Pasta and mackerel work well together, try and get very fresh fish. The Marsala adds a bit of sweetness and the pine nuts add texture.
Serves
2
Cooking time
20 mins
Ingredients
50g sultanas
200g linguine
salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
60ml/4 tbsp Marsala
2 fillets of smoked mackerel, skinned and flaked
2 tbsp capers, drained
few drops of red wine vinegar
handful of fresh dill, chopped
25g pine nuts
Soak the sultanas in hot water and put a pan of water on to boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add salt and then the linguine.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the shallots over a low heat for a few minutes until soft. Add the Marsala and let it bubble for a minute before adding the mackerel, the sultanas (after squeezing out the water), capers and a few drops of red wine vinegar. Add the dill and pine nuts and stir well to heat through.
Check the pasta and before draining, remove a few spoonfuls of the starchy cooking liquid and add to the mackerel. Drain the pasta and return to the pan.
Add the mackerel to the pasta and toss well to combine. Taste and add more vinegar if you think it needs it. Finish with a grind of black pepper and serve immediately. NB don’t be tempted to add parmesan to this pasta dish!