Spaghetti With Colatura Di Alici And Sea Bass

Method

1. Pat the sea bass dry with paper towels.
2. Cut off the fins and tail of the sea bass using scissors.
3. Make an incision behind the gills and cut off the head (optional).
4. Make an incision at the tail and carefully fillet the fish, sliding the knife along the backbone to remove the top fillet.
5. Flip the fish and repeat to remove the second fillet.
6. Remove the pin bones from the fillets using tweezers or a knife.
7. Remove the skin from the fillets by making a small cut at the tail and pulling the skin while sliding the knife.
8. Cut the sea bass fillets into cubes.
9. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan over high heat and sear the sea bass cubes until golden and cooked through. Season with a pinch of salt and set aside.
10. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente.
11. While the pasta cooks, prepare the cold sauce: in a large bowl, combine roughly chopped garlic, sliced chili pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, parsley stems, a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a good splash of colatura di alici.
12. Grate lemon zest over the mixture and add chopped parsley leaves.
13. Drain the spaghetti al dente and immediately add it to the bowl with the cold sauce.
14. Toss the pasta well to coat, removing the garlic cloves and parsley stems before serving.
15. Plate the pasta, top with the seared sea bass cubes, a sprinkle of fresh parsley, and a final grating of lemon zest.
16. Serve warm.