Baked Pesto Cod with Zucchini and Roma Tomatoes

There is nothing like the taste of fresh baked pesto cod straight from Michele Romano recipes Italian seafood delights. It is just as fluffy and flaky as halibut and has zero fishy taste. Quick, healthy and gluten free!!! There are so many ways to cook cod but this is a definite favorite of mine. I make my pesto in the summer and freeze it in small containers for the winter ahead.

Michele Romano Recipes

Recipe for Homemade pesto

If you want to make your own homemade pesto, here is what I use.

Ingredients

4 cups fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup walnuts
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend above ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth.

Note: Any leftover pesto can be put in small containers and frozen.

By the way, Halibut would be an awesome substitute for Cod if you like.

Baked Pesto Cod

Ingredients

4 cod fillets (Depending on how many you are cooking for)
Home made pesto or a small jar of store-bought pesto.
1 medium size or 2 small zucchinis, sliced in rounds and sliced again in halves
4 medium sized Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 purple onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle on top)
Balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Salt, lightly
Fresh grated pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lay cod fillets in bottom of glass baking dish.
Using a spatula, spread a layer of pesto on top each fillet.
Distribute chopped zucchini, purple onion and Roma tomatoes over top and around fillets.
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over and around each fillet.
Drizzle smal amount of balsamic vinager over each piece.
Lightly salt and fresh grated pepper.
Top with parsley.
Bake for about 20 minutes depending on thickness of fish. Approx. 8-10 minutes per inch of thickness. If unsure, test middle of piece of cod with fork, should be flaky and fluffy, not dry.

Prep time: 25 min.
Cook time: 20 min.
Serves: 4
Live Long and Mangia!

Health Benefits:

Walnuts are to many considered the king of nuts! They have a combination of more healthful and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut. Walnuts contain plenty of high-quality protein so can be substituted for meat, minerals and vitamins, dietary fiber, and they are dairy and gluten-free.

Garlic - lowers cholesterol levels and blood sugar which helps prevent heart attack and stroke. When crushed, raw cloves releases allicin, which has been shown to be a more potent antibiotic than penicillin and tetracycline.

Basil has been shown to help in the treatment of a range of symptoms, including: digestive disorders, inflammation,infection, diabetes, heart disease and headaches