Pesce all’Acqua Pazza (Fish With White Wine and Cherry Tomatoes)
Published Dec. 13, 2022
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 4(8-ounce) skinless white fish fillets, such as cod or halibut, preferably of an even thickness
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1small yellow onion, minced
- 4garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 4cups cherry tomatoes
- ½cup white wine
- ½teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
- 3 to 4basil leaves, torn into small pieces
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
378 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 42 grams protein; 1087 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high and add the oil, tilting the pan to coat. Add the fish fillets and cook for about 1 minute, until you can easily slide a spatula underneath to release the fish. Transfer fish, cooked-side up, to a rimmed plate.
- Step 2
Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, garlic and red-pepper flakes to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and garlic begins to brown. Add tomatoes, white wine and sugar (if using). Cover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, until tomatoes begin to burst.
- Step 3
Uncover and add ½ cup water plus 1 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium-high and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step 4
Carefully place the fish on top of the sauce, cooked-side up, along with any liquid from the dish. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the fish is opaque and just cooked through.
- Step 5
Remove from heat and garnish with fresh torn basil. To serve, spoon the burst tomatoes into a dish, place the fish on top and add the broth on top.
Private Notes
Comments
I’ve been making another version of this recipe, also found in Times Cooking, from Marcella Hazan. It’s also titled Pesce All’Acqua Pazza, but parenthetically explicated as “Fish in Crazy Water.” It has no onions or white wine, but does have fennel seeds, which I feel really make the dish.
A well seasoned cast iron skillet can handle a quick simmer of something acidic, like tomatoes. It’s the all-afternoon simmering of a tomato-based sauce that you want to avoid. A stainless skillet would work just as well but if all you have is cast iron, don’t be afraid to use it for a recipe like this.
I didn’t have white wine, so I substituted high quality balsamic vinegar, it turned out beautifully. I also left out the sugar. I didn’t have fresh or cherry tomatoes either so I just used Rao’s Homemade Tomato Basil pasta sauce.
I’ve been making this recipe once a week or so for the past couple of weeks. It’s so easy and comes out tasting like a restaurant quality meal every time! This past week we made this and added a can of white beans and feta cheese at the end. Highly recommend! The feta made the tomatoes nice and creamy and gave a good tang to the sauce. We eat it with crusty bread for a full meal.
Beautifully easy in a 10” cast iron skillet, I used grapeseed oil for initial high heat seasoning, and took a bit longer than 5 min for tomatoes to burst. Wouldn’t change anything else. Used mahi mahi filets, which were about 3/4” thick, so the last step took longer than specified to get the fish up by to temperature (I never trust the flakiness tests!)
I doubled this recipe for 7 of us, and there were plenty of leftovers. It was delicious--the sauce was so, so good with the fish and over rice. Served with basmati made in the Persian style (crispy potatoes on the bottom) and roasted vegetables on the side. I will definitely make this again--I already have it flagged for Passover.