Last night, I made up an amazing dish using cod fillets that were on sale at Kroger. $4.99/lb is pretty good for cod and the fillets were gorgeous. This is a really inexpensive, quick [1/2 hour!] and healthy dish, so try it for a week day meal!
You'll need:
2 good sized cod fillets [about 1.5 lbs total for both]
2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 servings of angel hair pasta
minced garlic to taste [I use about 3 cloves, but it's up to you!]
splash of seafood stock [maybe 1/2 cup, just judge for yourself]
Cut up the cod into large chunks, brush with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Set aside.
In a large saucepan [with top], start by sauteing the garlic in some olive oil, when the heat gets going, add your tomato paste and seafood stock. This will make a kind of roux, a base for the sauce. Add both cans of tomatoes and bring to a boil, reduce to an active simmer and add the rosemary. I always use kitchen shears to cut up the rosemary, but you can add it in large leaves if you want to. The rosemary adds beautiful color and goes amazingly well with the tomatoes. Basil is a common herb used with tomatoes, but I think the rosemary compliments the cod much better than classic basil. This is a quick dish, but the longer you let that sauce simmer [before putting in the cod], the more fragrant and flavorful it becomes. You can even stop the process now and can it up for later use on many different dishes.
Boil your angel hair! Don't forget to add a good bit of salt to the water just before al dente. Don't worry, it won't soak up all the salt, just a bit to get some good flavor, it just takes a lot to work well. Also, adding olive oil to the water and then giving it a cold bath directly after straining will help it not to stick and clump.
Add the cod chunks to the mixture. Make sure they're nestled snugly in there! The sauce should be at a low simmer [and should already taste amazing!] Cover and let the cod cook for about 15 minutes, until flaky and wonderful. You can periodically scoop the tomatoes over the chunks as they cook if you like, to ensure the cod soaks up the goodness. During this last cooking time, add some salt if it needs it. As the sauce cooks out, you'll want to do some last minute seasoning.
Now to plate the dish! Twist a small portion of pasta onto the plate, situate the cod comfortably and pour the tomato mixture over the top. Add some rosemary to garnish. Great with a spinach salad! Bon appetit! ♥
