Ingredients:

  • 24 oz Tilapia Fillets (4 fillets, approx. 6 oz each)
  • 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 0.5 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 0.5 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
  • 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
  • 12 oz Linguine pasta
  • 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed
  • 4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
  • 0.5 cup Reserved Pasta Water
  • 1 Large Lemon, zested and juiced
  • 0.25 cup Fresh Italian Parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook for 1 minute less than the package instructions for al dente. Reserve 0.5 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
  2. While the pasta boils, pat the tilapia fillets with paper towels until completely dry. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
  3. Lightly dredge the tilapia fillets in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Heat the avocado oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  4. Lay the fillets in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes until a golden-brown crust forms. Carefully flip and cook for another 2 minutes until cooked through. Remove fish from the pan and set aside.
  5. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the sliced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Then, whisk in the cold cubed butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest to create an emulsion, and pour in the 0.5 cup pasta water.
  6. Toss the cooked linguine into the sauce, adding more pasta water as needed to reach a velvety consistency. Stir in the fresh parsley. Serve the pasta immediately topped with the seared tilapia.