This post is sponsored by The National Fisheries Institute’s seafood education blog, Dish on Fish. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. This year, October marks the first ever National Pescatarian Month! As you know, I am a huge seafood lover and proponent of eating more and more seafood. So is my son. He’s 7 and told me clams are his favorite seafood. My daughter’s favorite is shrimp. And we all adore salmon. We are not strictly pescatarian, but we do enjoy leaning that way on a regular basis. A pescatarian diet, in case you were wondering, consists of mainly fish and seafood in addition to other plant-based foods. It’s a great way to ensure you are getting all of the healthiest foods, as well as all the main vitamins and nutrients our bodies need. And you don’t have to commit to a pescatarian diet for life! You can try it for a week or month, or eat pescatarian just a few days a week. It’s flexible so you can make it work for you.
Any way you do it though, you’ll get the delicious bonus of having more seafood in your diet! That’s been an ongoing goal of mine. I’m a health and nutrition editor for my day job, so I know all about how great seafood is for us, and I try to incorporate it into our meals at least twice a week every week. (That’s also what the Dietary Guidelines for Americans calls for.) I also really love how quick and easy it is to cook seafood. Right up my alley in terms of easy weeknight dinners. Some of our go-to favorites are southwest baked salmon, Mexican shrimp skillet and honey Dijon salmon. Today, we’re going with another classic at our dinner table, this easy Italian baked fish. It’s just 2 ingredients, y’all. Yup, TWO. Cod (or mahi mahi or another mild white fish) and some Italian dressing. (I’m sorry but just look at this beauty!)
That is all you need! And despite its simplicity, it’s really so flavorful! The marinade time, the flavor of the dressing and baking it in the oven all create a really tender, flaky, infused flavor throughout the fish. And because it’s so easy, you’ll be able to incorporate more seafood meals into your family dinner rotation! You might also like this buttery baked cod recipe, just 4 ingredients! Now, I’ve got some notes and substitutions coming up on how to make baked Italian fish. Just tryin’ to be helpful. If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section. Also, if you are interested in reading more about the pescatarian diet or benefits of eating more seafood, check out the Dish on Fish blog.
Notes on making Italian baked fish:
As mentioned, the recipe calls for cod, but you could substitute mahi-mahi or another mild white fish like haddock or tilapia. Grouper would be great too. The total baking time will depend on the thickness of your particular piece of fish. My huge, beautiful, thick piece of cod in these photos was a full inch thick and it was done at 18 minutes. If yours is thicker, add a few minutes. If it’s on the thin side, check it at 12-14 minutes. It should flake easily with a fork when it’s cooked through and not have any of the translucent or raw appearance on the inside. You can also check it with a digital thermometer. It should be done when it reaches 140-145. You can make your own homemade Italian dressing or use your favorite store-bought brand.
Marinating the fish is key here to infusing that flavor and having it come out delicious and not bland. It takes just 15-20 minutes and it can sit out on the counter to marinate while your oven is preheating. We enjoy this as is, but you could certainly finish the cooked fish off with some chopped fresh parsley or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese if you prefer.
OK, let’s get ready to eat!
Ways to serve Italian baked fish:
- Serve over thin spaghetti noodles (or something similar like a linguine) with some of the extra juices from the roasting pan drizzled over both. Add a steamed or roasted vegetable and you are set.
- You could also pair this baked fish with some creamy polenta.
- Or serve as a stand-alone protein alongside a side salad, like Caprese pasta salad or creamy pesto pasta with spring vegetables.
- Or serve it with roasted mixed veggies or a big salad and some crusty buttery bread.
Tons of options. You know I love helping you make a recipe work for you. I hope you give this a try next time you want a hands-off healthy fish dinner. And cheers again to easy seafood recipes and the first ever National Pescatarian Month in October. Happy cooking! XO, Kathryn
The recipe calls for cod, but you could substitute mahi-mahi or another mild white fish like haddock or tilapia. Grouper would be great too. The total baking time will depend on the thickness of your particular piece of fish. My huge, beautiful, thick piece of cod in these photos was a full inch thick and it was done at 18 minutes. If yours is thicker, add a few minutes. If it’s on the thin side, check it at 12-14 minutes. It should flake easily with a fork when it’s cooked through and not have any of the translucent or raw appearance on the inside. You can also check it with a digital thermometer. It should be done when it reaches 140-145. You can make your own homemade Italian dressing or use your favorite store-bought brand. Marinating the fish is key here to infusing that flavor and having it come out delicious and not bland. It takes just 15-20 minutes and it can sit out on the counter to marinate while your oven is preheating. We enjoy this as is, but you could certainly finish the cooked fish off with some chopped fresh parsley or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese if you prefer. Serving ideas: Serve over thin spaghetti noodles (or something similar like a linguine) with some of the extra juices from the roasting pan drizzled over both. Add a steamed or roasted vegetable and you are set. You could also pair this baked fish with some creamy polenta. Or serve with a big salad and some crusty bread.
