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Baked Cod with Tomato Olive Sauce, high protein dinner recipes easy
Brittany Stage

Baked Cod with Tomato Olive Sauce

Cod fillets bake right in a pan of crushed tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers, and garlic at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. The fish soaks up all the flavor as it cooks, and dinner is on the table in about 30 minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 290
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lbs cod fillets fresh or fully thawed, about 1 inch thick
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup Kalamata olives pitted and roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp capers drained
  • 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil divided
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more for seasoning the fish
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for serving

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch baking dish
  • chef knife
  • cutting board

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
  2. Pour the crushed tomatoes into the baking dish. Add the sliced garlic, chopped olives, capers, red pepper flakes if using, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir everything together right in the dish to combine.
  3. Pat the cod fillets completely dry with paper towels. Moisture on the surface of the fish will steam the skin rather than letting it get any color or texture. Season both sides lightly with salt and pepper.
  4. Nestle the cod fillets into the tomato sauce, spacing them out so they are not overlapping. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the fish.
  5. Bake uncovered for 18 to 22 minutes. The fish is done when it flakes apart easily when you press it gently with a fork and the center looks opaque all the way through. Thick center-cut fillets will need the full 22 minutes, while thinner tail pieces may be done at 18.
  6. Scatter fresh parsley over the top and serve straight from the baking dish with crusty bread, couscous, or rice to soak up the sauce.

Notes

If your fillets vary a lot in thickness, tuck the thin tail ends under slightly before placing them in the sauce. This slows down the thinner parts so everything finishes cooking at the same time.