Home

Spaghetti with gurnard and asparagus

17/11/2023

Spaghetti with gurnard and asparagus is a spring dish that’s light and very aromatic. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

  • 320 g of spaghetti
  • 400 g of gurnard (if you can’t find gurnard, you can use another type of white flesh fish like sea bream or scabbardfish)
  • 1 bunch of asparagus (about 300 g)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
  • Dry white wine (a small glass for deglazing)

Preparation

  1. Fish cleaning: Clean and fillet the gurnard removing any bones. Then cut the fillets into pieces of about 2 cm.

  2. Asparagus preparation: Wash the asparagus and remove the toughest part of the stem. Cut off the tips and set them aside; slice the rest of the stems into thin rounds.

  3. Cooking the asparagus: In a large pan, sauté a clove of garlic in extra virgin olive oil, add the asparagus rounds (excluding the tips) and let them brown slightly. After a couple of minutes, add the asparagus tips and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Deglaze with a bit of white wine and let it evaporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Cooking the gurnard: In another pan, sauté another clove of garlic in extra virgin olive oil and add the gurnard pieces, browning them on all sides. Deglaze these too with white wine and let cook for about 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.

  5. Cooking the spaghetti: Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions for an al dente texture.

  6. Completing the dish: Once cooked, drain the spaghetti, keeping a bit of the cooking water. Combine the spaghetti in the pan with the asparagus and gurnard, gently stirring to blend the ingredients and, if necessary, add a little cooking water to make the dish creamier.

  7. Serving: Plate the spaghetti and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley for a pop of color and flavor.

Curiosity

The gurnard, also known as the tub gurnard, is a fish much appreciated in cooking for its white, lean and tasty flesh. It’s not as well known as more commercial species, but it’s equally delicious and lends itself to various recipes, particularly those from the Mediterranean tradition.