Rigatoni With Sea Bass Recipe

Comfort meets indulgence in this rigatoni with sea bass recipe. It serves up golden fish fillets drenched in a decadent tomato-based sauce, paired with tender pasta and juicy cherry tomatoes. This combination creates a restaurant-worthy dish that still carries the familiar warmth of a homemade dish.

As delectable as it looks, this rigatoni with sea bass is actually a one-pan dish that takes around 30 minutes to make. From casual dinners to fancy feasts, it’s an unforgettable main course that you can quickly whip up to impress the whole table.

How Healthy Is Rigatoni With Sea Bass?

Our recipe contains approximately 8.1 g saturated fat and 607 mg sodium in a 458-calorie serving, strictly following the standards set by our nutrition guidelines. 

In addition to the moderate portions, this dish also uses nutritious ingredients. The sea bass has a decent amount of proteins and omega-3 fatty acids like DPA and DHA. 

We paired the fish with loads of cherry tomatoes, which have amazing nutrients like lycopene and vitamins and a bunch of potential health benefits.

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Main Ingredients

Here is what you’ll need to make this gorgeous pasta dish. Even though it’s an Italian-inspired dish, the ingredients are entirely familiar and quite easy to find:

1. For the Pasta

• Sea Bass: This fish has a delicately sweet taste that’s similar to cod fish. It’s quite subtle, pleasant, and not overly fishy. You can easily make it more flavorful by adding a few seasonings and cooking along with other ingredients. We used fillets to save time on preparation. Pick out slices with moist, clean, firm, and intact flesh. They should smell fresh and sea-like briny, as opposed to foul or unpleasant which could indicate spoilage.
• Rigatoni: Our recipe uses rigatoni because this type of pasta comes with a sizable hole that leaves plenty of space for the sauce to glide in, making each bite incredibly flavorful and juicy. If you don’t have rigatoni on hand, you can replace it with penne. However, it might not have the same mouthfeel since it’s slightly different in shape and size.
• Vegetables: The cherry tomatoes make up the majority, bringing their delectable juiciness and sweet taste to the dish.

2. For the Sauce

• Aromatics: Onion and garlic were added to fragrant the sauce and tie all the ingredients together.
• Tomato Paste: The paste’s thick texture and intensely sweet flavor set the base for the sauce. It also pairs marvelously well with the cherry tomatoes, bringing together a tomato-centric dish that brightens the taste buds.
• Chicken Broth: Instead of water, we used chicken broth to further deepen the sauce with its light and savory taste.
• Dairy Products: We used milk, heavy cream, and a small sprinkle of parmesan cheese. The combination thickens the sauce’s texture and enriches its flavor. Feel free to use your non-dairy substitutes if you’re lactose intolerant.
• Seasonings: We kept things simple and went with salt, pepper, and paprika. These foolproof spices work wonders in enhancing the flavors without overwhelming the palate.

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Rigatoni vs Penne – What’s the Difference?

At first glance, rigatoni and penne appear quite similar because they’re both cylindrical-shaped. However, they’re different in many aspects. Here are some fundamental differences between these two pasta varieties:

• Appearance

Rigatoni is shorter but has a larger circumference than penne. Penne is narrower, longer, and more tube-like. Furthermore, rigatoni’s ends are square-cut while penne’s are slanted.

Their surfaces are also slightly different, with rigatoni always having ridges on the outside, while penne can either be smooth or have ridges.

• Usage

Generally speaking, they can be used interchangeably in most dishes since their look and taste are relatively similar. However, rigatoni is preferred for dishes with thick sauces and cream because the large holes can absorb these ingredients better.

How to Store and Reheat

This dish should last for around 2-3 days when kept in an airtight container in the fridge. If possible, keep the pasta separated from the fillets to preserve their textures.

You can reheat this dish either on the stovetop or in the oven. Gently stir it over medium-low heat until it has loosened up. If reheating in the oven, place the food in a dish lightly wrapped in aluminum foil and heat at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.

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Side Dishes

As hearty and filling as this dish is, it still leaves some room for a light and breezy side salad. Here are some suggestions for a side dish that you can serve with it to complete the meal:

• Burrata Salad
• Spinach Salad
• Watermelon Arugula Salad
• Beet and Feta Cheese Salad
• Greek Salad

How to Make Rigatoni With Sea Bass

5 from 1 vote

Comfort meets indulgence in this rigatoni with sea bass recipe. It serves up golden fish fillets drenched in a decadent tomato-based sauce, paired with tender pasta and juicy cherry tomatoes.

- by Tuyet Pham, Luna Regina, 2022-08-31

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• cook TIME 18 mins
• prep TIME 12 mins
• total TIME 30 mins

• COURSE Main Course
• CUISINE Italian
• SERVINGS
  4

  servings
• CALORIES 458 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

• 22 oz skin-on sea bass fillets
• 10 oz cooked rigatoni (from 5 oz raw)
• 6 oz cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 2 oz onions (diced)
• 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp parsley (chopped)
• 1 tbsp Hunt's tomato paste
• 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tbsp heavy cream
• 0.25 oz shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 tsp salt (divided to 1/2 tsp, 1/4 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp pepper (divided)
• 1 tsp paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

Image instructions

Prep:

1

Cook the Pasta: Boil the water, add the pasta, and check the package for cooking time. Gently stir every few minutes until al dente, then drain in a colander.

2

Prepare the Fillets: Remove the scales if there are any. Check for hidden pin bones and remove them with tweezers. Pat dry with paper towels.

3

Dice the Onion: Lay each half flat on the board and thinly slice it. Next, slice each half horizontally, then rotate the halved onion towards you and slice vertically again to chop into small pieces.

4

Mince the Garlic: Firmly press down with the knife’s flat side to crush the clove and remove the peel. Trim off the end, then thinly slice the peeled clove. Rock the knife back and forth over the sliced pile until it’s finely minced.

5

Chop the Parsley: Bunch the parsley leaves together and use a chef’s knife to thinly slice them. Then, using the knife in a rocking motion, chop the sliced pile once or twice, until they are finely minced.

Cook:

1

Pan-fry the Fillets: In a pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and 22 oz sea bass fillets to pan-fry over medium heat. Cook the skin-side for 7 minutes until golden, then flip over to the other side and cook for another 3 minutes. Season both sides with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper while you fry.

2

Add the Aromatics: Transfer the fish onto a plate. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 oz onion, and 1 tbsp garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.

3

Add the Tomato Paste: Add 1 tbsp Hunt's tomato paste and gently stir until well-mixed.

4

Add the Cherry Tomatoes: Add 6 oz cherry tomatoes and stir for 2 minutes.

5

Make the Sauce: Add 1 tbsp all-purpose flour and stir evenly till mixed, then add 1 cup unsalted chicken broth, 1/2 cup milk, 4 tbsp heavy cream, 0.25 oz shredded parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1 tsp paprika. Stir for 2 minutes until well-combined.

6

Add the Pasta: Add 10 oz rigatoni and stir for another 2 minutes, then take off the heat.

7

Serve and Enjoy: Transfer the sea bass and cooked pasta onto serving plates. Garnish with 2 tbsp parsley and enjoy hot.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts

How to Make Rigatoni With Sea Bass

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 458Calories from Fat 187

% Daily Value*

Fat 20.8g

32%

Saturated Fat 8.1g

51%

Cholesterol 154mg

51%

Sodium 607mg

26%

Potassium 699mg

20%

Carbohydrate 31g

10%

Fiber 2g

8%

Sugar 4g

4%

Protein 36g

72%

Vitamin A 819IU

16%

Vitamin C 15mg

18%

Calcium 118mg

12%

Iron 3mg

17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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