Our go-to recipe for a nutritious and easy one pan dinner is Mediterranean Baked Cod Fish with Tomato Sauce. When we're low on time but want to eat healthy, this dish shines. The succulent white fish is poached in a bath of fresh tomato sauce, olives, capers, cannellini beans, Italian spices and garnished with lemons. Ready in under 30 minutes, this easy Mediterranean diet recipe is always a crowd pleaser.
Using freshly grated tomatoes, like we did in our spicy tomato glass noodle soup, is the secret to the fresh and aromatic flavor. There are no chunky tomato peels or tinned canned tomato flavor to deal with – just fresh healthy ingredients all in one easy dish.
Healthy Mediterranean Baked Fish must be one of the best fish dishes I have ever prepared! You are going to love the bright savory flavors. Just like our baked cod parcels in black bean sauce, it makes you feel like you are eating something extra special without a lot of fuss.
Ingredients
Cod fish or mild flaky whitefish – We used cod loins for this Mediterranean seafood recipe. However, grouper, halibut, tilapia, snapper, sole, haddock or a sustainable mild flaky white fish fillets from your region will all work well.
Fresh tomatoes – We used sweet Roma tomatoes because they are meatier and have less seeds. However, any type of tomatoes will be delicious in the recipe. You can also use tinned crushed tomatoes, but you will have to cook them longer on the stovetop to remove the tinny flavor. More on that below.
Aromatics – Chopped onions and sliced garlic. The easiest Mediterranean seasoning for fish is dried Italian seasoning and a dash of dried red pepper flakes. It takes this easy Italian recipe to the next level. If you have fresh basil and oregano growing in your garden, use that.
Olives – We chose a briny kalamata and buttery Castelvetrano olives. Both add a depth of flavor to the tomato sauce. Choose your favorites.
Capers – briny and flavorful!
Fresh Lemon – Is not an ingredient that can be skipped. That touch of acid and brightness, really makes this cod fish with tomato sauce pop. We used the lemon zest, juice, and slices over the Mediterranean fish.
Italian Cannellini beans (White beans) – Optional but are a delicious high protein addition. We cut our cod fillets in half and added beans to stretch the dish in a budget friendly way.
What Happens when you Poach Fish in the Oven?
Do you like soaking in a nice hot bath to melt all your stress away? Just the thing your body needs after a hard day, don't you think? You feel relaxed, thawed from the cold and your skin feels soft.
Well, the same kind of feel good happens to your fish while it is poaching in a bath of fresh tomato basil sauce or even coconut milk. I don't recommend you poach your body is a bathtub of tomato sauce but it sure does wonders for your fish. The healthy cod fish is so delicate and fall apart tender. We promise you will want to go back for seconds of this delicious and healthy Mediterranean Baked Fish.
How to Poach Cod in Red Sauce?
- Grate fresh tomatoes. See the video below to see how this is done.
- Season the cod with salt and pepper on both sides.
- In a deep large frying pan, add olive oil, chopped onions and garlic. Sauté until translucent.
- Add to the pan freshly grated tomatoes, Italian seasoning, dried red chili flakes, capers, olives and cannellini beans and sauté.
- Nestle the cod fish fillets into the tomato sauce.
- Top cod fish with lemon zest, juice, and slices.
- Poach the Mediterranean Baked Cod Fish with Tomato Sauce in the 425° F (218° C) oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
What to Serve with Mediterranean Baked Fish?
Our favorite way to serve up this baked fish with Mediterranean tomato sauce is with a crusty bread or flat bread to lop up all those delicious briny juices. All you need is a simple tossed salad with a lemon white balsamic vinaigrette, and you are good to go. For the hearty eaters, try our easy roasted potato and tomatoes or Parmesan Risotto with Saffron side dishes.
Some of our favorite appetizers to go with poached cod fish are…
Recipe Tips and Exchanges
- Choose fish fillets or loins around the same size so they cook evenly.
- Pat the cod fillets dry with a paper towel and make sure they are completely thawed, if they were previously frozen, before adding them to the dish. This prevents a watery broth.
- If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can exchange with a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes. However, you will need to simmer the tomato sauce at least 15 - 20 minutes longer on the stove top. This added time is needed to remove the tinny flavor of the canned tomatoes before adding the fish.
- Season the fish well on both sides before adding them to the prepared fresh tomato sauce.
- If you want to reduce the sodium in this Mediterranean recipe, you may want to consider using a No salt such as Mrs. Dash to season the fillets. In addition, reduce or remove the capers and olives.
- Start checking on your fish at the 7- or 8-minute mark. Add more time as needed to fully cook. Don’t overcook the Cod!
Low Carb Options
To keep this Mediterranean fish recipe low carb and keto friendly, skip the white beans in the tomato sauce and pair with a side of air fryer zucchini and squash or sauteed string beans. You may even consider adding more fresh vegetables like fresh spinach or bell peppers to cook right in the tomato sauce.
The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is a healthy one that has many benefits especially for cardiac diets, according to a scientific article by Wismer, et al in the American Journal of Medicine. Eating plenty of fish, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, olive oil instead of butter, whole grain breads and using herbs and spices instead of salt makes this diet a good choice. If you are on a strict sodium restricted diet, you will need to pass on the olives and capers in this dish and add some extra lemons, basil, and Mrs. Dash to this dish instead.
Storage and Reheating
Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove top over medium-low heat on the stovetop until toasty warm. You may need to add a tablespoon of water to get the tomato sauce moving again. Microwave reheating is our least favorite method. It is difficult to control the heat level and prevent overcooking - at least with our microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Length of time needed to bake cod in the 425°F (218°C) oven, depends on the thickness of the fillet or loin. Fish generally takes approximately 10 minutes for a 1-inch-thick fillet. A thick whitefish can take as long as 15 minutes. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), fish is cooked when the temperature reaches 145° F (62°C), is white opaque and/or flakes easily with a fork in the thickest part of the fillet.
The most common reason why your cod fish is rubbery is that you overcooked it. To prevent a rubbery or tough cod, start checking on the fillets or loins at the 7 or 8-minute mark. Add more baking time as needed until the fish flakes easily with a fork and is no longer translucent.
We do not recommend you use frozen fish in a poached tomato broth because it will thin out the rich sauce and make it watery as it thaws. If your fish is still frozen, place the fish fillets or loins in room temperature water for a few minutes to thaw out. Then, dry the fish well before adding it to the tomato sauce to poach. Alternatively, try our recipe for Air Fryer Frozen Tilapia for those super busy days when you need to get dinner on the table in a flash.
More Healthy Seafood Recipes
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Mediterranean Baked Cod Fish with Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- large skillet or Dutch oven that can go from cooktop to oven
Ingredients
- 5 medium tomatoes
freshly tomatoes grated or 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes. *see note below - 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup chopped onion or 1 small onion
- 3 cloves garlic
peeled and sliced thinly - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning dried (or 2 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh basil & oregano)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes dried (optional) - adjust to your desired heat level.
- ⅔ cup olives We used a mix of Kalamata and Castelvetrano. Use your favorites.
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 cup white beans (optional) Italian Cannellini beans - canned and already cooked.
- 16 ounces cod fish We used loins but can use your favorite mild white fish fillets. *see notes below
- salt and pepper
to taste ( or Mrs. Dash) - 1 whole lemon zest and juice of ½ lemon and ½ sliced thinly to top fish.
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425°F (218° C)
- Tomatoes: If using fresh tomatoes, slice the top off the whole tomatoes and grate with a grater. (See the video below to see this super easy process) Alternatively, you can skip this step and substitute with a can of 28 ounce pureed canned tomatoes.
- In a large deep frying pan add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and chopped onion sauté over medium- high heat until slightly translucent. Then, add the add the sliced garlic and and fry until aromatic.
- Then either add the freshly grated tomatoes (or a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes), Italian seasoning, dried crushed red chili flakes. NOTE: If using fresh tomatoes simmer for 5 minutes. On the other hand, if you are using canned crushed tomatoes continue simmering over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tinny taste is removed. (You may wish to cover to prevent splattering on the stove)
- Next add the olives, capers and Italian white cannellini beans (optional) and stir until combined. As olives and capers add seasoning so taste before adding salt and pepper or (Mrs. Dash) to taste. If your tomatoes are sour, add a teaspoon of sugar or sugar alternative to taste.
- Nestle the fish in the fresh basil tomato sauce. Cut the lemon in half. Zest ½ of the lemon over the cod fish and squeeze the juice over too. Slice the remaining half of the lemon into thin slices. Place thin sliced lemons on top of fish fillets. Add a tablespoon drizzle of olive oil on top of fish before baking.
- Bake your healthy Mediterranean baked fish uncovered for about 10 - 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Start checking on the fish at the 7 to 8 minute mark and add more time as needed. (Time in oven depends on size and thickness of your fish) Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Choose fish fillets or loins around the same size so they cook evenly.
- NOTE: You can use any mild whitefish for this recipe. Some examples include grouper, halibut, tilapia, snapper, sole, haddock or a sustainable mild flaky white fish fillets from your region will all work well.
- Pat the fish fillets dry with a paper towel and make sure they are completely thawed, if they were previously frozen, before adding them to the dish. This prevents a watery broth.
- NOTE: If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can exchange with a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes. However, you will need to simmer the tomato sauce at least 15 - 20 minutes longer on the stove top. This added time is needed to remove the tinny flavor of the canned tomatoes before adding the fish.
- Season the fish well on both sides before adding them to the prepared fresh tomato sauce.
- If you want to reduce the sodium in this Mediterranean recipe, you may want to consider using a No salt such as Mrs. Dash to season the fillets. In addition, reduce or remove the capers and olives.
- To make low carb, hold the white beans.
- Start checking on your fish at the 7- or 8-minute mark. Add more time as needed to fully cook. Don’t overcook the Cod!
Heidi says
Mmm.. I love the rich, satisfying flavors of this dish! The seasonings are perfect... and using fresh tomatoes makes all the difference. This is the perfect tasty and healthy way to start the year!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Heidi! We could not agree more- fresh tomatoes make this Mediterranean baked cod fish bright and light.
Hannah says
Absolutely gorgeous! The colors are so vibrant and fresh, I'd love to dive right in. I've been making a to-fish (tofu fish) that would be perfect here!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Hannah! Seriously the fresh tomato sauce with the briny olives, capers and white beans with a slice or 2 of crusty bread is all you need for one delicious vegan bite - but tofu fish sounds great too. Will have to give that a try.
Mimi Rippee says
Mmmmm. This is a fabulous recipe. I’ve made something similar using salt cod. This is great!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Mimi. Salted cod fish in tomato sauce sounds delicious. Take care
Carla says
I am so looking forward to getting out doors again and having dishes like this. I also get inspired from travels and use food to stimulate my memories and relive those great times.
Cal says
This fish screams out for a nice Italian White wine, and some lovely bread!! I can imagine dipping some nice bread in that sauce.
Jake says
This look like a real winner for group dinner night. I winder if I should share your website with my friends, or keep it as my very own resource, Decisions Decisions... I guess I can selectively share ideas and increase the chance I get to eat what I like.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Jake. Sharing is always appreciated. Let us know how your group dinner goes tonight.
Aubry says
I like your baked fish recipe -- different flavors to keep from getting bored. My daughter is a piscatarian and her daughter is vegan, so it is always a challenge when the come for dinner.
Smitha says
Love this dish. Fish and those spices and the color and texture is really inviting. I would gulp those fish pieces with a bowl of steaming hot rice. I can visualize me with the bowl
Kmg says
Made twice, second time sautéed mushrooms with the garlic. So easy, quick and very tasty. A recipie you can play with.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you and so glad you like this recipe. Wishing you a super week.
Jim says
Bobbi,
Wow! Another great recipe. I made this tonight with Hake loins and I threw some frozen calamari in with it. The calamari was perfectly done when the fish was done. I keep looking at the recipe and I can't figure out where all of that great flavor came from. We had it over a mushroom risotto and the sauce was just plain dynamite on the risotto. Thanks so much for another blue ribbon recipe!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Jim, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe. I bet it was your amazing mushroom risotto that added that extra pizzaz to the dish. I am so glad that you could cook your fish and the calamari together, good to know. Don't you just love how easy this is to put together? Even my picky teenagers who are not too keen on anything that swims seems to love this flavourful dish. Wishing you a super week!
dutchgoesitalian says
Oh this looks and sounds so good Bobbi! Yum!! 🙂