![Simplest Steamed Fish](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/05/27/dining/Simplest-Steamed-Fish/Simplest-Steamed-Fish-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Olive-Oil-Poached Fish With Pasta
![Olive-Oil-Poached Fish With Pasta](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/04/02/dining/Olive-Oil-Poached-Fish/Olive-Oil-Poached-Fish-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 40 to 60 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 6oysters
- 2large or 4 medium squids, cleaned and cut up
- ½cup good olive oil, plus some for garnish
- 4 to 8cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
- Several sprigs of thyme
- ¼ to ½pound striped bass, preferably a strip of belly
- ¼ to ½pound halibut
- ¼ to ½pound swordfish
- 2 to 4scallops
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon wedges
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
- 20cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- Pinch cayenne, optional
- 1pound cut pasta, like rigatoni
- ¾cup shredded basil, or more
Preparation
- Step 1
Steam the oysters in a little water, ¼ inch or less, just until they’re easy to open. When they’re cool enough to handle, open them and cut the meats in half. Meanwhile, cook the squids in the same liquid just until opaque, less than 2 minutes. Take them out with a slotted spoon and reserve the liquid. Turn off the heat.
- Step 2
Set a big pot of water to boil for the pasta and salt it. In a broad skillet, add the olive oil, garlic and thyme and turn the heat to medium-low. Gently cook all the fish and scallops in the oil, in batches if necessary, flipping and turning as needed. Don’t rush and don’t worry about browning anything; just cook until each piece is tender, which will be different for each fish, but not more than 10 minutes for any. Do not overcook. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the garlic behind. (Discard the thyme.) Season with salt and pepper and put on a platter with the lemon wedges and chopped parsley. Drizzle with oil.
- Step 3
Add the tomatoes and cayenne to the oil and cook at a lively pace, stirring occasionally, until saucy, 10 to 12 minutes. Start the pasta in the meantime. When the tomatoes are ready, stir in the reserved cooking liquid, oysters and squid and cook a bit longer, another 3 or 4 minutes. Taste and season as needed.
- Step 4
When the pasta is almost tender, drain it and toss it with the sauce and the basil; cook another minute or so until the pasta is ready. Serve the pasta in bowls, and pass plates on the side for the fish.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Excellent. Use a variety of seafood. Double the tomatoes.
I’d never oil-poached seafood before but loved this when we had it a couple months ago. Used lumaconi as the pasta which worked really well. Use a variety of seafood but don’t be too uptight about the exact roster. I think I used swordfish, cod, shrimp and scallops because that’s what I had. Adjust the cooking time depending on what it is and maybe don’t add them all in simultaneously. Agree that a few more tomatoes was a good thing. Looking forward to making it again now during Lent.
Great recipe; dealt with as Inspiration vs exact. Only had a nice piece of swordfish and NYT recipe Winter Roasted Tomatoes. Cooked fish in last of EVOO plus oil with roasted garlic marinating, to make full quantity. Removed fish @nearly done. Added Winter Tomatoes with their amazing oil. Added defrosted fresh pasta and seafood broth (from shrimp shells etc.) to oils. Added fresh thyme, parsley to pasta to cook altogether. Returned fish to reheat, get happy together. What anAwesome Inspiration!
Fantastic flavor! Only used scallops and shrimp, but sauce was great.
Excellent. Use a variety of seafood. Double the tomatoes.
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