Sicilian Baked Cod with Roasted Red Peppers
If you’re looking for a delicious baked fish recipe, this Sicilian baked cod is quick and easy! Tasty cod fillets, topped with a garlic-herb bread topping then nestled on a bed of roasted red peppers, olives and capers. This easy dinner comes together in 30-minutes!
This is the perfect light Italian dinner! Tender cod fillets, seasoned with lemon-infused olive oil and topped with a buttery garlic bread topping, then nestled into a bed of roasted red peppers, Castelvetrano olives and capers.
The beauty of this easy white fish recipe is that it is packed with flavor and texture and is ready in no time!
Ingredients
First, this recipe uses cod fillets but if you can’t find cod, you can substitute with another white fish like halibut or haddock. For exact ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.
- For the cod, you’ll need about 1 1/2 – 2 pounds of fish; you’ll also need a little extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, fresh parsley, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
- The breaded fish topping consists of crushed buttery crackers, panko crumbs, fresh parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt and black pepper.
- The bed of peppers and olives consists of: a jar of roasted red peppers, Castelvetrano style olives, onion, a hint of balsamic vinegar, dried basil, garlic and capers. For the final garnish, you can top this light cod dish with a handful of toasted pine nuts.
Recipe notes
- Castelvetrano olives are mild; much milder than Spanish olives and not nearly as salty because they aren’t brined like other olives. So, if you’re on the fence about salty olives, take my word that these particular Sicilian olives are mild.
- Be sure to get pitted olives! I’ve made this recipe before and accidentally got olives that weren’t pitted and that was a epic fail:)
- If you like the salty flavor of traditional olives, you can use Spanish olives with or without pimento stuffing and add in more of the salty capers!
How to make Sicilian Baked Cod
Here’s a brief overview of the steps for making this cod recipe. See the recipe card below for more information.
Pat dry the cod and, if desired, cut it into portion-size pieces; salt and pepper both sides. Dredge the fillets in a high quality olive oil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the garlic herbed bread topping and saute the onions, peppers and olives
Remove the cod from the oven, pour lemon juice over each fish fillet, then top with the bread topping. Return dish to oven and continue to bake 12-15 more minutes (uncovered) and until the bread crumb topping begins to turn a light golden brown
Plate the roasted red peppers and olive mixture, then top with the baked cod fillets.Garnish with toasted pine nuts (optional) and serve
I always like to top fish with some kind of toasted nuts, like my pan fried trout recipe. I use toasted almonds on that and it’s delicious, too!
Storage and reheating
The best way to store leftover baked Sicilian cod is to store the olive and red pepper mixture separately from the fish. Place both in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To reheat, preheat oven to 300°F, place cod fillets on a dry baking sheet and bake uncovered until the fish is warmed throughout. You can reheat the olive/pepper mixture on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Serve Sicilian baked cod with a fresh green salad, creamy polenta and some warm Italian bread.
Related recipes
- Pan Fried Trout
- Italian Egg Rolls
- Easy Italian Nachos
- Italian Sausage with Balsamic Grapes
- Italian Almond Cookies
- Mediterranean Sun Dried Tomato Dip
- Mediterranean Gnocchi
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment. I love to hear from you!
Baked Sicilian Cod with Roasted Red Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cod or halibut
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided (sprinkle ½ teaspoon on each side of the cod filets)
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, divided (sprinkle ¼ teaspoon on each side of the cod filets)
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Bread Topping
- ½ cup crumbled buttery crackers (Ritz crackers) (about 15 crackers)
- ⅓ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
Roasted Pepper and Olive Mixture
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and diced (about 1¼ cup diced)
- 1 cup sweet yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon drained capers
- 1 cup Castelvetrano olives (drained and quartered)
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Drain and chop the red peppers and capers; set asideCut the olives into quarters; set asideChop onion; set asideZest lemon, chop basil and squeeze lemon juice to measure; set aside4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 12 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and diced, 1 cup sweet yellow onion, finely diced, 1 cup Castelvetrano olives (drained and quartered), 1 tablespoon drained capers
- Pat dry cod fillets and cut into smaller pieces; add olive oil to baking dish; coat each fish fillet in the oil, and lightly season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper; bake uncovered for 10 minutes3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, divided, ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, divided, 2 pounds cod or halibut
- While the cod is baking, make the topping: finely crush about 15 buttery crackers. In a medium mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients and set aside½ cup crumbled buttery crackers (Ritz crackers), ⅓ cup Panko breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon salt
- Toast the pine nuts (optional): pour pine nuts into a small dry skillet on medium heat; stirring constantly, cook for 2-3 minutes until pine nuts begin to brown and you can smell them.¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- Make the roasted pepper and olive mixture: In a large skillet add olive oil, onions, sliced drained roasted peppers, and quartered olives; saute 5 minutes on medium high heat; add garlic, capers and basil; cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the moisture from the peppers and olives has reduced; lightly season with salt and pepper. Keep warm on simmer until the fish is done.3 tablespoons olive oil, 12 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and diced, 1 cup sweet yellow onion, finely diced, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 tablespoon drained capers, 1 cup Castelvetrano olives (drained and quartered), ½ teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Remove cod from the oven, drizzle lemon juice over the fillets and put a scoop of the bread topping on each fillet. Press the breading onto the fillet, return to the oven and bake another 12 minutes uncovered4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Add balsamic vinegar to the olive mixture and give it a good stir. Plate olive mixture and top with baked fillets. Drizzle a little of the lemon oil (from the baking pan) over each fillet. Garnish with toasted pine nuts.1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
Notes
- You can make the olive mixture and garlic breadcrumb topping in advance.
- Be sure to get pitted Castelvetrano olives
- If you like the saltiness of traditional olives (like Spanish olives), you can use them instead of the Castelvetrano. The dish will be much saltier, though…
