 250g / 8 oz firm white fish fillets (skinless, boneless, cut into 2 cm / 0.8″ cubes; barramundi, snapper, cod)
- 3/4 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika (substitute: ordinary paprika)
- 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes (adjust to taste or omit)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1/2 tsp caster / superfine sugar
- 3/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
Pasta
- 250g / 8 oz linguine pasta (or fettuccine, spaghetti)
- 1 tbsp cooking / kosher salt (for pasta water)
- 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sauce and Garnish
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3/4 cup tomato passata (US: tomato puree)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- Parmesan cheese, finely grated (for serving)
Pangrattato (Toasted Breadcrumbs)
- 1 cup stale bread like sourdough or ciabatta (crusts removed, torn/chopped into irregular 1 cm / 0.4″ pieces)
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch cooking / kosher salt
Instructions
- Toast & grind: Preheat a large deep skillet or pot over medium heat without any oil. Add black peppercorns and fennel seeds and toast for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until fragrant and the fennel is lightly browned. Immediately transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind to a powder while still hot.
- Coat fish: Place the fish cubes into a medium bowl. Add the ground toasted spices along with smoked paprika, red chilli flakes, nutmeg powder, sugar, salt, olive oil, and tomato paste. Stir well with a spatula to evenly coat the fish. Set aside to marinate briefly.
- Cook pasta: Bring 3 liters of water to a rolling boil with 1 tablespoon of cooking salt. Cook linguine according to package instructions minus 1 minute for al dente texture. Just before draining, scoop out 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain pasta in a colander and keep aside.
- Make Calabrian fish ragu: Reheat the same skillet used for toasting over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté the minced garlic for 1 minute until aromatic. Add the spiced fish cubes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking. Pour in the tomato passata and reduce heat to medium-low, letting it simmer gently for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 cup of reserved pasta water and simmer for an additional 2 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
- Toss pasta: Add the drained pasta and 3/4 of the chopped parsley to the skillet with the fish ragu. Toss everything together thoroughly for 1 minute to coat the pasta with the sauce evenly. The fish will mostly flake into small pieces with some larger chunks remaining for texture. Once the pasta is well-coated and glossy, remove from heat.
- Serve: Divide the pasta into serving bowls. Sprinkle generously with pangrattato (toasted breadcrumbs) and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately while hot.
- Make pangrattato: Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced). In a small bowl, toss the bread pieces with 2 teaspoons olive oil and a pinch of salt until evenly coated. Spread the bread in a single layer on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, tossing halfway through at 5 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are crisp and light golden.
Notes
- Use firm white fish like barramundi, snapper, or cod for best texture; avoid flaky fish that will disintegrate.
- If you don’t have whole black peppercorns and fennel seeds, you can use an equivalent amount of their ground versions, but toasting whole spices fresh enhances flavor.
- Passata is a smooth tomato puree; substitute with canned tomato puree if needed.
- Stale crusty bread is ideal for pangrattato to get crispy breadcrumb topping.
- Use the same skillet for toasting spices and cooking fish to build layers of flavor.
- Reserve some pasta cooking water to adjust sauce consistency and help bind sauce to pasta.
- Adjust red chilli flakes to your preferred heat level or omit for mild flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: fish ragu, Calabrian fish, Italian pasta recipe, spicy fish sauce, pangrattato, seafood linguine, easy fish pasta
