🇮🇹 Italian · Pasta
🐟 Troccoli al Ragù di Pesce
Troccoli al Ragù di Pesce
A thick, square-cut pasta unique to the Gargano area of Puglia, dressed in a slow-cooked tomato sauce built from mixed local fish, richer and more textured than a typical seafood marinara.
Troccoli are cut with a special ridged rolling pin called a troccolaturo, producing a substantial square-edged noodle that stands up well to hearty sauces — here, a fish ragù that simmers whole pieces of fish down into the tomato base until it becomes a deeply savory sauce.
Ingredients
Equipment: Troccolaturo or ridged rolling pin, Large pot, Wide sauté pan
- 400 g (3 cups) semolina flour
- 4 eggs
- Pinch of salt
- 800 g (1.75 lb) mixed firm white fish (such as grouper, monkfish, or similar), cut into chunks
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 dried chili, crumbled
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) dry white wine
- 600 g (1.3 lb) canned crushed tomatoes
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt, to taste
Method
- Make the pasta dough by combining flour, eggs, and salt, kneading until smooth. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough into sheets about 3mm thick and pass through a troccolaturo, or cut by hand into thick square strands.
- Warm the olive oil in a wide pan and sauté the garlic and chili until fragrant.
- Add the fish pieces and sear briefly on all sides, then pour in the wine and let it reduce by half.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, season, and simmer gently for 30–35 minutes, breaking the fish apart gradually with a spoon as it cooks until the sauce becomes rich and cohesive.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the troccoli for 4–5 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and toss with the fish ragù, finishing with fresh parsley before serving.
Chef Tips
- A mix of two or three different firm white fish gives the ragù more depth than a single variety.
- Let the fish break down gradually into the sauce rather than removing and flaking it separately — this is what builds the ragù's texture.
- The pasta should be substantial and toothsome to stand up to the chunky sauce.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using delicate, flaky fish that disintegrates too quickly rather than a firm variety that holds up to simmering.
- Rushing the sauce, which needs time for the fish to fully break down and flavor the tomato base.
- Adding cheese, which is never paired with seafood pasta in traditional Italian cooking.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids from the fish.
- Rich in lycopene from the slow-cooked tomato base.
Cultural Note
Troccoli are most closely associated with San Giovanni Rotondo and the Gargano promontory of Puglia, a peninsula with a long fishing tradition along the Adriatic coast.
Storage & Serving
Storage: The ragù keeps refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Reheating: Reheat the sauce gently on the stovetop; cook fresh pasta just before serving.
Serve with: A dry white wine from Puglia, Crusty bread