Monkfish Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes is a simple and elegant Italian seafood pasta recipe, made with tender pieces of monkfish, sweet cherry tomatoes, garlic and fresh parsley. The sauce is light, delicate and full of Mediterranean flavor, perfect when you want a seafood pasta that feels special but is still easy to make.
Monkfish is a firm, lean white fish with a mild and slightly sweet flavor. Although it may not be the prettiest fish, its texture is excellent for pasta sauces because it stays tender and does not fall apart too easily while cooking.
For this recipe, I used square spaghettoni, a thick long pasta shape that holds the cherry tomato and monkfish sauce beautifully. You can also use spaghetti, linguine, bavette or even short pasta shapes such as paccheri or fusilli.
The key is to use ripe, sweet cherry tomatoes and good-quality monkfish. With just a few ingredients, you can make a flavorful Italian fish pasta that is perfect for a family dinner, a summer meal or a more refined seafood menu.
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Why This Recipe Works
This monkfish pasta recipe works so well because it combines a few simple ingredients with balanced flavors and textures. Monkfish has firm, lean, white flesh with a mild and slightly sweet flavor. It holds its shape during cooking, so it is perfect for a light tomato sauce and does not fall apart easily like more delicate fish.
Monkfish is sometimes called “poor man’s lobster” because its texture is firm and meaty, with a delicate sweetness that can remind you of lobster. In this recipe, it pairs beautifully with cherry tomatoes, garlic, parsley and extra virgin olive oil, creating a seafood pasta that feels elegant but is still very easy to make.
The cherry tomatoes cook quickly and release just enough juice to make a light sauce without covering the delicate flavor of the fish. The result is a simple Italian monkfish pasta with a fresh Mediterranean taste, perfect for a seafood dinner that does not require many ingredients.
Ingredients
Prep Time: 10 Min | Cook Time: 25 Min | Servings: 4
- 350 g (12 oz) spaghetti, spaghettoni or linguine
- 500 g (1.1 pound) monkfish fillet, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 500 g (1.1 pound) cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, washed and halved
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, to taste
How to Make Monkfish Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Step 1) - Start by preparing the monkfish. If you are using a whole monkfish tail, remove the central bone with a sharp knife and trim away any skin or membrane. If you are using already cleaned monkfish fillet, simply cut it into bite-sized pieces, about 2 cm (1 inch). Set aside.
Step 2) - Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. In a large skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil with the peeled garlic cloves.
NOTE: Leave the garlic whole if you want a milder flavor and prefer to remove it later. For a stronger garlic flavor, you can finely chop it instead.
Add the cherry tomatoes and the chopped parsley. Season with a pinch of salt, stir, cover with a lid and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices.
Step 3) - Remove the garlic cloves, then add the monkfish pieces to the tomato sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring gently, until the fish is cooked through but still tender. Be careful not to overcook it, as monkfish can become firm and dry.
Step 4) - Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the coarse salt, then cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve a little pasta cooking water.
Step 5) - Drain the pasta and transfer it directly to the skillet with the monkfish and cherry tomato sauce. Toss gently over medium heat for about 1 minute, adding a small splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Serve your Monkfish Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes hot, with a little extra fresh parsley if you like.
Best Pasta Shapes for Monkfish Sauce
For this monkfish pasta recipe, I used square spaghettoni, a thick long pasta shape with a slightly rustic texture. It holds the light cherry tomato sauce very well and pairs beautifully with the firm, tender pieces of monkfish.
You can also use other long pasta shapes such as spaghetti, linguine or bavette. Linguine are especially good with seafood sauces because their flat shape helps capture the sauce and the small pieces of fish.
Short pasta shapes work well too. If you prefer short pasta, try paccheri, mezze maniche, fusilli or rigatoni. These shapes are perfect if you want a more rustic dish, with the pieces of monkfish and cherry tomatoes collecting inside or around the pasta.
The important thing is to cook the pasta al dente and toss it gently with the sauce for the last minute, adding a little pasta cooking water if needed. This helps the sauce cling to the pasta without breaking the delicate pieces of monkfish.
Tips for Cooking Monkfish Pasta
Use ripe, sweet tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are perfect for this monkfish pasta recipe because they are small, sweet and cook quickly. Grape tomatoes are a good alternative, especially when cherry tomatoes are not in season. If you cannot find small tomatoes, you can use ripe cluster tomatoes instead. Cut them into small pieces so they cook down into a light sauce.
Fresh tomatoes are best, but canned tomatoes work too. If fresh tomatoes are not available, you can make this recipe with canned peeled tomatoes or tomato passata. Sauté the garlic in the olive oil, then add the peeled tomatoes, crushed with a fork or with your hands, or add the passata. Let the sauce cook for a few minutes before adding the monkfish.
Do not overcook the monkfish. Monkfish has a firm texture and holds its shape well, but it can become dry if cooked too long. Add it to the tomato sauce only near the end and cook it for about 5 minutes, just until the fish is opaque and tender.
Fresh or frozen monkfish. Fresh monkfish has the best flavor, but good-quality frozen monkfish works well too. Let it thaw completely before using, then pat it dry with paper towels and proceed with the recipe.
Herbs and flavorings. Parsley is the classic choice for this simple seafood pasta. If you want a different flavor, you can add a few fresh basil leaves or a little dried oregano. For a spicy touch, add one or two small red chili peppers to the sauce and remove them before serving.
Storage
Monkfish Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes is best served freshly made, when the pasta is still hot and the fish is tender. Like most seafood pasta dishes, it's not ideal for long storage because the pasta can become dry and the monkfish may lose some of its delicate texture.
If you have leftovers, let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat, adding a small splash of water or extra virgin olive oil to loosen the sauce. Stir carefully so the pieces of monkfish do not break apart.
Freezing is not recommended, especially if the pasta has already been mixed with the sauce. However, if you want to prepare part of the recipe ahead of time, you can make the monkfish and cherry tomato sauce in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Cook the pasta only when ready to serve.
More Italian Seafood Pasta Recipes
If you love this monkfish pasta with cherry tomatoes, here are more Italian seafood pasta recipes you may enjoy.
- Spaghetti with Clams
- Pasta with Eggplant and Swordfish
- Shrimp with Zucchini Pasta and Cherry Tomatoes
- Pasta with Tuna and Tomato Sauce
Recipe Card
Monkfish Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 350 g spaghetti, spaghettoni or linguine - 12 oz
- 500 g monkfish fillet - 1.1 pound
- 500 g cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes - 1.1 pound
- 2 garlic cloves
- chopped fresh parsley
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt - to taste
Instructions
- Start by preparing the monkfish. If you are using a whole monkfish tail, remove the central bone with a sharp knife and trim away any skin or membrane. If you are using already cleaned monkfish fillet, simply cut it into bite-sized pieces, about 2 cm (1 inch). Set aside.
- Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. In a large skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil with the peeled garlic cloves.NOTE: Leave the garlic whole if you want a milder flavor and prefer to remove it later. For a stronger garlic flavor, you can finely chop it instead.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and the chopped parsley. Season with a pinch of salt, stir, cover with a lid and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices.
- Remove the garlic cloves, then add the monkfish pieces to the tomato sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring gently, until the fish is cooked through but still tender. Be careful not to overcook it, as monkfish can become firm and dry.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the coarse salt, then cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve a little pasta cooking water.
- Drain the pasta and transfer it directly to the skillet with the monkfish and cherry tomato sauce. Toss gently over medium heat for about 1 minute, adding a small splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Serve your Monkfish Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes hot, with a little extra fresh parsley if you like.
Catherine says
Excellent. (I used wholewheat pasta and fresh oregano and left in the crushed garlic - but then, I could spoon olive oil and garlic quite happily).