Sicilian Penne with Swordfish and Eggplant

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I am a huge Giada fan and almost all of her recipes are excellent! This one, however, was not very good. It was very tasteless. Swordfish is quite expensive and it did nothing to add to the flavor of this dish. This is not a recipe I would ever make again.

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Absolutly wonderful! Great flavor and very easy to make.
Everyone raved about this dish.

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It is the simplicity of the ingredients that make this dish. Japanese eggplant is very tender even with the skin. I found it hard to find so now grow it in a big pot in my garden. I sear the fish to avoid it drying out and season well . The hint of heat from the red pepper is important but for me the star is the olive oil.

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The eggplant, swordfish and good EVOO make this a keeper. Instead of adding raw cherry tomatoes, I slow-roasted cut cherry tomatoes in a 275F oven for an hour. Topped them with EVOO, balsamic, garlic, salt, pepper and a little sugar. The intensified tomato flavor added more pop. Also added some lemon zest to the sofrito as well. Try it.

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I love swordfish and eggplant, so I just had to try this recipe. It was delicious! I took the advice of others and reduced the amount of pasta, but there was still too much (it fed me for days. I couldn't find any japanese eggplants, so I used a large purple eggplant, which worked just fine. Next time I make this dish, I'm gonna try using angel hair or fettucine instead of the penne. Great recipe Giada!

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We found this dish disappointingly bland. The flavors didn't meld, and the dish had no pop. We couldn't add enough salt and pepper. Thought it needed some acid and fresh herbs -- some lemon juice and zest plus some oregano and basil as others have suggested -- would help.

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My husband and I just had this for dinner tonight. It is absolutely one of Giada's best! I didn't change a thing except I used less penne than what the recipe called for. I'm part Italian on my mother's side (my grandmother was born in Reggio de Calabria, and I remember my grandmother making a lot of pasta dishes with many of these same ingredients, especially fresh fish of all kinds. This recipe is definitely a keeper! I will be enjoying it again and again! I plan on serving it at an upcoming dinner party! Thanks, Giada, for a fantastic recipe!

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I made this last nite, I pretty much followed the receipe except I had stripper bass in the freezer so that was the fish, the heat was just right and all the flavors melded well, my hardest critic couldn't get enough, and it was soooooo easy.
Thank you once more for making dinner special.
Rosemarie Powers
Yarmouth, Maine

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I don't care for swordfish nor eggplant, so I almost turned off watching this episode. I'm glad that I didn't, because I realized how just a few simple changes would make this recipe work for me. I used fresh halibut and substituted zucchini and summer squash. I also add some of my own blend of Italian seasoning. I did use the white wine. The smell in my kitchen got my husband's attention. In the end I added some fresh lemon zest and lemon juice, because I just love how it brightens flavor. This was a very healthy and delicious meal. I can see using shrimp, or even scallops with this recipe. Very good!

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So yes, this was a great meal! But the changes I made are as follows: cut recipe in 1/2, worked beautifully; Roasted the tomatoes with dried oregano and basil, S&P and smashed garlic before adding to the dish; Used 1 part Italian eggplant and 1 part zucchini and sauteed for about 10 minutes; Used the recommended amount of garlic for a full recipe; seasoned swordfish with S&P and dried oregano; squeezed some lemon juice over finished dish and did not add extra oil at the end. Bravo!