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piece of cod fish with pesto and a lemon slice over a bed of asparagus in an opened foil packet

30-Minute Pesto Baked Cod in Foil with Asparagus

  • Author: Alex Aldeborgh
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: serves 2
  • Category: main dish
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This oven baked cod in foil with pesto and asparagus is the easiest healthy meal to make on a weeknight. Ready to eat in 30 minutes or less, protein-packed cod fish is topped with basil pesto on top of fresh asparagus in foil packets. Delicious, nutritious, and simple!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 4-6 ounce pieces of cod loin
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 3 tbsp basil pesto, divided
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Place cod loin on a plate. Pat dry with a paper towel.
  3. Season cod with salt and pepper on both sides and drizzle with lemon juice.
    two pieces of raw cod fish on a plate
  4. Take 2 big pieces of aluminum foil, about 18 inches long.
  5. Place half of the asparagus in the center of each piece of foil.
  6. Drizzle the asparagus bunches each with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.asparagus on a piece of aluminum foil
  7. Top the asparagus with the pieces of cod.
    asparagus and a piece of cod on tin foil
  8. Spoon a dollop of pesto over each piece of cod (about 1 1/2 tbsp on each piece). Spread it out a little.
    asparagus and cod with a dollop of pesto on top of a piece of tin foil
  9. Fold the aluminum foil around the asparagus and cod. Use your hands to pinch it into a pouch, so that no air can escape.
  10. Put the foil packets on a baking sheet.
    two foil packets on a baking sheet
  11. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Cod is done cooking when opaque and easily flakes with a fork, or reaches an internal temperature of 145°F when checked with a meat thermometer.
  12. Let foil packets cool for 1-2 minutes, then open them up.
  13. You can serve this recipe right from the foil packets on a plate, or use a spatula to move the food onto a plate.
  14. Serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

Can I prepare this recipe in advance?

You can assemble the fish in foil packets up to one day in advance, except for adding the lemon juice. Acidic lemon juice will “cook” the delicate fish like ceviche if left on overnight. Add the lemon juice 10-15 minutes before cooking in the oven.

Store foil packets with cod and asparagus in the fridge.

Keywords: baked cod in foil, fish in foil packets, oven baked cod in foil