Equipment
Ingredients
Pangrattato (Crispy Breadcrumbs)
- 30 g coarse breadcrumbs
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 garlic, minced
Seafood & Pasta
- 200 g fresh tagliarini, chilled
- 200 g red mullet fillets, pin-boned and scaled
Sauce
- 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 40 g kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
- 2 garlic, thinly sliced
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 30 ml olive oil
- 10 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zested
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 578 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbohydrates
- 43 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 390 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 18 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 82 mg
- Potassium
- 485 mg
- Calcium
- 103 mg
- Iron
- 3.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 60 mg
- Phosphorus
- 323 mg
- Zinc
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 67 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 10 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 97 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.47 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.31 mg
- Niacin
- 7.3 mg
- Folate
- 97 mcg
- Water
- 177 g
- Alcohol
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare all vegetables and aromatics: mince one garlic clove for the breadcrumbs, thinly slice the remaining two cloves for the sauce, halve the cherry tomatoes, pit and chop the olives, and finely chop the fresh parsley.
Heat 15ml of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and coarse breadcrumbs. Toast, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Transfer immediately to a small bowl and set aside.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil at 100°C/212°F. Keep covered until ready to cook the pasta.
Heat 30ml of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the red mullet fillets lightly with salt and place them skin-side down in the hot oil. Sear for 2 minutes until the skin is crisp, then gently flip and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the fish to a plate and flake it into large pieces using a fork.
Reduce the heat under the large skillet to medium. Add the sliced garlic, cherry tomatoes, and chopped olives. Sauté for 3 minutes, pressing down lightly on the tomatoes so they begin to soften and release their juices into the oil.
Pour the dry white wine into the skillet to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes until the liquid reduces by half and thickens slightly.
Drop the fresh tagliarini into the boiling salted water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Before draining, carefully scoop out and reserve about 50ml of the starchy pasta cooking water.
Add the drained tagliarini, the flaked red mullet, and the chopped parsley to the large skillet with the tomato and olive sauce. Toss gently using tongs to combine without breaking up the fish too much.
Pour in the reserved pasta water and toss continuously over low heat for 1 minute. The starches in the water will bind with the oil and wine to create a cohesive sauce that coats the noodles evenly.
Divide the pasta immediately between two warm plates or shallow bowls. Top generously with the toasted garlic breadcrumbs and freshly grated lemon zest just before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Red mullet is incredibly delicate and notoriously full of fine pin bones. Ask your fishmonger to pin-bone it for you, or meticulously check the fillets with tweezers before cooking.
- Do not skip removing the fish from the pan before making the sauce. Red mullet overcooks in a flash, and folding it back in at the end preserves its sweet flavor and tender texture.
- The starch from the fresh pasta water is crucial for creating a creamy sauce without the use of dairy. Always reserve a bit more water than you think you will need, just in case the pasta absorbs it quickly.
- If your cherry tomatoes are out of season and lack sweetness, a tiny pinch of sugar added during the sauté step can help balance their acidity.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store pasta and breadcrumbs in separate airtight containers. Seafood pasta degrades quickly in quality.
Reheating: Gently warm in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water. Top with breadcrumbs after reheating.
Troubleshooting
Breadcrumbs are burnt and taste bitter.
Cause: Heat was too high or crumbs were left in the hot pan after toasting.
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Discard and make a fresh batch.
Prevention: Toast over moderate heat, stir constantly, and transfer to a cool bowl immediately when golden.
Sauce is watery and pools at the bottom of the bowl.
Cause: Not enough reduction or lack of starchy pasta water to bind the fats.
Fix: Return to the pan over medium heat and toss for another minute until the liquid evaporates and emulsifies.
Prevention: Ensure the wine reduces by half before adding pasta, and toss vigorously with the starchy water.
Red mullet is dry and tough.
Cause: Fish was left in the pan while building the sauce.
Fix: Cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Always remove delicate seafood from the pan after the initial sear and fold it back in at the very end.
Cultural Context
In Southern Italy, toasted breadcrumbs known as pangrattato are frequently referred to as the poor man's parmesan. They provide a deeply savory, satisfying crunch to seafood pasta dishes where traditional grated cheese is culturally and gastronomically avoided. Red mullet, known locally as triglia, is highly prized in the Mediterranean for its sweet, almost shellfish-like flavor that pairs beautifully with the briny bite of local olives.
