Two great ways to add extra flavor to a mild piece of white fish like cod, are to 1) wrap it in a thin slice of either prosciutto, pancetta, or bacon and 2) serve the fish with a flavorful sauce. The meat I chose to wrap around these thick cod filets was sweet Capicola ham, and the sauce—a homemade sage and parsley pesto sauce. The strong, unique flavor of sage pairs well with the fresh taste of Italian parsley and lemon juice, buttery pine nuts and a touch of salty Pecorino cheese. All of those pesto flavors work really well with the salty ham—but feel free to mix-and-match each component of this dish to your liking. Choose your favorite fish, then your favorite meat and finally, a simple sauce to really make everything ‘pop!’
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Capicola-Wrapped Cod with Sage & Parsley Pesto
Ingredients:
- (2) 6-7 oz. cod loin filets
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 4 thin slices of Capicola ham
- 1 lemon, sliced
- For the pesto:
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 2 Tablespoons chopped, fresh sage
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 Tablespoons pine nuts
- 3 Tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a small foil or parchment-lined baking sheet with olive oil spray. Season each cod filet with a pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle with a touch of olive oil; wrap 2 slices of ham around each cod filet. Place lemon slices on the baking sheet, then the fish on top of the lemon slices. Bake the fish for 12-15 minutes, or until it is cooked to your liking.
- In the meantime, make the pesto sauce. Place the parsley, sage, pine nuts, lemon juice and cheese in the bowl of a mini food processor. Pulse to chop all of the ingredients; drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until the mixture is smooth. (Add a couple tablespoons of water if you need to thin out the pesto sauce.) Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the baked fish.
Tagged: capicola ham, cod, cod loin filet, fish, fish with sauce, fresh parsley, fresh sage, ham, lemons, pecorino cheese, pesto, pine nuts, prosciutto, prosciutto-wrapped fish, sage and parsley pesto
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