I absolutely adore fish, but I live in the Midwest…I’m completely land-locked! If I’m lucky, my dad or a friend goes fishing and shares crappie or bluegill or the like. Fresh fish is something I dream about. When we go to the beach, it’s not the sun and sand that gets me excited…it’s the fresh seafood! So when a good friend shared his fishing haul, I couldn’t wait to try my latest creation, Baked Fish with Cashew Pesto. I used flathead catfish (which were amazing, by the way). However, any thick white fish fillets will do!
Baked Fish with Cashew Pesto Recipe…
Now you might be thinking, “Kate, what the heck with the pesto? On fish?” Yep!!! It’s absolutely amazing! I used my Cashew Basil Pesto that I’d frozen from last year. And honestly, the recipe couldn’t have been easier! I dried the catfish fillets on paper towels, spread a little Cashew Basil Pesto on each piece, covered the pan with foil, and baked for 20-25 minutes. I served it with a large spinach salad and called this the dinner of champions! Even my pickiest eaters (a.k.a. husband and son) didn’t fuss. They ate every bite!
Your second question might be, “Kate, can I use any fish?” I would say absolutely! I see no reason why the pesto wouldn’t be wonderful on fresh, or even frozen, fish fillets. My only suggestion would be to dry the fish well prior to added a smear of the pesto. You want that tasty coating to stick during baking!
If you don’t have easy access to flathead catfish (Tony, I can’t thank you enough!!!), I’d use crappie, cute little bluegill, or whatever fish I could purchase that hadn’t been processed/raised near a chemical plant. If you live in the Midwest, you KNOW how hard it is to find good seafood/fish! I absolutely refuse to buy anything from a foreign country (I won’t give you any names, but eating fish from one in particular scares me to death!). I also try to avoid “farm raised” since this is often little ponds. So…finding ways to include fish in my diet isn’t the easiest. By the way, MyPlate recommends two servings of fish/week. Do you get enough???
I hope that you’ll try my recipe for Baked Fish with Cashew Pesto. It is perfect for a quick, weeknight meal, yet special enough to serve to company. If you are following a special diet, whether low carb or low in saturated fat, Baked Fish with Cashew Pesto would be a great recipe to add to your rotation.
Can you give me any help???
If you have suggestions on where to purchase/order fresh fish, please share! I am happy to purchase GOOD fish from American fishermen and distributors. I live in the middle of the prairie and have very little time to go fishing for myself. Any and all suggestions are welcome! 🙂
Have a great week, friends! And happy fishing!
Baked Fish with Cashew Pesto
Notes
Be sure to dry the fillets very well with the paper towels so the pesto sticks. Also, if the fillets are thin, baking time will be less. Fish is done when it flakes easily or registers 145° F on an instant-read thermometer.
Ingredients
- 5-6 fish fillets (I used flathead catfish, but any fresh/frozen fish will do)
- 1/2 c. Cashew Pesto (amount will depend on number of fish fillets)
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Drizzle a small amount of olive oil in a 9x13 baking dish.
- Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels and lay in baking dish.
- Spoon pesto over fish, spreading evenly.
- Cover pan with foil.
- Bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on thickness of fish fillets. (Fish should flake easily when done.)
