Cod Puttanesca
If you love puttanesca sauce, you’ll love this cod puttanesca. Pairing the addictive flavors of the classic Italian pasta dish with a mild white fish, this recipe cooks entirely on the stovetop for an easy summer dinner!
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Ingredient-Saving Tip: Use any remaining olives, capers, and anchovies from this recipe to make roasted tomato linguine puttanesca.
There’s no doubt fish is an essential component of a healthy diet, but it’s not always the most exciting thing to eat. Especially mild white fish, which provides the biggest challenge in taking it from “meh” to, at the very least, “OK, this is actually pretty good.” But I’m going out on a limb by boldly declaring you’ll give an “OMG, this is so good,” if you make this cod puttanesca.
If you’re daring enough to make this recipe for someone who doesn’t like fish, I can’t promise it will turn that person into a die-hard fan. I mean, if there’s a fish that could convert, I’m not sure it would be cod. But I’m confident they’ll love the sauce (assuming they love olives and capers).
If you make this recipe for someone who does like fish (i.e., the safer option), they’ll likely understand the potential that cod holds and that it just needs a little TLC to help make it shine.
If you’re wondering why this recipe calls for whole canned tomatoes instead of crushed or diced—yes, you are going to crush them anyway—it’s because I think whole tomatoes taste better. They seem to retain their flavor more when left intact, and I recommend using them for virtually all canned-tomato-based dishes.
Why You’ll Love This Cod Puttanesca
- It’s puttanesca, seafood style: If you love puttanesca but want to swap out the pasta for some fish, this sauce complements it beautifully.
- Everything cooks in one pan: This recipe comes together in just one pan—and quickly.
Key Ingredients
- Whole Canned Tomatoes: You can use diced, but I think whole tomatoes retain more flavor, so I highly recommend them for many recipes.
- Kalamata Olives: You can use any olives you like, but Kalamata are some of the easiest to find. Either fresh or jarred is fine.
- Anchovy Fillets: I strongly recommend adding anchovies, even if you don’t like them. They mellow significantly when cooked in olive oil and impart a wonderful flavor that doesn’t taste fishy at all.
- Wild-Caught Cod: I always recommend wild-caught fish over farm-raised. Fresh or frozen is fine.
See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make This Cod Puttanesca
- Cook the garlic and tomatoes: Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the garlic until lightly golden. Pour in the tomatoes and simmer them for 2 minutes. Use a potato masher to help tenderize them and release their juices, and continue cooking until very soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the olives, capers, and anchovies: Stir them into the cooked tomatoes and heat through.
- Cook the cod: Salt and pepper the cod and place it in the pan. Make sure some sauce is underneath each piece, and cover the tops with some. Cover the pan partially with a lid and cook on medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes with a fork.
- Finish: Garnish the cod with some minced fresh parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Pro Tips
- Use a potato masher: Gently press the whole tomatoes with a potato masher to tenderize them and release their juices.
- Don’t rush the tomato-cooking process. Cook the tomatoes long enough to achieve a stew-like consistency, which will help them thicken and intensify their flavor.
- Watch the cod carefully!: Ensure it simmers gently so it doesn’t overcook.
Variations & Substitutions
-Use any mild fish, such as flounder, tilapia, catfish, sole, or snapper.
-Replace the Kalamata olives with any ones you like, including Niçoise, Cerignola, and Gaeta.
-If you don’t have whole tomatoes, use crushed or diced tomatoes. I still recommend using a potato masher to press down on them to help them meld into the pan and develop better flavor.
Recipe FAQs
Make sure the fish is simmering gently in the sauce; if the sauce is bubbling too much, reduce the heat. Also, cover the pan partially with a lid, which will help trap steam and moisten the fish as it cooks. Lastly, ensure there is tomato sauce on top of and underneath the cod, which will help keep it tender.
I’m glad you asked! The best way is with…drum roll, please…crusty bread. It’s the best “tool” to soak up all that luscious, glorious sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing cooked fish.
Reheat: Reheating leftover fish isn’t ideal, but do it on a low heat in the oven, and cover the cod with a good amount of sauce to help prevent it from drying out. You should also loosely cover the cod with a piece of aluminum foil to help steam it as it reheats.
More Seafood Recipes
- Mediterranean shrimp orzo salad
- Pasta with shrimp, chorizo, and arugula
- Ginger-scallion noodles with shrimp
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please take a moment to leave a five-star review below. You could also tag me on Instagram (@forcarbssake) with a picture of your finished dish!
Cod Puttanesca
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cups canned whole tomatoes (Note 1)
- ½ cup Kalamata olives sliced in half lengthwise (Note 2)
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 4 cod fillets 3 to 5 ounces each (Note 3)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch ground black pepper
- Handful Italian flat-leaf parsley minced
Instructions
- Heat up the extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium-low to medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring often, for a couple of minutes until lightly golden.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil2 sliced garlic cloves
- Pour in the whole tomatoes. Cook and occasionally stir the tomatoes for 2 minutes, then use a potato masher to carefully flatten them and release their juices. Cook them for at least 8 to 10 more minutes until they achieve a stew-like consistency. 2 cups whole canned tomatoes
- Add the olives, capers, and anchovies, and give everything a quick stir. You can add the anchovies whole; they'll dissolve as they cook.½ cup sliced Kalamata olives1 tablespoon capers2 anchovy fillets
- Taste the sauce. If the tomatoes taste bitter, add a pinch of sugar (start with ⅛ teaspoon).
- Salt and pepper the cod on both sides, and place the cod in the pan. Make sure some sauce is underneath and on top of each piece. 4 cod fillets¾ teaspoon kosher saltPinch ground black pepper
- Cook the cod, partially covered with a lid, on medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pieces turn opaque and flake when gently prodded with a fork. Taste the sauce and add some salt if needed. Remove the pan from the heat and garnish with the parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Grab some crusty bread to mop up all that delicious sauce!Handful minced Italian flat-leaf parsley
