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Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

Pasta with Flounder in a Red Sauce and Roasted Broccoli with Radishes

March 17, 2014 by Mary 28 Comments

Feed the Children logoI’m so embarrassed, I forgot to mention in my last post that 10% of Mary’s secret ingredients’ annual profits will be donated to Feed the Children, a wonderful, worldwide organization that provides nourishing food, hygiene items, educational books and supplies for boys and girls in need.

I have always said that there is plenty of food in this world. It just needs to be redistributed and to not go to waste. Please take a look at these links and articles. No one should go hungry. I’m very excited to be able to give this non-profit a helping hand with MARY’s secret ingredients. Man, I would love to play a part in eradicating hunger in this world – it’s on my bucket list. You can help. All the more reason to order a box! Feed yourself and your family while feeding the needy children of the world.

This past week, the day after we arrived home from California, at around 5 pm, our youngest son informed me that he and his girlfriend would be home for dinner. That morning, I had taken two flounder fillets out of the freezer and had planned to roast them for Steve and me and make a simple vegetable for dinner. So now I only had a little over 1 lb. of fish for four people. I was tired and crabby from the travel and time change and had no desire to go to the fish store uptown to buy more fish and a decent vegetable. What to do?

Walking to the subway on the way home, while talking out loud to my husband, I decided to make it stretch. I called my son, Zach, and asked him to mince 5 cloves of garlic, pit and chop 15 olives, take the anchovies out of the fridge and make sure the flounder fillets had thawed. (They hadn’t.) I thought, let’s make a pasta dish with the flounder in a red sauce! Add some anchovies and olives for an extra boost of flavor! I stopped in the grocery store downstairs in my building and bought some broccoli and a beautiful bunch of large radishes. I tossed those with some olive oil and salt and pepper, and roasted them at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, along with the recipe below and we had a super delicious, satisfying dinner for everyone; quick to boot, with everything ready in about 40 minutes. Suddenly I wasn’t crabby anymore! (A little food does wonders – think of what it could do for the world!)Red sauce with flounder

Now, because I only had buccatini in the apartment, which is a big noodle, I did not toss the sauce with the pasta, but served the pasta in a bowl, drizzled a tiny bit of olive oil on top and then ladled the red fish sauce on top. If I would have tossed it all together before serving, I would have broken up all those beautiful little pieces of flounder and made mush out of them. Not a good thing, nor pretty to serve. Now I know the true Italians would disagree with me here but that’s what I did, allowing each individual to mix it up in their own bowl.Pasta with a red sauce with flounder

PASTA WITH FLOUNDER IN A RED SAUCE – serves 4

2 tbs. olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 of bunch of parsley leaves, washed, dried and chopped
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 – 28 oz. can of whole San Marzano tomatoes, hand crushed, with the sauce
5 flat anchovy fillets, patted dry with a paper towel, chopped
Salt
Pepper
2 fillets of flounder, about 1.3 lbs., washed, dried, cut down the middle and then cut into 1/2” chunks
15 olives, black and green in oil, pitted and minced
1 lb. pasta – bucatini or fettuccine

Put a large pot on water on to boil for the pasta.

Warm olive oil in a large skillet. Add minced garlic on low heat and stir for 5 minutes. Raise heat to medium – medium high and add the chopped parsley and cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 – 2 minutes. You must always try to brown the tomato paste in order to get the most flavor out of it  – this is key!

Then add the hand crushed can of tomatoes with the juice along with the anchovies and let the whole thing vigorously simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken.

Meanwhile your pasta water has probably boiled. Salt with course sea salt to taste like ocean water (you know what that means, do not taste it and burn your tongue) and add your pasta. Stir and cook until al dente.

Salt and pepper the sauce to taste and add the cut up flounder fillets. Lower the heat a bit and stir gently, often. Fold over with a rubber spatula to stir so you don’t break up the pieces of fish. This will take about 7 minutes to cook the fish. Then taste the sauce to adjust salt and pepper and at the very end, add the chopped olives. Remember the olives will add more salt so take that into consideration. Turn your heat off.

Drain the pasta when done. Place pasta in bowls and drizzle a little olive oil on top so the noodles don’t stick together. Then ladle some beautiful sauce on top in the center. Serve immediately, with LOVE.Roasted broccoli and radishes on a glass plate

ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH RADISHES – serves 4

1 head of broccoli, washed, stems trimmed and peeled, each stalk quartered or even cut more
5 large radishes, scrubbed, dried and quartered
2 tbs. olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss broccoli and radishes with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15 – 17 minutes until broccoli stems are fork tender to your liking. The broccoli heads will become a little charred, but I like them that way. They are so tasty. Serve immediately, very hot, on a side plate, with LOVE.

Enjoy!!

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Filed Under: Dinner, Fish, Sides, Vegetables Tagged With: anchovies in a red sauce, Feed the Children, light pasta dinners, pasta with fish, pasta with flounder in a red sauce, quick pasta and fish dinners, quick pasta dinners, roasted broccoli with radishes

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Comments

  1. Jovina Coughlin says

    March 17, 2014 at 10:43 AM

    You can never go wrong with Puttanesca. Great save Mary Frances. The dish looks absolutely delicious.
    Jovina Coughlin recently posted…Healthy Sides For Your Corned BeefMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      March 18, 2014 at 9:11 AM

      Ha – you’re right Jovina!! I didn’t think of it that way but you’re right – sans the capers!

      Reply
  2. ela@GrayApron says

    March 17, 2014 at 11:12 AM

    I like flounder…it’s a local fish here. I like it even more in the red sauce over pasta. Thanks! Great recipe! 🙂 ela

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      March 18, 2014 at 9:10 AM

      This was a first for me, Ela and it was really delicious! Give it a try!

      Reply
  3. Bam's Kitchen says

    March 18, 2014 at 3:01 AM

    Great save mom! My boys are always doing this to me, last minute friend or many friends over. Pasta is always a winner and with that red sauce I am sure the dish was a hit. Take Care, BAM
    Bam’s Kitchen recently posted…Shake and Bake Cheesy Stuffed Pork ChopsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      March 18, 2014 at 9:09 AM

      Thanks Bobbi Ann!! Don’t you love when they do this!

      Reply
  4. Tandy | Lavender and Lime says

    March 18, 2014 at 12:02 PM

    Sounds like a perfect meal 🙂
    Tandy | Lavender and Lime recently posted…Olive Oil Ice Cream RecipeMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      April 5, 2014 at 2:50 PM

      This was really, really good Tandy, and super simple and quick!

      Reply
  5. Judit + Corina says

    March 18, 2014 at 1:13 PM

    Beautiful cause Mary Frances! Love flounder and your dish looks fabulous:)
    J+C
    Judit + Corina recently posted…Pork and Cabbage with RieslingMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      April 5, 2014 at 2:55 PM

      Thank you J+C!! I hope you’ll order a box to support FTC – and I know you’ll love the ingredients inside!

      Reply
  6. Angie (@angiesrecipess) says

    March 19, 2014 at 7:13 AM

    I love tomato based sauce! Your pasta with flounder looks mouthwatering, Mary.
    Angie (@angiesrecipess) recently posted…Vegetarian Black Bean SoupMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      April 5, 2014 at 2:56 PM

      Thanks Angie!! This was a very, very good throw together dish!

      Reply
  7. Evelyne@cheapethniceatz says

    March 19, 2014 at 11:04 AM

    Great improv on the dinner and very curious about that pasta too. Nice roasted veggie choices too. Feed the Children sounds like a great organization.
    Evelyne@cheapethniceatz recently posted…The Liver Experiment Week 10: Liver on Polenta with a Ginger-Onion ConfitMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      April 5, 2014 at 2:59 PM

      Thanks Evelyne!! Bucatini is a thick, round, hollow noodle – very good and hearty!

      Reply
  8. cakewhiz says

    March 20, 2014 at 12:09 AM

    That sounds like a great organization, doing a wonderful job for children.
    And your pasta dish looks incredible! 😀

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      April 5, 2014 at 3:00 PM

      Thank you!! 🙂

      Reply
  9. The Squishy Monster says

    March 20, 2014 at 2:19 PM

    Awesome save and this recipe sounds spot on!
    The Squishy Monster recently posted…Broccoli Cheese SoupMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      April 5, 2014 at 3:49 PM

      Thank you!! 🙂 What we do out of necessity – right?

      Reply
  10. afracooking says

    March 20, 2014 at 2:53 PM

    Such a wonderful initiative! Sending you a big warm hug!
    afracooking recently posted…Chicken Bulgogi Lettuce Wrap – Veg of the WeekMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      April 5, 2014 at 4:03 PM

      Thank you Afra!! I think you’d enjoy a box – and contributing to a great cause of trying to eradicate worldwide hunger.

      Reply
  11. Liz says

    March 20, 2014 at 9:27 PM

    You sure think well on the fly! Your pasta sauce sounds amazing!!!

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      April 5, 2014 at 4:04 PM

      Liz, this was really, really good – to my surprise!

      Reply
  12. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

    March 21, 2014 at 8:30 AM

    I love that you took your original idea and tossed it out the window and used the fish in a totally different way that fed the four of you with nothing sent back to the kitchen. 🙂

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      April 5, 2014 at 4:05 PM

      Exactly – and healthier to eat less of it per portion – and no one went hungry!

      Reply
  13. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says

    March 21, 2014 at 9:48 PM

    You know I don’t cook fish enough in a tomato sauce with pasta but I can totally see how delicious it would be! 😀 Great idea for last minute guests!
    Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella recently posted…The Century, PyrmontMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      April 5, 2014 at 4:06 PM

      It was really yummy! Give it a try – you won’t be disappointed.

      Reply
  14. Coffee and Crumpets says

    March 21, 2014 at 11:56 PM

    Moms have to have special tricks up their sleeves! My mum was great at improvisational cooking at the last minute. I don’t think I inherited much of that but I try! The fish in red sauce looks wonderful! A great save! I totally love the roasted broccoli and radishes.
    Coffee and Crumpets recently posted…White Chocolate and Pecan Oatmeal CookiesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      April 5, 2014 at 4:08 PM

      This was an all around great, super quick meal – done in 40 minutes! Secretly, I love extra guests anytime and I love to improvise. I think of it as a little game/challenge!!

      Reply

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