This Slow Roast Cod with Romesco Sauce is Bold. Strong. Vibrant. Sharp.
Cod and roasted cauliflower get a major helping hand in the flavor department with this Romesco sauce I adapted from NYT Cooking. To save time during the week, there are parts here you can definitely prep ahead of time cutting down cook time significantly day of.
It’s an unforgettably rich, smoky Spanish sauce comprised of charred tomatoes and roasted red peppers that is puréed and thickened with toasted almonds. The flavors are further elevated with the addition of raw garlic, vinegar, chile powder or red pepper flakes—the right kind of zing for this dish.
Like with most sauces, you can adjust the flavoring—and heat—to your preference and substitute where you think is best. I used toasted walnuts instead of almonds, but either would work well—perhaps pine nuts too.
Ingredients for this Slow Roast Cod with Romesco Sauce
This easy weeknight meal is ready in under an hour and is made with a few key pantry staples that go a long way to craft a zesty sauce for the mild flavored fish.
Here is what we need for the Romesco Sauce:
- 1 roasted red bell pepper + ½ cup roasted tomatoes: You can use jarred or canned ingredients here. If you have the time, you can also roast them ahead of time but that's not necessary. Use any good jarred or canned variety you love.
- Tomato Paste
- Olive Oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Walnuts
- White wine vinegar
- Smoked Paprika
- Dried crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
The bulk of our ingredient list goes to making the sauce. For the remaining dish elements, we'll need 4 cauliflower steaks and 4 cod fillets.
How to Make This Slow Roast Cod with Romesco Sauce
If prepping bell pepper and tomatoes same day: pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice tomatoes into halves and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Cut and de-seed bell pepper and slice bell pepper lengthwise. Arrange on baking sheet with tomatoes. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper and, using your hands, toss together to mix. Roast tomatoes and peppers in oven for 20-25 minutes, until tomatoes are blistered and peppers have slightly charred edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
While the tomatoes and peppers cool, place garlic, nuts, and red pepper flakes in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until the beginnings of a paste is formed. Add in the slightly cooled tomatoes and peppers along with the smoked paprika, vinegar, salt, and pepper and process until smooth. With the processor running, slowly add in the olive oil in a slow stream through the feed tube, until sauce is well amalgamated. Taste and adjust seasonings. Once the sauce is at a flavor profile you like, scrape into a bowl. Let stand for an hour at room temperature to allow the flavors to marry.
Though the sauce takes a good chunk of the prep time, everything else comes together quite quickly. For the cod, arrange fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
Spoon a bit of sauce on your plate. Layer with the cauliflower steak, the fish, and a bit more sauce. Enjoy!
More Dinner Ideas for Easy Weeknights
Slow Roast Cod with Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Romesco Sauce
Ingredients
Romesco Sauce
- 1 roasted red bell pepper + ½ cup roasted tomatoes see note below
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ⅓ to ½ cup good quality olive oil
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves peeled
- ¼ cup toasted chopped walnuts
- 1 to 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes or more depending on heat preference
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 4 cod fillets
Instructions
- If prepping bell pepper and tomatoes same day: pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice tomatoes into halves and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Cut and de-seed bell pepper and slice bell pepper lengthwise. Arrange on baking sheet with tomatoes. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper and, using your hands, toss together to mix.
- Roast tomatoes and peppers in oven for 20-25 minutes, until tomatoes are blistered and peppers have slightly charred edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
- While the tomatoes and peppers cool, place garlic, nuts, and red pepper flakes in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until the beginnings of a paste is formed.
- Add in the slightly cooled tomatoes and peppers along with the smoked paprika, vinegar, salt, and pepper and process until smooth. With the processor running, slowly add in the olive oil in a slow stream through the feed tube, until sauce is well amalgamated. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Once the sauce is at a flavor profile you like, scrape into a bowl. Let stand for an hour at room temperature to allow the flavors to marry.
- Though the sauce takes a good chunk of the prep time, everything else comes together quite quickly. For the cod, arrange fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Spoon a bit of sauce on your plate. Layer with the cauliflower steak, the fish, and a bit more sauce. Enjoy!
