Sicilians have been cooking pesce spada this way since before any recipe was written down. The swordfish comes in on the boats in the morning and by lunchtime it is in the pan with whatever is growing or preserved: capers from the south, olives from the interior, dried tomatoes from the summer harvest.
This version centers on Gusta’s sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, which bring both concentrated tomato sweetness and a thread of good oil into the sauce. Combined with salted capers and black olives, the sauce creates something worth mopping up with bread long after the fish is gone.
The technique is sequential: sear the swordfish first to build a crust, build the sauce separately, then finish the fish in the sauce for a few minutes. The sauce carries the fish across the finish line. The fish deepens the sauce. Nothing is wasted.
Set servings and units first. You can change them anytime.
Pat the swordfish steaks dry with paper towels. Season both sides with black pepper and sparingly with salt: the capers and olives in the sauce carry significant salt.
Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the swordfish steaks. Sear without moving for 2 minutes until a golden crust forms. Flip and sear 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce to medium. In the same pan, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant but not colored. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they begin to collapse, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the white wine and let it reduce by half, about 1 minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and capers. Stir to combine. Taste before adding salt.
Return the swordfish to the pan, nestling the steaks into the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the top. Cook over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the fish is cooked through but still yields slightly at the center.
Scatter parsley over the top and serve directly from the pan.
You made Pesce Spada alla Siciliana. Time to eat.
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Swordfish overcooks in minutes. Press the center with a fingertip: it should give slightly, not feel firm. Pull the pan off heat a touch early and let the fish rest in the sauce for 1 minute before serving.
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