There’s something deeply satisfying about a dish that’s both simple to prepare and bursting with flavour and Cod with Tomato & Red Pepper Sauce delivers exactly that. A vibrant, healthy meal that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner. This dish brings together flaky cod fillets and a rich, rustic sauce made from sweet red peppers and juicy tomatoes. Whether you’re a seasoned fish lover or just getting started with cooking seafood, this recipe is a fantastic addition to your repertoire.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Breakdown
- Choosing the Best White Fish
- Two Ways to Cook the Cod
- Tips for Perfectly Cooked Cod Every Time
- The Role of Acidity in Cod with Tomato & Red Pepper Sauce
- How Slow Cooking Enhances the Sauce’s Flavour
- Serving Suggestions
- More Tomato & Red Pepper Recipes
Ingredient Breakdown
- Cod fillets: Mild, flaky, and perfect for absorbing flavours.
- Onion: Forms the flavour base.
- Carrot: Introduces natural sweetness.
- Celery: Enhances the sauce’s savoury notes.
- Garlic: Brings aromatic depth.
- Baby plum tomatoes: Create a fresh, tangy base.
- Red sweet pointed peppers: Provide sweetness and a touch of smokiness.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Adds richness and depth.
- Water: Helps balance the sauce’s texture.
- Fresh basil leaves: Add freshness and a fragrant finish.
- Dried Italian herbs: Bring warmth and complexity.
- Garlic granules: Intensify the savoury notes.
- Crushed red chilli flakes: Add a gentle heat.
- Fine sea salt: Enhances all the flavours.
Choosing the Best White Fish
Cod is the star of this Cod with Tomato & Red Pepper dish, but its mild, flaky texture means it can easily be substituted with other white fish. Understanding the characteristics of different varieties helps you make an informed choice. Pollock, for example, is similar to cod but slightly firmer, making it a great alternative. Haddock has a slightly sweeter flavour and a more delicate texture, which pairs beautifully with the bold sauce. Hake, with its buttery undertones, is another excellent option, particularly for those who enjoy a softer fillet.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly swap, whiting is a great choice, though it cooks faster due to its thinner fillets. Monkfish, while firmer than cod, absorbs the tomato and red pepper sauce exceptionally well, giving the dish a meatier feel. Regardless of which fish you choose, the key is to opt for fresh, sustainably sourced fillets to ensure the best texture and taste.
Two Ways to Cook the Cod
Cooking the Fish Separately
For those who love a crispier texture on their cod, baking the fillets separately is the way to go. The fish is brushed with a simple marinade of olive oil, dried Italian herbs, garlic granules, chilli flakes, and sea salt before being baked until tender and flaky. This method allows the cod to maintain its own identity while still pairing beautifully with the sauce.
Baking the Fish in the Sauce
For a more cohesive dish where the cod absorbs all the sauce’s rich flavours, try baking it directly in the sauce. After preparing the tomato and red pepper sauce, transfer it to a baking dish and nestle the fillets inside. Brushing the cod with the same flavourful marinade ensures it still shines. As it bakes, the fish gently absorbs the sauce’s essence, becoming even more succulent.
Tips for Perfectly Cooked Cod Every Time
Cooking fish can be intimidating, but cod is one of the most forgiving choices. Here are a few tips to ensure success:
- Avoid overcooking: Cod is ready when it flakes easily with a fork. The fillets should be just opaque in the centre.
- Season well: While the sauce brings plenty of flavour, seasoning the fish directly enhances its natural taste.
- Choose fresh ingredients: The freshness of the tomatoes and red peppers makes a huge difference to the sauce’s final taste.
- Be patient with the sauce: Allowing the vegetables to cook slowly at first helps develop a deeper, richer flavour.
The Role of Acidity in Cod with Tomato & Red Pepper Sauce
Acidity plays a crucial role in balancing flavours, and in this dish, tomatoes provide that essential bright note. Without acidity, the richness of the olive oil and the natural sweetness of the peppers might feel too heavy. Tomatoes, especially fresh baby plum varieties, bring a gentle tang that enhances the overall taste. Cooking them down helps soften their sharpness while intensifying their depth.
To further balance acidity, fresh basil is introduced at the end, offering a hint of peppery freshness. If you want to elevate the acidity even more, a squeeze of lemon or a dash of balsamic vinegar can work wonders. These elements not only enhance the cod’s delicate flavour but also prevent the dish from feeling one-dimensional. Understanding how acidity interacts with other components ensures that Cod with Tomato & Red Pepper Sauce is well-rounded and vibrant with every bite.
How Slow Cooking Enhances the Sauce’s Flavour
The secret to a deeply flavourful tomato and red pepper sauce is patience. Slow cooking allows each ingredient to develop its full potential. Onions, carrots, and celery – often referred to as the ‘holy trinity’ of cooking – become sweet and aromatic when cooked gently in olive oil. Rushing this step would mean missing out on the rich base that gives the sauce its depth.
Tomatoes need time to break down and release their juices, concentrating their natural sweetness. If cooked too quickly, they may taste acidic rather than mellow and rich. The peppers, which bring a subtle smokiness and extra sweetness, benefit from slow simmering as well. Keeping the lid slightly ajar allows excess moisture to evaporate, thickening the sauce naturally without the need for additional thickeners. A final burst of heat at the end ensures that the flavours are intensified, making the sauce the perfect partner for tender, flaky cod fillets.
Serving Suggestions
Cod with Tomato & Red Pepper Sauce is incredibly versatile when it comes to serving.
- If you’re after something light, pair it with a simple green salad and some crusty bread to mop up the delicious sauce.
- For a heartier meal, serve it over fluffy couscous, creamy mashed potatoes, or a bed of steamed rice. A side of sautéed greens like spinach or tenderstem broccoli adds both colour and nutritional balance to the plate.
More Tomato & Red Pepper Recipes
If you just can’t get enough of the flavours in this Cod with Tomato & Red Pepper Sauce, here are some more recipes for you to try:
- Tomato & Red Pepper Sauce: The perfect example of how simplicity can yield incredibly satisfying results. This rustic, chunky sauce is bursting with vibrant flavours, making it an excellent pairing with a variety of dishes.
- Tomato & Red Pepper Gnocchi: Tomato & Red Pepper Gnocchi is a dish that brings together pillowy gnocchi and a hearty, flavour-packed sauce made from fresh, vibrant ingredients.
- Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup: This warming, vegan Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup is delicious, healthy and incredibly easy to make. You simply roast the vegetables with seasonings, and blend everything together with a basil-infused stock.
See how I make all these recipes and more over on my Instagram!
Cod with Tomato & Red Pepper Sauce
Tasty cod fillets with in a chunky, rustic tomato and sweet red pepper sauce bursting with flavour. This delicious and healthy fish dish makes for a great weeknight dinner. Cod cooks quickly and is difficult to overcook, making it an easy fish to work with, especially for anyone that hasn’t or doesn’t cook fish much. Not a cod fan? You can substitute it for any white fish. I recently made it with pollock and it was delicious!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Fish
Ingredients
- 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 450 g fresh baby plum tomatoes, halved
- 2 red sweet pointed peppers (red Romano peppers), sliced
- 150 ml water
- 1 small handful fresh basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped
- 6 skinless cod fillets
- 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp crushed red chilli flakes
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
Instructions
Method 1: cooking the fish and sauce separately
- Heat your oven to 180℃ /fan 160°C. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and season with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 10 to 15 minutes; you want the veg to cook gently without taking on any colour.
- Meanwhile, line a baking tray with foil or greaseproof paper and arrange the cod fillets in a single layer.
- Combine the extra-virgin olive oil, dried Italian herbs, garlic granules, chilli flakes and salt in a small bowl. Brush the marinade over the cod fillets. Bake until just opaque and easily flaked with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the fillets.
- Back to the sauce. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the halved tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and release their juices, around 5 minutes.
- Add the peppers and water, season generously with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer covered, with the lid slightly ajar, for 5 minutes then simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat; tear and stir in the fresh basil. Taste and season with extra sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, if necessary. To serve, arrange the fillets on a platter and top with the tomato and red pepper sauce.
Method 2: baking the fish in the sauce
- Heat your oven to 180℃ / fan 160c. Make the sauce as directed above then transfer it to a baking dish.
- Nestle the cod fillets into the sauce. Combine the extra-virgin olive oil, dried Italian herbs, garlic granules, chilli flakes and salt in a small bowl. Brush the marinade over the cod fillets. Bake until just opaque and easily flaked with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the fillets.
Equipment
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