Branzino with Artichoke Pasta, Olives and Fresh Tomatoes
Looking for a delicious summer recipe? This recipe is acidic, light, and full of citrusy flavor. The tomatoes and olives compliment the branzino fillets perfectly for a tasty and elegant dinner that is much easier than it looks. Enjoy this dish as a much improved "girl dinner" or impress your guests with this crowd-pleasing recipe.
Ingredients
- 12 oz Trader Joes Heart of Palm Pasta dry
- 1/3 cup fresh basil lightly packed
- 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh chives chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 4 6 oz branzino filets pated dry, sprinkled with salt and pepper
- olive oil as needed
- 1 cup black, green, or red olives halved
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- lemons for garnish
Instructions
Pasta
- Cook pasta per directions on the package.
Lemon-Herb Sauce
- Puree herbs, oil, lemon juice, and salt in a blender until herbs are finely chopped and the sauce is almost smooth. Set aside.
Branzino
- In a very large sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over low heat. Add the olives and tomatoes and sauté until tomatoes are soft. Remove the olives and tomatoes from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and heat for another 60 seconds. Place fillets in the pan. The fish should be able to lie flat without overlapping. (Be sure to lay the fish away from you to avoid splatters).
- Lightly press on each fillet with a spatula to make sure the skin has full contact with the pan as it cooks. Leave the fillets for 3 minutes. Gently flip the fillets away from you and cook 1 more minute and immediately add the olive and tomato mixture. Heat for 1 more minute.
- Remove from heat and plate the four fillets with olives and tomatoes over al dente pasta. Drizzle the lemon sauce over each fillet and serve the remaining sauce on the side.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
