Baked Cod Plaki with Tomatoes, Olives and Zucchini

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A whole-pan Greek taverna classic: cod fillets nestled into a garlicky oven-roasted tomato, zucchini and olive base, finished with lemon, dill and a generous pour of olive oil. The vegetables roast first so they concentrate and sweeten, then the fish steams gently on top and stays silky. One dish, no dairy, no grains — just clean Aegean flavor.

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch half-moons
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 4 6-oz skinless cod fillets, about 1 inch thick
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and set a rack in the middle. Pat the cod fillets dry, season them all over with the 3/4 tsp salt, and let them sit at room temperature while the vegetables roast.
2. In a 9x13-inch baking dish or large ovenproof skillet, combine the sliced red onion, zucchini, halved cherry tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, sliced garlic, olives, capers, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt, black pepper and 4 tbsp of the olive oil. Toss with your hands until everything is glossy, then spread into an even layer.
3. Roast, uncovered, for 25 minutes, stirring once at the 15-minute mark, until the onions are soft, the zucchini is tender at the edges and the tomato sauce has thickened and pulled slightly away from the sides of the dish.
4. Remove the dish from the oven and stir the vegetables. Make four shallow wells with a spoon and nestle a cod fillet into each, spooning a little sauce over the tops but leaving the fish mostly exposed. Drizzle the fillets with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.
5. Return the dish to the oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes, until the cod is opaque and flakes when nudged with a fork at its thickest point (135°F on an instant-read thermometer). Thinner fillets may be done at 10 minutes, so check early.
6. Squeeze the juice of the lemon half evenly over the fish and sauce, then scatter the dill and parsley over the whole dish. Let it rest 5 minutes so the juices settle, and serve straight from the dish with lemon wedges and extra olive oil at the table.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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