Baked Cod with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives

Flaky baked cod with roasted cherry tomatoes, olives, and capers is a light yet flavorful weeknight meal that takes me straight to the Mediterranean. The tomatoes are given a head start in the oven so that they have time to slow roast with olive oil, seasoning, and plenty of garlic. Once they’ve begun to soften and give up their juices, you might be tempted to just enjoy them on their own over crusty bread. Instead, add olives and capers, coat cod fillets in the sauce and bake until the fish is tender.

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds cod, cut into 4 to 6 pieces
2 pints cherry and/or sweet grape tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon red chile flakes
½ cup halved, pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons rinsed capers
Kosher salt

This recipe has two cooking stages, but it’s still on the table in an hour. In the first, the cherry tomatoes are roasted to create the beginnings of a delicious sauce. Next, that sauce is used to flavor the cod fillets, which will continue cooking on a bed of Mediterranean ingredients. Despite all the layers of flavor, it’s still a one-dish meal with easy clean up, setting the stage for a relaxing night.

Begin by preheating the oven to 325 degrees. Slice the garlic cloves, halve the cherry tomatoes, and add both to a rectangular baking dish. Whisk the olive oil, sherry vinegar, ground oregano, and chile flakes then pour over the tomato mixture. Toss to combine and season with salt. Bake for 30 minutes so that the tomatoes begin to soften and give up their juices.

Raise the temperature to 350 degrees. Add the kalamata olives and capers to the baking dish and toss gently to combine. Dip the cod fillets in the mixture, allowing the juices to coat both sides. Spoon additional juice over the top of each fillet. Sprinkle with salt and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the cod is tender.

Serve each fillet with cherry tomatoes, olives, and capers plus some of the ample pan sauce.