Fish Puttanesca

Fish puttanesca (pesce alla puttanesca) is an easy skillet dish of mild white fish fillets simmered in a rustic Italian tomato sauce.

Course Seafood

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Servings servings

Calories 335

Author Lynne Webb

Ingredients

1 lb mild, white fish fillets (tilapia, cod, barramundi)
Garlic bread for serving, 8 slices

For the Puttanesca Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
6 to 8 cloves garlic, minced
2 ounces flat anchovies, see notes
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 can, 28-ounces Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup pitted black olives, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

If necessary, cut the fish into equal-sized portions. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute longer.
Add the anchovies, break up with a wooden spoon, and continue cooking until they “melt” and blend into the onions and garlic.
Stir in the white wine, cook for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes.
Bring the sauce to a slow simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the black olives and capers, cook for another 2 minutes, then season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Stir about 3 tablespoons of the parsley into the sauce, then lay the fish fillets on top.
Spoon some sauce over each fillet, cover the pan and continue cooking until the fish flakes easily.
Thinner fillets like tilapia and barramundi will take 6 to 8 minutes, thicker fillets like cod or haddock will take a few minutes longer.
To serve, spoon a portion of the sauce into shallow serving bowls, top with a portion of fish and garnish with the remaining parsley.
Add a couple of slices of garlic bread and serve immediately.

Tips for Making This Recipe

About the anchovies:

You may want to taste your anchovies before adding them to the sauce and if they are too salty, give them a quick rinse in cold water before adding them to the sauce.

For a dish like this, we generally buy a slightly more expensive brand of anchovies packed in a glass jar. We find that they're less salty and we're able to use the olive oil they come packed in for sautéing the onion and garlic. This puts the oil to good use and adds extra flavor in the process.

Jarred anchovies can be kept in the refrigerator for about a week after opening.

Nutrition