Seafood and pasta pair beautifully together, in particular in this garlicky spaghetti with cod and rapini (broccoli rabe). This flavorful recipe is adapted from the Union Square Cafe in New York City. It definitely tastes worthy of a restaurant with the ease of home preparation. Make it the next time you want to impress guests, or are craving a creative pasta dish.
(This recipe was originally published in April 2011, but was updated with new photos and content in 2021).
I originally discovered this incredible spaghetti with cod and broccoli rabe while enjoying lunch at the Union Square Cafe back in 2011. I was so impressed by this dish that I asked the chef for the recipe, and he was kind enough to oblige. Like any restaurant recipe, it required a few tweaks here and there to make it work well for the home cook, and I'm happy to share the updated and polished recipe here.
This spaghetti with cod reminds me a bit of crossing spaghetti with clams and orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe. It embodies the white wine, garlic, and broccoli rabe from the latter and marries it with the spaghetti and seafood component from the former.
If you enjoy either or both of those classic pasta dishes, then you should definitely try this restaurant quality recipe for spaghetti with cod and rapini! It's a bit spicy, considerably garlicky, and the crispy breadcrumbs on top are the figurative cherry on the sundae.
Ingredient notes
- Fish: Use any light and flaky white fish that you prefer. Cod, haddock, and halibut would all work well in this recipe. Make sure the fish is skinless and boneless, and cut it into approximately 1-inch pieces.
- Rapini: Rapini is commonly known as broccoli rabe (pronounced "rob") and is composed of slightly bitter leafy greens, small broccoli-like buds, and thick stems. It's popular in Mediterranean, Southern Italian, and Italian-American cooking.
- White Wine: My recommended white wines for cooking are Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. You could use another dry and crisp white wine, but avoid sweeter wines, and definitely avoid anything labeled "cooking wine" which contain added salt. You do not need to use an expensive wine, but use something good enough to drink!
- Bread: Use any leftover sliced rustic bread, like Italian or sourdough. As a shortcut, you could use store-bought dry breadcrumbs instead of making your own, but first toast them in a skillet with a little olive oil and minced garlic just to enhance their flavor!
How to make it
First prepare the breadcrumbs by placing bread slices on a baking sheet, drizzling with olive oil toasting in the oven until golden brown and dry. Remove from the oven and immediately rub the toasts with the whole clove of garlic. Cool, then process the bread in a food processor until the crumbs are broken down fine.
In a very large sauté pan or deep skillet, combine olive oil and chopped garlic, then place the pan over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until fragrant (PHOTO 1).
Add the seasoned fish and chili flakes, and continue to stir for about 20 seconds (PHOTO 2). Add the wine and bring to a boil (PHOTO 3). Turn the fish pieces and cook for another minute (PHOTO 4).
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fish to a plate. They will be just cooked through and still quite moist.
Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to al dente. Just before draining the pasta, remove about ½ cup pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta well.
Continue to gently simmer the wine broth for another 3 minutes, or until reduced by one-third (PHOTO 5). Add ¼ cup pasta cooking water to the wine broth and add the drained spaghetti (PHOTO 6).
Place the pan back on medium-high heat. When the broth comes to a boil, add the sliced rapini (PHOTO 7), gently tossing it until it begins to wilt. Lower the heat, add the cooked fish, and parsley and toss everything together gently (PHOTO 8).
Add the lemon juice and more olive oil and toss. Add a bit more pasta cooking water from the reserved supply if it seems dry.
Immediately transfer your spaghetti with cod and rapini to a large platter or individual bowls and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs before serving.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
I use silicone tongs to toss everything together and to serve. Lift the spaghetti a little at a time with the tongs and place it on top of the broccoli rabe, repeating until everything is well combined. This helps the rabe wilt evenly. You'll also avoid making a big mess on your stovetop trying to stir everything together the traditional way.
I wouldn't recommend doubling this recipe to make in a single skillet. It can be a bit difficult to mix all the ingredients evenly from the point you add the spaghetti onward.
It's perfectly ok if your pieces of fish start to flake and fall apart a bit as you mix them into the pasta. It will still taste delicious. Also, you want them to reheat in the spaghetti mixture after having set them aside earlier in the process.
Other recipes you may like
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Crab Stuffed Shells
- Authentic Pad Thai with Shrimp
- Krautfleckerl (Cabbage and Noodles)
- Spaghetti alla Carbonara
- Grilled Fish Tacos
- Swiss Chard Gratin
- Braised Collard Greens
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Spaghetti with Cod, Rapini, and Garlic
Ingredients
Garlic Breadcrumbs:
- 4 (½-inch thick) slices leftover rustic bread
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and left whole
Spaghetti:
- 1 bunch rapini (broccoli rabe) rinsed under cold water
- Kosher salt
- 8 ounces skinless, boneless cod, haddock, or halibut, uniformly cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 pound spaghetti, spaghettini, or capellini
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Juice from ½ lemon
Instructions
- Prepare the breadcrumbs. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet, drizzle or spray with olive oil and place the sheet in the oven. Toast the bread until golden brown and dry, rotating the tray so the bread toasts evenly, about 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and immediately rub the toasts with the whole clove of garlic. Allow to cool. Process the bread in a food processor until the crumbs are broken down fine. You may have a few chunks that won't break down, but you can remove them and snack on them or discard them. You will likely have more breadcrumbs than you'll need. Set aside.
- Slice rapini cross-wise about ½-inch wide beginning at the top of the bunch, and then thinner as you near the middle where there are more stems. Discard the thick stems at the bottom, or save them to cook in soup. Set the cut rapini aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously.
- Season the fish pieces with salt and set aside.
- In a very large sauté pan or deep skillet, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with the chopped garlic. Place the pan over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the seasoned fish and chili flakes, and continue to stir for about 20 seconds. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Turn the fish pieces and lower the flame, bringing the ingredients to an easy simmer. Cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fish to a plate. They will be just cooked through and still quite moist.
- Continue to gently simmer the wine broth for another 3 minutes, or until reduced by one-third. Turn off the heat.
- Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to al dente. Just before draining the pasta, remove about ½ cup pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta well.
- Add ¼ cup pasta cooking water to the wine broth and add the drained spaghetti. Place the pan back on medium-high heat. When the broth comes to a boil, add the sliced rapini, gently tossing it until it begins to wilt. Lower the heat, add the cooked fish, and parsley and toss everything together gently. Taste a strand of pasta to check the seasoning for salt.
- Add the lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss. The pasta should be moist, but not too brothy. Add a bit more pasta cooking water from the reserved supply if necessary. Immediately transfer the pasta to a large platter or individual bowls and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and serve.
Notes
- As a shortcut, you could use store-bought dry breadcrumbs instead of making your own, but first toast them in a skillet with a little olive oil and minced garlic just to enhance their flavor!
- My recommended white wines for cooking are Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Avoid sweeter wines and definitely avoid anything labeled "cooking wine" which contain added salt.
- I use silicone tongs to toss everything together and to serve.
- I wouldn't recommend doubling this recipe to make in a single skillet. It can be a bit difficult to mix all the ingredients evenly from the point you add the spaghetti onward.
- It's perfectly ok if your pieces of fish start to flake and fall apart a bit as you mix them into the pasta. It will still taste delicious. Also, you want them to reheat in the spaghetti mixture after having set them aside earlier in the process.
- Adapted from Chef Carmen Quagliata of the Union Square Cafe.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
Rochelle says
Hi,
Love this recipe idea. Where did you get your bowls from? They're gorgeous!
Victoria says
Thank you! I actually purchased the bowls years ago at HomeGoods.