Sheet Pan Tilapia Italiano with Asparagus & Cherry Tomatoes
A one-dish sheet pan dinner where everything comes out of the oven at the same time. It’s the perfect blend of convenience and deliciousness.
My Number One Fan gets all the credit for finding, testing and refining all but one of the Sheet Pan Dinners on Kitchen Tapestry. This one came from the damn delicious website. I renamed it and called it Italiano not just because it has Italian seasonings, but because the white, green and red of the fish, asparagus and tomatoes respectively, are the colors of the Italian flag. This recipe is perfectly accompanied by the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for A Proper Tartar Sauce, which is posted below for convenience.
Sheet Pan Tilapia Italiano with Asparagus & Cherry Tomatoes
Yield: 2-4
Called "Italiano" because white, green and red are colors of the Italian flag.
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick melted butter
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1- 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
- 1-2 tbsp fresh or dried parsley
- 1 lb asparagus, trimmed of the woody part of the stem
- 4 tilapia fillets (4-5 oz each)
- 1- 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
- non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
- pinch of fine sea salt
- 7-8 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
- Mix the butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasonings and the parsley together.
- Spray non-stick cooking spray on the sheet pan.
- Lay out the fish, tomatoes and asparagus separately in single layers, keeping them more or less separate on the pan, and pour the seasoned butter mixture over everything. Dust with salt and grinds of freshly cracked black pepper.
- Bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the tomatoes are staring to pop open, 22-30 minutes.
Notes
- Fresh tilapia is fine, but frozen is okay too. Today's methodology of preparing fish and flash freezing it is remarkable. The fillets are usually wrapped individually tilapia and come 6 or more fillets to a package, which makes them very easy to thaw. Just float them in cold water in your sink for about 20 minutes.
- A variation on this recipe is to substitute zucchini for the asparagus. Simply peel (or not, as you prefer) a couple of zucchini squash, and cut into round slices about 1/8" thick.
- For an added treat, liberally cover with 3/4 to 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese over the tomatoes and asparagus (or zucchini) after you've poured over the seasoned butter.
- This dish is perfectly accompanied by the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for A Proper Tartare Sauce.
Ⓒ Copyright 2024 Kitchen Tapestry - All Rights Reserved
A Proper Tartare Sauce
Yield: 1/2 cup
Far different than what the US knows as Tartare Sauce, the original came from Europe, most likely France, as an accompaniment to Steak Tartare.
Ingredients
- 4 heaping tbsp mayonnaise (like, Kraft)
- 2 heaping tbsp crème fraîche (like, Vermont Creamery)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (do not substitute dried)
- 2 tsp dried chervil or 4 tsp fresh, finely minced
- 2 tsp dried tarragon or 4 tsp fresh, finely minced
- 3 tbsp capers, finely minced (like, Goya or Cross & Blackwell)
- 4-5 cornichon gherkins, finely minced (like, Maille or Trois Petits Cochons)
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together until well blended.
- Cover and refrigerate at least an hour before using.
Ⓒ Copyright 2024 Kitchen Tapestry - All Rights Reserved
