Grilled Swordfish and Eggplant with Fusilli and Tomatoes for #SundaySupper

Grilled Swordfish and Eggplant with Fusilli and Tomatoes. Cooking Chat #SundaySupper recipe

This recipe for Grilled Swordfish and Eggplant with Fusilli and Tomatoes was too good not to share! I was glad to see that the #SundaySupper BBQ Party is featuring a wide array of dishes beyond true "barbecue", so that I could bring this recipe to the virtual party. Thanks to Jenny from the Messy Baker and Melanie from Melanie Makes for co-hosting the event.

Inspired by the flavors of Sicily, this dish was so fresh tasting with awesome tomatoes and plenty of garlic to punch up the flavor of grilled swordfish and eggplant. A certain someone in our house who often passes on the seafood options was very enthused about how the swordfish tasted in this dish.

heirloom tomatoes diced and tossed with olive oil, garlic and parsley

Not a fan of eggplant? I wasn't either, until I learned to salt it, then grill as I do here. If you're already a fan, that's just another reason to make this soon! But please, if you come upon this dish later after tomatoes have gone out of season, please do not make this dish with hardened tomatoes found in the grocery stores in the winter! This is meant to be enjoyed in the summer only, with those awesome tomatoes just starting to roll in. I used a tasty heirloom variety. Enough preliminaries, on with the tasty details!
tomatoes on cutting board for Grilled Swordfish and Eggplant pasta dish

For the swordfish
12 to 16 ozs swordfish steak
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
dash of salt

Veggies and pasta
2 small eggplants, sliced semi-circles 1/2 inch thick
2 medium good quality summer tomatoes, diced
1 garlic clove minced
1 tbsp parsley
1 head of garlic, roasted (you can easily do this on the grill)

12 ozs fusilli pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup feta cheese
extra parmesan cheese to pass at table

Instructions
First, spread the eggplant sliced out on a plate in a single layer. Salt the eggplant slices generously, and let the eggplant sit and aborb the salt for at least 30 minutes. I've found this salting process to be a key factor in getting me to add eggplant to the list of veggies I enjoy.

grilling eggplant to toss with fusilli, tomatoes and grilled swordfish.


Preheat a grill to medium high. Spread the salted eggplant out in a grill pan or other such device to keep the eggplant from slipping through the grill grates. Coat with cooking oil spray. Place the grill pan on the grill to cook the eggplant. Turn the slices over after 5 minutes, and grill for another 5 minutes or so until the eggplant is cooked to a nice tenderness and has begun to caremelize. Remove the eggplant from the grill and set aside to cool. Note:  you can grill the eggplant directly on the grill if you don't have anything to put them in, but you'd want to use whole circle slices and turn them carefully. You can leave the grill on to be ready for the swordfish.

When you put the eggplant on the grill, start a pot of water to boil for pasta and prepare the swordfish marinade. Combine the 1/4 olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and a dash of salt in a large bowl. Add the swordfish, and gently turn it over to coat it thoroughly. Let the fish marinade for 10 to 15 minutes at room temp.

As the fish marinades, prep the tomatoes. Gently combine the diced tomatoes with 1 tbsp of olive oil, parsley, 1 clove of minced garlic and a dash of salt. Set aside.

fusilli getting stirred with grilled eggplant, tomatoes and feta cheese, to be served with grilled swordfish. Cooking Chat recipe.
Put the pasta on to cook just before you start grilling the swordfish. Remove the swordfish from the marinade, and gently shake off the excess marinade. Reserve the marinade. Place the swordfish on a the grill, and grill covered on medium high for about 6 minutes. Turn the swordfish over, and grill until just cooked through, which will take about 6 more minutes. Keep in mind the fish will cook a bit more while resting and you don't want to overcook it. Our swordfish steak was about an 1 1/2 inches thick, if yours is different that would impact the cooking time a bit.

When the fish is done, place on a platter and loosely cover with aluminum foil to keep warm as you put together the pasta dish. When the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain it and combine with 1 tbsp olive oil, the roasted garlic (squeezed out of the garlic skin after it has cooled enough to work with) and eggplant. Next stir in the feta cheese and olives, followed by one-half of the tomato mixture, saving the other half of the tomatoes to top off the dish. Bolded that step because the fresh tomato topping is key to taste and presentation!

To plate the dish, divide swordfish to have a piece ready for each diner. Plate a serving of pasta, followed by a piece of swordfish, then spread some of the reserved fresh tomato topping. A tablespoon or so is good to start, and pass the tomatoes along with parmesan cheese for additional toppings. Enjoy!
Grilled Swordfish and Eggplant with Fusilli and Tomatoes. Cooking Chat #SundaySupper recipe

Be sure to check out all these tasty creations from my fellow #SundaySupper bloggers!

Beverages
Appetizers
Sides and Accompaniments
Main Dishes
Desserts
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