Grilled Marinated Swordfish and Pesto Pasta

Oh em gee...these are beautiful! *drool*

Pick your weapon...and dig in!

Pesto.  Yummy pesto!  Other than its loaded nutrients, we are impressed by it's versatility and deliciousness bringing a boring dish (pasta particularly) to a new level of goodness!  We try to keep pesto in our fridge at all times.  We just don't know when we need them, especially during busy days.  Once in a while we settle for store-bought jarred pesto, but most of any given time we make our own.  There's nothing compares to the fresh ones!  Last year, Sweetpea and I planted basil in the pots.  We delightfully had a lot of usage to it, from salad to pesto.  The next summer, we planted cilantro.  This is where I researched what other good use we can do to it other than incorporating in Mexican dishes.  Andre and I love cilantro so much that making a pesto out of it is such a genius idea.  I usually make tons of them that I segregate the leftovers into small servings, put in ziplock bags and freeze them.  Anytime I need them, just grab a pack, defrost and mix into a hot pasta and voila!  you'll get an instant pesto pasta!

In this case, we perfectly paired it with wild-caught swordfish steaks.  Swordfish is sort of a meaty, firm fish.  It has almost the same texture as tuna, to my opinion.  Grilling or pan-frying is a good option to cook them.  The marinade of the dish was just divine!  Serve along with homemade cilantro pesto pasta and some leftover white wine, it was a lovely meal that we truly enjoyed! 



Grilled Marinated Swordfish

4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 swordfish steaks
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
4 slices lemon, for garnish (optional)


In a glass baking dish, combine the garlic, white wine, lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.  Mix just to blend.  Place swordfish steaks into the marinade, and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning frequently.  

Option 1: Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.  Lightly sprinkle swordfish with salt and pepper on both sides.  Grill swordfish steaks for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.  Serve with cilantro pesto pasta alongside.

Option 2: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Lightly sprinkle swordfish with salt and pepper on both sides.  Add swordfish to skillet.  Cook until browned, about 3 minutes.  Turn swordfish over and transfer to oven.  Roast until just cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.  Transfer swordfish to plates.  Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.  Serve with cilantro pesto pasta alongside. 


Cilantro Pesto Pasta 
*I try to make the pesto ahead of time, store in a tight container and refrigerate.

1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup almonds
3 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 salt

Combine the cilantro, garlic and almonds in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Add the parmesan , oil and salt. and puree to a smooth paste.  Stir into hot pasta and serve.


Yield: 4 servings (both recipes)

Grilled Marinated Swordfish recipe courtesy:  Allrecipes.com, MIKE T 007
Cilantro Pesto recipe courtesy: Food.com, Dragonshoes