Paccheri from Gragnano with Monkfish Ragout

Ingredients for 4 pax

500 gr (17.5 oz) Paccheri hard wheat pasta from Gragnano
2 cloves of garlic
6 TBS of extra virgin olive oil
20 medium cherry tomatoes/ squeeze out water & seeds
400 gr (14 oz.) Monkfish fillet ( boneless)
salt and bit of chilly pepper
Fresh Parsley

Put oil into a large pan with garlic cloves and a bit of chilly pepper and when garlic is browning ( don’t let it burn) add monkfisk well chopped, put salt and parsley.
The secret to successful monkfish cookery is to not overcook. Whichever of the following cooking methods you choose, your monkfish will be cooked when its flesh becomes opaque but is still moist on the inside so Lets cook for 5/7 minutes as the fish cooks always very fast and then add cherry tomatoes and salt. Wait for 10 to 15 minutes and when the sauce is becoming thick turn down the flame.
Boil pasta for ten minutes, drain the pasta and pour it into the pan with monkfish ragout mixing on the range at medium flame with extra chopped parsley.


The monkfish is a bizarre-looking fish with a huge head and mouth. It uses an antenna sprouting from its head to attract little fish into biting range. The head is so ugly, French fishermen used to cut it off at sea for fear of frightening landlubbers. Monkfish live in East Coast waters and come to us as a by-catch in fishermen’s nets. Only the tail is eaten. Monkfish is known as “poor man’s lobster,” and though its lean texture resembles lobster, its mild taste is quite different.
Monkfish should smell like the ocean, without having a fishy odor.

Nutritional Highlights
Monkfish (cooked, dry heat), 3 oz. (84.9g)
Calories: 82.4
Protein: 15.8g
Carbohydrate: 0.0g
Total Fat: 1.6g
Fiber: 0.0g
*Excellent source of: Selenium (39.8mcg)
*Good source of: Niacin (2.8mg), Vitamin B6 (0.23mg), and Vitamin B12 (0.88mcg)