Broiled catfish with lime-cilantro butter on a bed of spaghetti

Hey Jude's Note:

Sounds fussy but it's actually a quick and easy after work dinner for two people. I've only done this with the catfish but I imagine any other firm-fleshed fish would work as well. I found this in the Chicago Tribune 'Dinner Tonight' column.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• ½ lb spaghetti
• 4 tablespoons butter , softened
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro , plus
• 2 sprigs cilantro
• lime, juice and zest of
• ½ teaspoon salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 catfish fillets
• 2 tablespoons toasted ground pecans

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While it is cooking, combine butter, minced cilantro, lime zest and juice, salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
3. Heat broiler to high; place catfish in roasting pan; brush half of the butter-cilantro mixture over catfish.
4. Broil until fish is browned, flaky and cooked through, about 6 minutes; set aside and keep warm.
5. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid; toss pasta with remaining butter-cilantro mixture, reserved liquid and 1 tablespoon of the pecans.
6. Arrange pasta on a platter; top with fish, garnish with remaining nuts and cilantro sprigs.
7. *Totoast pecans: place in a dry skillet over medium-low heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 1-2 minutes- watch carefully to avoid burning.

Reviews

[Mrs.Jack]

I took inspiration from this recipe-simply, my pasta and catfish were dressed w/ a splash of evoo, lime juice, and cilantro. The flavor was refreshing and vibrant. I grilled my catfish on cedar planks and topped w/ the sauce from Grilled Salmon and Smokey Tomato-chipotle Sauce. I also served grilled asparagus, Mexican Stuffed Tomatoes and Mexican Sunset Bread (Bread Machine). What a wonderful meal! Thank you so much for a great recipe inspiration!

[loreengale]

This was delicious and easy. Because we love cilantro and pecans, I doubled the amount of those. Also, I poured a shot of tequila over the catfish before broiling, which made it even more delicious.

[wildwoman]

I did not have cilantro and lime on hand so I used parsley and lemon. It was delicious. Thank you for posting.