Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Sprinkle cod fillets evenly on both sides with salt and black pepper.
- Allow the seasoned cod to sit for 5-10 minutes so the seasoning adheres and the fish comes to room temperature.
- In a large skillet, combine the marinara sauce and chopped zucchini.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Carefully place the seasoned cod fillets into the simmering marinara sauce.
- Cover the skillet with a lid.
- Cook for 7-9 minutes until the cod is opaque throughout and flakes easily with a fork.
- While the cod cooks, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot and begins to smoke slightly, add the chopped garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and fresh basil.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.
- Add the fresh spinach to the saucepan along with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is completely wilted.
- Divide the wilted spinach equally among four serving plates.
- Spoon the marinara sauce and zucchini mixture over the spinach.
- Top each plate with a cod fillet.
- Serve immediately while hot.
Nutrition
Notes
- Check at seven minutes — cod has a narrow window. At seven minutes, press the thickest part with a fork. If it flakes cleanly, pull it. Overcooked cod goes dry fast, and waiting for nine minutes is often one minute too many.
- Rest the fish before it goes in — five to ten minutes at room temperature means the salt has time to penetrate and the fish cooks more evenly throughout.
- Shimmer, not smoke — olive oil should be hot and shimmering before the garlic goes in, not visibly smoking. Smoking olive oil runs too hot for garlic; you'll get bitter, not fragrant.
- Fresh spinach only — frozen spinach releases too much water and dilutes the marinara. Fresh wilts down in under seven minutes. The trade-off isn't worth it.
- Mise en place before the first burner — both pans run at the same time. Get everything chopped, measured, and ready before you start anything.
- Season the cod early — salting five to ten minutes before cooking lets the seasoning penetrate slightly rather than sitting on the surface.
- Crusty bread is the move here — the marinara doubles as a dipping sauce and you don't want to leave it in the pan. Get it on the table before you plate.
- A light white pairs well. Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio both cut through the olive oil without fighting the tomato. Nothing heavy, nothing oaky.
- If you want to stretch the meal, orzo tossed with olive oil and lemon underneath the spinach turns this into something more substantial. Roasted potatoes work equally well. If you're keeping it light, this holds as a standalone plate — the spinach carries enough volume.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days. Reheat in a 300°F oven, covered with foil, for eight to ten minutes. The foil traps steam and keeps the cod from drying out further.
- Skip the microwave. Fish reheated in a microwave goes rubbery and the texture doesn't come back. The extra few minutes in the oven is worth it.