Pasta Pesto Rosso with Pan-fried Weever Fish

Creamy yet refreshing weever fish, a bowl of pasta with red pesto on the table, and your favorite people around you: what more could one ask for? This pasta is made for sharing on a warm summer’s day.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 weever fish (ask your fishmonger to clean them)
• 400 g radiatori pasta
• ½ jar sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 roasted red peppers (from a jar)
• 200 g Parmesan cheese + extra to serve
• Handful of fresh basil
• 2 lemons
• 50 g pine nuts
• 1 red chili
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ tbsp Neolea Citrus Sea Salt
• Handful of flat-leaf parsley
• Neolea Olive Oil for the plate
• Neolea Olive Oil for the pan

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Add the pine nuts, zest and juice of 1 lemon, chili (with or without seeds, depending on how spicy you like it), basil, 100 g Parmesan, 4 tbsp Neolea Olive Oil for the plate, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, roasted peppers, salt and pepper to a food processor. Blend until smooth. If it’s too dry, add a little more olive oil.
3. Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper. Season with Neolea Citrus Sea Salt and black pepper. Heat a pan over high heat with 1 tbsp Neolea Olive Oil for the pan. Place the fish skin-side down and fry for 2–3 minutes per side until the skin is golden and crisp. Flip and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Then fillet into portions.
4. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain, but reserve a cup of the cooking water.
5. Toss the pasta with the pesto in a pan, adding splashes of cooking water as needed. Stir for 1–2 minutes until the sauce coats the pasta beautifully.
6. Serve with the weever fish on top, finished with chopped parsley, grated Parmesan, and a sprinkle of Neolea Citrus Sea Salt.