We love this quick recipe for cod with tomatoes that's cooked in the oven until flaky and served with pesto goat cheese orzo. Perfect when you're trying to eat more fish but don't want to sacrifice flavor! This weeknight wonder comes together in no time with canned tomatoes, store-bought pesto, and creamy goat cheese. Tastes impressive with limited effort!
You've probably seen a good number of baked cod fish recipes. Some with panko breadcrumbs, some with lemon, but let me introduce you to our go-to easy weeknight meal!
You know from my 25-minute breaded cod with dijon that we're huge seafood lovers! I realize not everyone and their broth know how to bake cod, but this cod recipe is legit the simplest.
If I don't have orzo or pesto, I'll use Trader Joe's frozen sweet potato gnocchi as a simple no-fuss side. Or roasted potatoes. Or baked cauliflower! No limits here, good people.
The low down on ingredients
- Cod: I like frozen wild cod and tested it that way, but if you live near an ocean and can get fresh, great! I always keep a two-pound bag of wild cod in the freezer for this reason.
- Diced tomatoes: A super simple way to infuse flavor into the cod.
- Orzo: I love orzo because of the soft, fluffy texture. It also cooks up really fast. You can use brown rice or quinoa for gluten free, or whatever you fancy! I used regular orzo but they also make whole wheat.
- Pesto: Store bought or homemade pesto works great! The lemony pesto pairs so well with the tomato cod.
- Olive oil: A good drizzle to add more flavor.
- Seasoning: I like oregano on the cod but fresh thyme is also stellar. We're also using plenty of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder to season up that mild fish.
Let's make it!
What's fab about cod is that it's super mild and doesn't have a strong fishy flavor. It's a good introductory fish! It's also pretty affordable. Winning!
- Pat thawed fish dry well with paper towels. Drizzle olive oil in a large baking dish. Add fish and season liberally with kosher salt, fresh black pepper and garlic powder. Top with a can of tomatoes and bake at 400F for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook orzo in salted boiling water for 6 minutes. Drain and toss with pesto and goat cheese.
- Serve cod atop pesto and dig in!
Frozen cod trick!
Absolutely! I do this all the time when it's 7pm and I've done nothing to prep dinner, ya know? Simply follow the recipe as written and don't thaw it. How long to bake cod, you ask? Cook for 35 minutes, or until flakey and opaque.
There will be more liquid in the dish but it'll still taste amazing.
Storage tips
Store leftover fish in its tomato mixture separately from the orzo in air tight containers for up to three days in the fridge.
30-Minute Baked Cod with Tomatoes and Pesto Orzo
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Description
We love this quick recipe for cod with tomatoes that's cooked in the oven until flaky and served with pesto goat cheese orzo. Perfect when you're trying to eat more fish but don't want to sacrifice flavor! This weeknight wonder comes together in no time with canned tomatoes, store-bought pesto, and creamy goat cheese. Tastes impressive with limited effort!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds wild cod (I used thawed from frozen)
- 1-15oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp oregano
- kosher salt, garlic powder, and black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups orzo
- ¼ cup pesto (store bought or homemade)
- 3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
- Pat fish dry with paper towels. Drizzle olive oil in a 9x13 baking dish. Add fish. Season liberally with salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Top evenly with tomatoes and their juices and oregano. Bake for about 24 minutes, or until cod is flaky and opaque.
- Once the pot of water is boiling, add orzo. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until tender. Drain and return to pot. When fish is just about done, stir pesto and goat cheese into the cooked orzo. Season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Plate the orzo and top with cod. Serve with a yummy green salad and enjoy!
Notes
FROZEN COD: No time to thaw? No problem! Simply follow the recipe as written and don't thaw it. Simply follow the recipe but cook for 35 minutes. There will be more liquid in the dish but it'll still taste amazing.
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Hey there! Yes whole can with juices! Enjoy 🙂
Valerie says
Hi there. Before I make this I just want to be sure that I am to add the juice along with the tomatoes. Thanks,
Valerie
PS I don’t know if I can send this comment without rating the recipe. I didn’t want to risk messing you up by leaving a zero rating so I gave it a five assuming it will be as good as your other recipe going by the other comments.
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Hey there! Yes whole can with juices! Enjoy 🙂
Sydney says
Made this dish last night. Such a good alternative when every cod recipe has gobs of butter. 1 burning question.... where did the tsp of oregano get used? You have it in the ingredients but not the instructions. I ended up sprinkling on top at the end.
I paired with Spanish rice from Trader Joe's... still good.
Alexis Joseph says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for noticing the oregano was missing--I add it on top of the tomatoes! I fixed the instructions to include this.
Robin Lucas says
Alexis, I just made this since I happened to have all the ingredients so didn't need to go to the store. This was absolutely yummy! I'm always on the hunt for cod recipes that have great flavor and this surely didn't disappoint 🙂
Alexis Joseph says
Amazing! Isn't it so easy?! I'm thrilled you loved this cod, Robin. And thanks so much for letting me know!
Dylan says
Yum I made this last week and it was so delish! Very fresh flavors and easy enough to make on a weeknight!
Alexis Joseph says
SO delish, right?