Roasted Cod with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers

This roasted cod with tomatoes is what I make when I want dinner on the table in under an hour with almost no cleanup. The tomatoes roast first, the fish goes in on top, and it comes to the table in the same dish.

Serves: 8

Time: 40 minutes

Cherry tomatoes, Castelvetrano olives, capers and garlic in a baking dish before roasting, for roasted cod with tomatoes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds wild-caught cod, halibut or sea bass, cut into 6-ounce fillets, patted dry

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and roughly torn

• 3 tablespoons capers, drained

• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more for drizzling

• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or vegetable broth)

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch for the tomatoes

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds

• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. In a large baking dish, stir together the tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, wine, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt.

2. Roast uncovered for 15 minutes, until the tomatoes start to burst and soften.

3. Season the fish with 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Nestle the fillets into the tomatoes, lay the lemon rounds on top, and drizzle with a little more olive oil.

4. Bake 12 to 13 minutes, until the fish is just opaque, flakes easily with a fork, and reaches 145°F. Don't overbake.

5. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve straight from the dish.

Build Your Plate

• Lighter: fish and tomatoes over arugula or sautéed zucchini, with extra pan juices as the dressing.

• Bigger appetites: spoon it over orzo, farro, or rice, or add crusty bread for the juices (bread is not gluten-free).

• Picky eaters: plain fish with just the roasted tomatoes, olives and capers left on the side.

• Richer: a crumble of feta over the top, or a pat of butter stirred into the pan juices.

Leftovers

Bake this within 30 minutes of serving. Cod doesn't hold well. Cooked fish keeps 2 days in the fridge; store the tomato and olive base separately and it keeps 4 to 5 days. Toss the base with pasta, spoon it over grilled chicken, or warm it and crack eggs into it for breakfast.

Notes

Gluten-free. Counts as a weekly fish serving on the MIND diet. Castelvetrano olives are buttery and mild, a good choice for guests who find olives too strong. Halibut or sea bass work just as well if cod isn't available.