Eating “clean” isn’t particularly consistent in our household; but when we do, wow, it feels great. You know what also feels great? When a complete dinner recipe requires no more than one baking sheet.
This Mediterranean-inspired sheet pan supper makes simple ingredients so sophisticated. I found some beautiful cod at Whole Foods, but any other flaky white fish would work wonderfully — halibut, seabass, even snapper. Lemon slices serve as a base, allowing the fish to soak up its citrus while baking in the oven. The zest on top, which is one of my favorite effortless garnishes, adds a punch to each bite.
I drizzled a citrus-infused olive oil from a trip last summer to Napa Valley, and it brought out the zest beautifully. If you’ve only got the classic olive oil, though, it’ll work great…especially with those salty, bright chopped olives on top! I find that the piping-hot roasted fish absorbs that extra drizzle instantly. An extra buttery taste without the butter!
Lean on this simple weeknight meal to outweigh your weekend grub and pizza patio outings. It’s working well for us.
Serves 2
2 6-ounce fillets cod (or flaky white fish), skin removed
1 bunch asparagus spears, washed and trimmed
Olive oil
1 lemon, zested then sliced
Zest of orange
Kosher salt + black pepper
1 handful Castelvetrano olives, chopped
Citrus-infused or good-quality olive oil, to garnish
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a small rimmed baking sheet, place asparagus in a single layer on one side. On the other, overlap three slices of lemon to create a bed for each cod fillet. Arrange fish. Drizzle olive oil over fillets and asparagus, followed by a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle lemon zest over cod and asparagus.
2. Bake until cod is bright white, 15-17 minutes. Transfer asparagus to a serving plate, followed by cod fillets. Garnish with chopped olives, orange zest (and a squeeze of the orange if you’d like!), and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve immediately.
