Name: One-Pan Cod with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 26 min
Ingredients: 4 cod fillets (about 6 oz each, fully thawed if frozen, patted very dry); 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved); 1/2 cup Kalamata olives (pitted and halved); 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced); 3 tbsp olive oil (divided); 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried); 1 tbsp capers (optional, rinsed); 1/4 cup fresh parsley (roughly chopped, for serving); 1 lemon (cut into wedges, for serving); 2 cups cooked couscous or warm pita (for serving)

From the roundup: 22 Quick 30 Minute Dinner Recipes for Busy Nights

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My pickiest eater spotted the olives and announced she was not eating dinner, then helped herself to seconds once the tomatoes burst and pulled everything into that briny pan sauce. One-pan cod with cherry tomatoes and olives comes together fast, and most of the 25 minutes is just the oven doing its job while I get drinks poured and the table cleared. You build the base in the same skillet you will bake in, lay the cod right on top of the tomatoes and olives, and slide it all into a 400-degree oven without touching another pan. Keep some warm pita nearby because that sauce at the bottom of the skillet is worth soaking up every last bit of.

How this ended up in the rotation

I started making this on nights when I had cod in the fridge and not much else. I had grabbed a pint of cherry tomatoes thinking I would use them for something else, and they were getting soft. I halved them, threw them in the skillet with some olives and garlic I already had open, and figured the oven would sort it out. It did. The sauce that formed in the bottom of the pan was better than anything I would have made on purpose.

My husband asked what was in it, and when I listed four ingredients he looked skeptical. Then he had seconds. It has been on the weeknight list ever since.

Why you will love this

Everything cooks in one oven-safe skillet, stovetop to oven, so there is almost nothing to wash
The tomatoes do the work of making a sauce while the fish bakes, no extra steps
Cod is done in 13 to 16 minutes, which means dinner is on the table in under 30 minutes
The briny olives and capers season the whole pan, so you do not need much else
Works well with couscous, pita, orzo, or even just crusty bread to soak up the pan juices

Tips for success

Pat the cod fillets very dry before seasoning. This is not optional. Wet fish steams instead of baking, and the sauce ends up thin and watery rather than concentrated.
Watch the garlic closely during that first 60 seconds on the stovetop. It should turn fragrant and barely golden. If it browns, it will taste bitter all the way through the finished dish.
Start checking the fish at 13 minutes if your fillets are on the thinner side. A 1-inch fillet usually hits the mark around 14 minutes, but thinner pieces can overcook fast. The fish is done when it flakes easily at the thickest part.
Do not stir the cod once it goes into the tomato mixture. Cod is delicate and breaks apart easily. Let it sit undisturbed in the oven and lift it out with a wide spatula when serving.

If the sauce turns out watery

Wet fish is almost always the cause. Make sure the fillets are fully thawed and patted dry on both sides before they go into the skillet.
Frozen cod releases a lot of water even after thawing. Press the paper towels firmly and let the fish sit a minute before seasoning.
If the sauce looks thin after baking, set the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat for two to three minutes after the fish comes out. The liquid will reduce quickly without drying out the cod.
Halving the tomatoes instead of leaving them whole helps them release their juice faster in the oven, which actually thickens the sauce rather than flooding it.

Substitutions

Halibut or sea bass work well in place of cod and hold up similarly in the oven. Tilapia works too but cooks faster, so start checking at 10 minutes. For the olives, Castelvetrano olives give a milder, buttery flavor if Kalamata is too strong for your crew. Plain black olives from a can will work in a pinch. Skip the capers entirely if anyone at the table is sensitive to salt, the olives carry enough brine on their own.

Fresh thyme is worth using if you have it, but dried thyme at half the amount is a perfectly fine substitute. If you want a little heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes stirred in with the tomatoes does the job. For serving, orzo, white rice, or a thick slice of crusty bread all work in place of couscous or pita.

Make-ahead and storage

You can combine the cherry tomatoes, olives, garlic, capers, and olive oil in the skillet up to four hours ahead and leave it covered at room temperature. When you are ready to cook, just heat the skillet, give it two to three minutes on the stovetop, and add the fish. Leftover cod and sauce keep together in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two days.

To reheat, place the fish in a covered skillet over low heat with a small splash of water and warm it gently for about five minutes. Avoid stirring it, the fillets will break apart. Reheat in pieces or try to keep each fillet mostly whole. Freezing cooked cod is not a good idea, the texture turns soft and falls apart completely once thawed.

Brittany Stage