Baked Cod with Tomato Puree and Avocado Pesto
Baked Cod with Tomato Puree and Avocado Pesto is a simple and delightfully tasty meal. Creamy avocados, savory tomatoes, and perfectly baked cod combine to make an unforgettable explosion of flavor. And as a 30 minute meal, this makes for an excellent weekday meal to comes together easily!
Looks Classy, but Super Easy!
Here is another restaurant quality meal that is so easy to make that your friends and family will be thoroughly impressed!
Often times, we get into the mindset during our busy and crazy week that we don’t have the time to cook a nice meal for the family. So we reach into the freezer and pull out frozen food that take 30-45 minutes to make. However, in the same amount of time, you can make something like this. What’s the issue? Our busy live lead to having so much on our minds, our creativity flies out the window.
Stop! Take a deep breath. You got this!
This meal takes about 30 minutes, 45 tops. And it’s so delicious!
Baked Cod with Tomato Puree and Avocado Pesto
Cod is a popular fish that is easy to cook and tastes great when fresh. This is cooked in butter and lemon which makes the fish absorbs. This makes it flaky and moist. The butter and lemon permeate the fish to give it awesome flavor!
It has two sauces that pair well together. The tomato puree has 3 types of acids which fish and seafood love – wine, sherry vinegar, and lemon juice.
The avocado pesto is a new version on one I make for other dishes. This one is creamier with more oil that helps balance the fish and tomato puree. It also has cashews instead of pine nuts. This gives it a buttery flavor as well.
In general, fish love buttery and acidic ingredients. Really, that’s true with all seafood. From the method the cod cooked to the two sauces, you have all the components that make fish taste great. Eating this with all three elements together gives you an explosion of flavors that blend together perfectly!
What Ingredients Are in Baked Cod with Tomato Puree and Avocado Pesto?
Baked Cod
- Cod
- Butter
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Slices
- Fresh Curly Parsley or Microgreens
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
Tomato Puree
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Red Onion
- Fresh Garlic
- Tomatoes
- Fresh Parsley
- Smoked Paprika
- White Wine
- Lemon Juice
- Sherry Vinegar
- Vegetable Stock
- Heavy Cream
Avocado Pesto
- Avocados
- Fresh Garlic
- Fresh Basil
- Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice
- Parmesan Cheese
- Cashews
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Cod – you can substitute pretty much any white fish – Haddock, Pollack, Mahi Mahi, Hake, Grouper.
Fresh Curly Parsley – curly parsley has a stronger flavor that flat leaf parsley. I like it in my fish meals as it adds a bold touch. But you can certainly use flat leaf parsley instead.
Microgreens – I love using microgreens in many meals. They are super easy to grow.
Smoked Paprika – this adds a subtle hint of smokiness, but it does have a little spice at times. So you can substitute sweet paprika and add a few drops of liquid smoke to get the smoky note.
Sherry Vinegar – this vinegar adds a tart sweetness to the sauce. You can substitute balsamic vinegar or white balsamic vinegar to get a similar result.
Cashews – pesto traditionally has pine nuts, which is a great substitute for this recipe. However, the cashews add a buttery flavor that you don’t get from pine nuts.
How Is Baked Cod with Tomato Puree and Avocado Pesto Made?
Baked Cod
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Season both sides of the cod with salt and pepper. Place the pieces in a baking pan. Cut the butter in 1 tablespoon pieces and spread around the pan. Add lemon juice to the pan and cover.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Take the baking pan out of the oven and uncover. Use a spoon to baste the fish with the melted butter sauce. Recover and bake for another 10 minutes.
- The fish is done when the center is flaky. To test, use a fork and gently pull one piece of fish apart slightly to check the doneness. If the fish needs to cook more, do so at 2 minute intervals to avoid over cooking.
- Note: if the fish is slightly underdone, keep the tray out of the oven and leave it covered. The fish will continue to cook slowly.
Tomato Puree
- When you start the oven to heat up, heat olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the red onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir in for about 1 minute. Add in the tomatoes, smoked paprika and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Next, add in the white wine, sherry vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir these in for about 1 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and let it reduce by half, about 5-7 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender or a standard blender to blend this into a puree. Taste and make adjustments to the salt.
- Stir in the heavy cream and remove the saucepan form the heat.
Avocado Pesto
- Place all the ingredients in a mini processor or blender and blend until all the ingredient are mixed to for a creamy paste. You will need to periodically use a spatula to know down the sides to push unblended bits to the bottom to make sure everything gets blended.
- Note: some of the cashews may still be in chunks which adds to the overall flavor and texture. If you want a creamier consistency, first blend the cashews and olive oil together to form a paste, then add the rest of the ingredients.
What Can I Do with the Leftovers?
Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Except the avocado pesto; it turns brown within a few hours. I recommend freezing it in a ziptop bag.
To reheat it, warm up the sauce and fish on the stove. Thaw the pesto in a bowl of warm water.
Can I Freeze Baked Cod with Tomato Puree and Avocado Pesto?
Yes! This meal will last about 6 months in the freezer. However, be sure to freeze the avocado pesto separately in a ziptop bag. To thaw the fish and sauce, let them sit out on the counter to thaw. Thaw the pesto in a bowl of warm water.
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Baked Cod with Tomato Puree and Avocado Pesto
Ingredients
Baked Cod
- 1 pound Cod, cut in about 6 ounce pieces
- 8 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Lemon Slices (for garnish)
- Fresh Parsley or Microgreens (for garnish)
Tomato Puree
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 cup Red Onion, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, smashed
- 2 cups Tomatoes, coarse diced
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley, coarse chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 cup White Wine
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Sherry Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Stock
- 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Avocado Pesto
- 2 Avocados, peeled and pitted
- 4 cloves Garlic, smashed
- 1/2-1 cup Fresh Basil
- 6 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 cup Cashews
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Baked Cod
-
Heat the oven to 400°F.
-
Season both sides of the cod with salt and pepper. Place the pieces in a baking pan. Cut the butter in 1 tablespoon pieces and spread around the pan. Add lemon juice to the pan and cover.
-
Bake for 10 minutes. Take the baking pan out of the oven and uncover. Use a spoon to baste the fish with the melted butter sauce. Recover and bake for another 10 minutes.
-
The fish is done when the center is flaky. To test, use a fork and gently pull one piece of fish apart slightly to check the doneness. If the fish needs to cook more, do so at 2 minute intervals to avoid over cooking.
Note: if the fish is slightly underdone, keep the tray out of the oven and leave it covered. The fish will continue to cook slowly.
Tomato Puree
-
When you start the oven to heat up, heat olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the red onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
-
Add the garlic and stir in for about 1 minute. Add in the tomatoes, smoked paprika and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes.
-
Next, add in the white wine, sherry vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir these in for about 1 minutes.
-
Pour in the vegetable stock and let it reduce by half, about 5-7 minutes.
-
Use an immersion blender or a standard blender to blend this into a puree. Taste and make adjustments to the salt.
-
Stir in the heavy cream and remove the saucepan form the heat.
Avocado Pesto
-
Place all the ingredients in a mini processor or blender and blend until all the ingredient are mixed to for a creamy paste. You will need to periodically use a spatula to know down the sides to push unblended bits to the bottom to make sure everything gets blended.
Note: some of the cashews may still be in chunks which adds to the overall flavor and texture. If you want a creamier consistency, first blend the cashews and olive oil together to form a paste, then add the rest of the ingredients.
Recipe Notes
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Cod - you can substitute pretty much any white fish - Haddock, Pollack, Mahi Mahi, Hake, Grouper.
Fresh Curly Parsley - curly parsley has a stronger flavor that flat leaf parsley. I like it in my fish meals as it adds a bold touch. But you can certainly use flat leaf parsley instead.
Microgreens - I love using microgreens in many meals. They are super easy to grow.
Smoked Paprika - this adds a subtle hint of smokiness, but it does have a little spice at times. So you can substitute sweet paprika and add a few drops of liquid smoke to get the smoky note.
Sherry Vinegar - this vinegar adds a tart sweetness to the sauce. You can substitute balsamic vinegar or white balsamic vinegar to get a similar result.
Cashews - pesto traditionally has pine nuts, which is a great substitute for this recipe. However, the cashews add a buttery flavor that you don't get from pine nuts.
