Lemon-Caper Swordfish With Lemon-Pepper Pappardelle

This dish was supposed to have mahi mahi... but my Whole Foods curse struck again. I should just stop trying to pick a type of fish before I get there. No matter what I decide to make -- cod, halibut, haddock, mahi mahi -- the night I go to pick up the particular fish I'm looking for, Whole Foods has just about everything but.

I had to make a game-time substitution and went with swordfish because it, like mahi mahi, is about an inch or more thick, and I thought the flavors I was planning to use would still work.

Lemon-Caper Swordfish With Lemon-Pepper Pappardelle (adapted from Gourmet, April 2006)

Ingredients

1 package lemon-pepper pappardelle (Trader Joe's)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons capers (in brine), rinsed, drained, and coarsely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
About 1 pound swordfish (1 1/2 to 2 inches thick)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Prepare pasta according to package instructions. After draining pasta, place in bowl, toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and cover to keep warm. While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over moderately high heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden, about 6 minutes.

Stir in water and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook for about about 1 minute, and then stir in butter until melted. Add in capers and lemon juice. Remove from heat and keep warm, covered.

Preheat broiler. Pat fish dry, then brush all over with remaining tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place swordfish on rack of a broiler pan, and broil about 5 inches from heat until just cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes.

Set some of the pappardelle on each plate, and top the pasta with a piece of swordfish. Garnish the swordfish with the lemon-caper onion mixture, sprinkle with parsley, and serve the dish with extra lemon wedges on the side.

We had the swordfish dinner with some new sodas we found at Whole Foods. We actually sampled them a few weeks ago, and I loved the blueberry soda, so I knew I'd be back to get it eventually. And Jeff really liked the root beer. They're kind of pricey though ($6.99 for a 4-pack), so they're a special treat! 

And we also had some corn from Allandale Farm. I love all the bright yellow on this plate -- it's so summery!

If you're looking for another lemony, summery recipe, try this one from Meghan at Travel, Wine, and Dine.

And I have a confession to make: I am not a Trader Joe's girl. I used to go ocassionally to the one in Darien when I still lived in Connecticut, but I haven't been to a Trader Joe's since I moved to Boston more than four years ago. Jeff and I finally decided to go check out the new one that opened near Fresh Pond, which is how I ended up with the pappardelle for this dinner. (The pappardelle is good but a bit strong on the lemon flavor so it's best eaten with the other components of this meal.)

We bought a few other things to try but ended up going across the street to Whole Foods to finish our shopping. I know I loved the frozen potato pancakes Trader Joe's used to carry and their pumpkin bread mix, but I really didn't see anything I had to have when I stopped in this time. Usually, I can't leave Whole Foods without filling my cart. I'm definitely a Whole Foods girl.

Do you prefer Whole Foods or Trader Joe's... and why? If neither is in your area, what's your favorite grocery store?

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