Here is another one of those recipes. Those that start one way, then evolve into something else along the way, and over time become a staple recipe, one to repeat on purpose. This is exactly the story of our cod sauce, a recipe that was born by chance (like many, you know) and then became a usual recipe.
At the very beginning, it wasn’t supposed to be a sauce but a second course. The initial idea was that, simply, to prepare cod fillets alla pizzaiola for dinner. One of the many alla pizzaiola that here make everyone happy because pizzaiola is always liked, whether with meat, fish, eggs, or even tofu, and I have always cooked with satisfaction, especially when the kids were small. And especially when I had to set up lunch or dinner at lightning speed. Pizzaiola for me is synonymous with quick and good, and I think it’s the same for you, right?
Except that, one evening, the fish version turned out to be ‘defective’. The thin fillets, when turned with the fork (oh, the haste!) instead of the spatula, broke-broke-shattered. And so, to avoid looking like a clumsy mom – who also pretends to be a blogger (of cooking!) – and to avoid being teased by the kids who never miss a detail, I improvised a plan B.
Plan B: immediately put on a pot of water for pasta and transform the second fish pizzaiola course into a nice fish sauce. And then simulate flair and inventiveness as a pseudo-chef with a good: «Kiddosss !!! tonight mom made pasta with a cod sauce to lick your lips!!! »
Yes, that’s exactly how it went. Many years have passed since that first success with the (childish) audience, but the cod sauce, or other fish – often frozen but also not, and sometimes with added vegetables, like today – still works great: the audience (now adults) still appreciates it!
Despite… not sparing me the criticism about the choice of pasta – ehhh I told you, nothing escapes here! – with conversation that went more or less like this: – son: «But fusilli with fish sauce aren’t suitable!» – mom: « Ohhhhh, that’s what I had!» 😇).
(Then… as soon as I buy linguine, I’ll redo the recipe, I promise!! 😃).
But I don’t think I’m wrong in saying that the Light and Tasty Team will forgive me for this ‘formal’ oversight… after all, today’s topic is fish, not pasta! 😄
Here below are more fish recipes on this blog, all very easy to make, all devoured with gusto by the kids, mother’s heart. 😊
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 3 cod fillets (fresh or frozen, about 8.8 oz)
- 2 carrots (about 5.3 oz)
- 1 zucchini (about 7.1 oz)
- 2 spring onion stalks
- 400 g tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- oregano
Tools
- Pan
- Lid
Steps
Wash and chop the vegetables.
Sauté them in a pan with a tablespoon of oil.
Cook them for 5 minutes with the lid on.
Add the cod fillets.
☝ If the fish is frozen, it’s best to thaw it. Better in the fridge for a few hours, but if you’re in a hurry, you can thaw it in a few minutes in the microwave. If you’re super rushed and forget you have a microwave… 😅 no worries, for this type of moist cooking, you can safely use it frozen.
Let the fillets soak with the vegetables for a few minutes, then pour in the tomato puree, add a generous pinch of oregano, and cook for about 20 minutes.
During cooking, break the fillets into irregular pieces with a fork.
👉 The fillets break into pieces quite easily, especially if they are long and thin fillets. To obtain a sauce with a more grainy consistency, like fish ragù, you can mash them with a fork to crumble them. In this case, it may be appropriate to chop the vegetables rather than leave them in large pieces, as is usually done for a ragù (and therefore it needs to be planned from the start).
In the meantime, while the cod and vegetable sauce cooks, cook the pasta (of the format you want!).
When cooked, drain it, pour it into the pan and toss quickly.
Serve immediately!
Salt-Free Tips
When the children were little, I didn’t add absolutely anything to this cod sauce, just oregano. With fish, it’s easy to eliminate salt; it’s delicious in its natural flavor.
Now, that they are no longer kids, I often make it spicy; we like it a lot. Chili pepper is an incomparable flavor enhancer.
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Gradually reduce salt, the palate needs to get used to it slowly and shouldn’t notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granule
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that don’t disperse flavors (griddle, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Allow yourself sometimes a cheat day. It’s good for the mood and helps you persevere.
If you don’t want, or can’t, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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I’ll leave you in the company of the ‘fishy’ recipes of my colleagues from the Team. The Light and Tasty column will see you next Monday (little spoiler on the topic… we’ll talk about ‘strawberries at snack time’ 🤩)!
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Carla Emilia: Baked Breaded Swordfish
Daniela: Cod Fillets with Peas, Cherry Tomatoes, and Olives
Elena: Sea Bream Fillet with Vegetables and Tomato Coulis
Milena: Shrimp Salad with Asparagus and Exotic Fruits
Serena: Gratin Cod Fillets
