This Italian Cod Recipe with tomatoes is ready in just 30 minutes. Simmer codfish fillets in a tomato sauce for an easy and delicious weeknight meal.
If you are looking for a healthy cod recipe that can be prepared and served in under thirty minutes, this recipe is for you.
Just like this garlic oregano baked cod fish, or this recipe for acqua pazza most Italian fish recipes are also simple and delicious.
Let me show you how quickly this particular recipe comes together.
Mise en place
Prep the garlic: I will usually use about 3-4 cloves of garlic that I crush with the side of my knife and then coarsely chop. Feel free to use more (or less) according to your personal preference.
Get the tomatoes ready: I like to use canned tomatoes for this easy fish recipe. If possible, purchase San Marzano whole peeled canned tomatoes packed in their juices and not tomato sauce. Use a high-quality canned tomato just like when we made our classic marinara sauce.
Empty a 28 ounce (796 mL) can in a large bowl and hand crush the tomatoes. Add 1 cup of water to the empty can, swirl it around and add it to the bowl of crushed tomatoes.
Prep the onions and the shallots: Coarsely chop 1 medium onion and 3-4 shallots.
The rest of the ingredients can be prepared while the tomato sauce simmers.
Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 medium chopped onion and 3-4 chopped green onions (scallions). Sauté until softened (4-5 minutes).
Add the 4 cloves of chopped garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. The addition of a pinch of red pepper flakes at this point is optional. Add ½ cup of white wine followed by crushed tomatoes (28 ounces or 796 mL).
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Since I use chopped parsley to garnish the cooked dish, I throw in the parsley stalks while the sauce is simmering.
At this point, taste your tomato sauce. Adjust for salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat to medium, and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
While the sauce is simmering, rinse 4 cod fillets (about 2 pounds or 900 grams total) quickly under cold water and pat dry. Season with paprika (about ½ teaspoon ) and salt and pepper.
After the sauce has been simmering for about 20 minutes, place the fish in the sauce, cover and cook for about 7-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily and turns opaque in color (total time depends on the thickness of the fillet).
OPTIONAL: Garnish with freshly chopped Italian parsley.
The extra sauce can be refrigerated and served with pasta for another quick supper meal.
Tips
- Rinse cod fillets quickly under cold water and pat dry.
- Use the best quality and freshest ingredients.
- Replace canned tomatoes with whole frozen tomatoes.
- The extra sauce can be refrigerated and served with pasta for another quick supper meal.
Can I use another kind of fish?
Yes, replace the cod with any firm, white fish fillet such as haddock, bass or grouper (to name just a few).
How can you tell that the cod is cooked?
The fish should be opaque and flake easily when tested with a fork. As a general rule, allow for 10 minutes of cooking time per inch (2.5cm) of the fish thickness.
Easy seafood recipes we love
- Lemon Garlic Shrimp
- Pan-Seared Scallops
- Coquilles St Jacques
- Seafood Pizza
- Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
- Seafood Salad
- Fish Chowder
- Maple Glazed Salmon
Recipe origins
Growing up in an Italian household, Fridays were synonymous with the tradition of enjoying fish. This fresh cod recipe, a staple on our dinner table, was often accompanied by Italian potatoes, creating a comforting and flavorful meal.
As the holiday season approached, a unique twist awaited us on Christmas Eve—my mom’s rendition of this recipe featuring Salted cod, also known as Baccalà, for La Vigilia, a cherished Italian tradition. During this festive time, we would gather with family and friends to celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes, savoring an array of delectable fish and seafood dishes.
Despite the abundance of seafood choices, one dish has consistently stood out as a personal favorite on our Italian Christmas Eve menu—the Spaghetti di San Giuseppe or St. Joseph’s Spaghetti, a beloved family recipe.
But I digress…
For those curious about a recent twist on this classic codfish recipe, I collaborated with my friend Carlo, a professional chef. If you’d like to witness the preparation of this variation, you can check out the step-by-step guide on YouTube.
Follow this link and subscribe to the YouTube channel for more culinary delights.
★★★★★ If you have made this recipe for codfish, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Italian Cod Recipe with Tomato Sauce
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 3-4 green onions (scallions) chopped
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 28 ounces San Marzano, whole canned tomatoes 796 mL, lightly hand crushed
- 1 cup water to rinse out the inside of the empty can
- 2 pounds cod fillets or firm white fish approximately 900 grams, skinless
- ½ teaspoon paprika dried
- salt and pepper according to taste
- parsley for garnishing
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onions and green onions. Sauté until softened (4-5 minutes).
- Add the chopped garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- OPTIONAL: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Add the white wine followed by the crushed tomatoes.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. At this point, taste your tomato sauce. Adjust for salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and allow it to simmer slowly for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- While the sauce is simmering, rinse 4 cod fillets (about 2 pounds or 900 grams total) quickly under cold water and pat dry. Season with paprika (about ½ teaspoon ) and salt and pepper.
- After the sauce has been simmering for about 20 minutes, place the fish in the sauce, cover and cook for about 7-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily and turns opaque in color (total time depends on the thickness of the fillet).
- Serve immediately.
- OPTIONAL: Garnish with freshly chopped Italian parsley.
Notes
- Rinse cod fillets quickly under cold water and pat dry.
- Use the best quality and freshest ingredients.
- The extra sauce can be refrigerated and served with pasta for another quick supper meal.
- I used wild Atlantic Cod Fillets for this cod fish recipe.
Domenico Cimato
This recipe is close to my mom’s, except it was missing something. Then I remembered the secret ingredient in the last couple minutes if cooking _ green olives! Luckily I had some on hand and added them. This was the bit of saltiness I remembered. Fantastic with a side salad!
Maria
Thanks for sharing Domenico.
Chris Novrocki
Quick easy and Delish!!!
Maria
Thanks so much Chris!
RaLinda
Delicious I made this for my birthday dinner with the rice and broccoli
Maria
Happy Birthday! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Phyllis
This is yummy. Enjoy your recipes!
thanks
Maria
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment Phyllis!
Sue
My husband and I love this recipe……..it is my go to
Fish dish!! Wine, and pepper flakes….it is yummy!
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Sue!
canan
Made this last night, and we loved it! So delicious, and yet very easy to put together. Using a good can of tomatoes makes all the difference, and the red pepper flakes! Had ours with garlic and parmesan spaghetti squash. Will definitely make again.
Maria
So thrilled to read this! Thanks for sharing Canan.
Debbie
Great recipe! I love the simple but lovely flavour of the tomato sauce. It accompanied the cod very well. This was very easy to make for a weeknight dinner. I served mine with boiled potatoes and steamed broccoli. Yum!
Maria
How wonderful Debbie! Thanks so much for sharing!
Connie Yarema
The sauce was great served over gluten free fettuccine. The type of fish you buy needs to have attention. We used some frozen cod that was cut in taco style. I think it would have been better if it was some type of filet. Overall, the sauce made according to recipe is great. I used half with fish (only 2 of us) and froze the other half to use with spaghetti squash.
Maria
Thanks Connie. I’ve only ever made this recipe with fish fillets. Thanks for taking the time to share.
lynn
Simple and packed with so much flavor. Wasn’t going to add the wine but glad I did, gives the sauce a deeper flavor. Also, do not skip the pepper flakes. Next time I’ll add either zucchini or carrot noodles. Delicious!!
Maria
How wonderful Lynn! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, appreciate it!
Maria
Thanks so much Lynn! Appreciate your comment!
Maria
Amazing Lynn! Thanks for sharing!
Vanessa
I’m so glad I found this recipe!! Several years ago, I had a similar meal at my favorite Italian restaurant in montreal – it was a white fish paired with a tomato sauce, and I was amazed at the combo of fish with tomato sauce, as I would never have thought of putting the two together. Well I loved it then, and this evening I made this recipe, and it was a hit for my family!! I paired it with some white basmati rice, and it was delicious with the sauce. Thank you for yet another fabulous recipe!! 🤗👏👏
Maria
How wonderful Vanessa! Thanks so much for sharing.
Marcie
Great recipe! I made this for dinner for Ash Wednesday served over homemade fettuccine,we really enjoyed it. Thank you for posting another delicious recipe.
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Marcie!
Val
Another great recipe! Can’t wait to try this! Thanks for sharing Maria.
Maria
My pleasure Val. I think you are going to love this codfish recipe. Thanks so much for stopping by, appreciate it!