Fish fillets on a sheet pan with roasted tomatoes and black olives.

4.80 / 5 votes

Baked Fish with Tomatoes and Olives

Baked fish with tomatoes and olives is sorta Italian, sorta Mediterranean, and completely easy and impressive. Works wonderfully on crazy weeknights as well as dinner parties.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Mains

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 427

Ingredients

▢ 1 shallot, thinly sliced
▢ 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
▢ 2 pints cherry tomatoes, left whole if small and halved if large
▢ 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
▢ Kosher salt
▢ Four (6-ounce) flounder or other flat fish fillets
▢ 1/2 cup pitted black olives
▢ A small handful chopped fresh Italian parsley, chives, and/or basil

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scatter the shallot, garlic, and tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Use your hands to mix everything together.
Roast the mixture until the tomatoes start to wrinkle and give off some of their juices and the juices are bubbling, about 20 minutes. If you’re making this with not-great tomatoes (i.e., it’s January and not July), you may want to roast the tomatoes for another 10 to 15 minutes to really concentrate and intensify the flavors when tomatoes are out-of-season or otherwise lackluster.
Take the baking sheet out of the oven and give the tomato mixture a stir. Place the flounder fillets on top of the mixture in a single layer (it’s okay if they overlap a little bit). Drizzle the fish with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt. Scatter the olives on top of the fish and put the baking sheet back in the oven. Roast until the fish is opaque and flakes easily when poked with a fork or a paring knife, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
Sprinkle the herbs on top of the baked fish. Serve immediately. It’s okay if the fish falls apart when you serve it. Just consider that part of the dish’s rustic beauty.

Notes

Baked Fish Variation

For a slightly Moroccan version, add a pinch of saffron threads, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and a small handful of chopped dried apricots to the tomato mixture before roasting. Use Moroccan olives and sprinkle with mint and/or cilantro. Serve with couscous.

For a Greek version, add 1 teaspoon dried oregano to the tomato mixture before roasting and use Greek olives. Sprinkle the fish with dill and/or parsley and squeeze a little lemon juice or drizzle with a little bit of red wine vinegar right before serving.

For a Spanish version, add 1 teaspoon hot pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika) and a some drained, sliced, jarred Piquillo peppers to the tomato mixture before roasting. Use Spanish olives.

Nutrition