Description
Tender flaky cod roasted over a bed of zucchini, yellow squash, and onions in a creamy red roasted pepper sauce.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Creamy Red Roasted Pepper Sauce
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 12 oz. jar whole roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
- 2 Tbsp. minced garlic, about 5–6 medium cloves
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
- 1 1/4 cups light cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Cod + Veggies
- 1 small (8 oz.) zucchini, cut into matchsticks
- 1 small (8 oz.) yellow squash, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 lbs. fresh cod fillets, about 6 oz. each
- 1–2 Tbsp. fresh finely chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
Creamy Red Roasted Pepper Sauce
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook peppers, garlic, and basil in olive oil for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flavors come together.
- Transfer the pepper mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides.
- Return the mixture to the same skillet and stir in cream, Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste; simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until lightly thickened.
Cod + Veggies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Layer the zucchini, yellow squash, and onions on a bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. Lightly season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Season the cod fillets with salt and pepper, and layer in a single layer over the veggies. Sprinkle with parsley all over.
- Spoon the red pepper sauce over the cod, spreading out evenly so all of the cod is covered in sauce.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25-35 minutes until the fish is flaky and veggies are tender. Cook time will depend on the thickness of the cod.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and let rest for 5-10 minutes, uncovered, before serving.
Notes
- Light Cream: heavy cream is a good substitute for light cream. Some of the readers had success with half and half, however, I find that the sauce thins out with half and half, especially after it’s been baked with the veggies. I would stick to either heavy or light cream.
- Cod: use fresh cod if possible. But if using frozen, thaw out thoroughly and pat dry before baking.
- Watered Down Sauce: to ensure the sauce does not water down during baking, do not cover the baking dish during or after baking. Make sure you’re using right size dish. I recommend 9X13. Layer the fish in a single layer in the baking dish and don’t use more veggies than you have to. Lastly, use light or heavy cream and nothing lighter. Veggies will release some water during baking but the liquid should easily blend into the sauce when rested.
- Make Ahead / Reheating: to make ahead, prepare the roasted pepper sauce, cut up all the veggies, and refrigerate separately. Assemble with cod and bake on day of serving. Sauce will thicken when refrigerated so bring to room temperature before using. Cod does not reheat well. It tends to get rubbery. It’s best served immediately.
- Variation: Like spicy? Add 1/4 tsp – 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes to the sauce. It’ll balance out the sweetness and give the dish a little kick.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 272
- Sugar: 5.2 g
- Sodium: 255.5 mg
- Fat: 13.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.8 g
- Protein: 30.4 g
- Cholesterol: 89.6 mg
