This is one of those baked fish dinners that looks way more dressed up than the amount of effort going into it.
The tomatoes bake first with onion, olive oil, pesto mix, and a buttery cheese topping, which already smells like dinner is about to be good.
Then the fish goes on top with egg and an almond pesto crumb, and the oven does that quiet little magic thing.
The orange arugula salad keeps the plate from feeling heavy, with allspice, balsamic vinaigrette, and goat cheese doing their thing.
It fits spring dinners, seafood nights, or a lighter holiday meal where you still want something warm from the oven, and it would sit nicely beside Sunshine Salmon and Asparagus Almond Salad, Spiced Salmon With Mango Salsa, Caprese Summer Rolls with Roasted Tomatoes, and Tomato Quinoa Salad.
What Goes Into The Fish Bake And Salad
How To Make Pesto Fish with Tomato Bake
1. Start the tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and coat a 13 by 9 inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
Halve the grape tomatoes and add them to a large bowl.
Add the pre-diced yellow onions.
2. Season the tomato mixture
Pour in 1 teaspoon olive oil.
Add 1 tablespoon of the pesto sauce mix.
Toss the tomatoes until the onion and pesto mix are spread through the bowl.
3. Move the tomatoes to the baking dish
Transfer the tomato mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Spread it into an even layer so the topping can sit across the whole pan.
4. Make the flour and butter crumbs
Cut the butter into small pieces and place it in a medium bowl to soften.
Add the flour to the butter.
Rub the butter and flour together with your fingertips until it looks like coarse crumbs.
5. Add both cheeses
Stir the Parmesan into the flour and butter mixture.
Add the Pecorino Romano and mix until the cheese is blended through the crumbs.
6. Bake the tomato base
Sprinkle the cheese crumb topping over the tomatoes.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes bubble and the topping starts to brown.
7. Make the almond pesto topping
Add the sliced almonds to a food processor.
Add the remaining tablespoon of pesto sauce mix.
Process until the almonds turn into a fine pesto crumb.
8. Add the fish
Place the fish fillets on top of the hot tomato bake.
Brush the tops with egg substitute or beaten egg.
9. Top and bake again
Spoon the almond pesto crumb over the fish.
Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust starts to brown and the fish is opaque and flakes easily.
10. Cut the oranges
Peel the oranges and cut them across the sections into 1/2 inch slices.
Cut the slices into half circles if you want them easier to scatter over the salad.
11. Season the oranges
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, ground allspice, and kosher salt.
Add the orange slices and toss them gently so they get coated.
12. Dress the arugula
Place the baby arugula in a bowl.
Toss it with the brown sugar balsamic vinaigrette.
13. Finish the orange salad
Arrange the spiced orange slices over the dressed arugula.
Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese on top.
Serve the salad with the pesto fish tomato bake and lemon wedges, if you like.
Fish Doneness Cues
The fish is done when it reaches 145 degrees F, turns opaque, and flakes when you press it with a fork.
The almond topping should start to brown, but it doesn’t need to get dark to taste good.
And if the tomatoes are bubbling underneath, that pan is telling you it’s ready.
Serve The Bake With The Salad
The tomato bake is warm, savory, and a little rich, so the orange arugula salad keeps the plate fresh.
Dinner rolls or iced tea would make the meal feel finished without needing anything fussy.
Leftovers And Reheating
Store the fish and tomato bake in a covered container in the fridge.
Reheat it gently so the fish doesn’t dry out and the almond topping keeps some texture.
Keep the salad separate, because dressed arugula has a short emotional fuse.
Little Fish Bake Questions
What kind of fish works here?
Tilapia, haddock, or roughy work because the fillets are mild and bake fast over the tomato base.
Can I use a real egg instead of egg substitute?
Yes, one large beaten egg works in place of the egg substitute.
Why does the tomato bake go in the oven before the fish?
The tomatoes need more time to bubble and soften, while the fish only needs the final bake.
Do I have to make the orange salad?
The fish bake can stand on its own, but the salad keeps the plate lighter and gives you a fresh bite beside the warm tomatoes.
Can I skip the lemon wedges?
Yes, the lemon is optional, but that little squeeze makes the almond crust taste brighter.
Pesto Fish Tomato Bake With Orange Salad
This pesto fish tomato bake layers almond pesto crusted fish over bubbly tomatoes, onion, pesto mix, butter crumbs, and cheese, with spiced orange arugula salad on the side.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Pescatarian
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup pre-diced yellow onions
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 (0.5 oz) packet pesto sauce mix, divided
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 4 fish fillets, such as tilapia, haddock, or roughy, about 1 1/2 lb total
- 1/4 cup egg substitute, or 1 large egg
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, optional
- 3 oranges
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 oz baby arugula leaves
- 1/4 cup brown sugar balsamic vinaigrette
- 4 oz crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cut butter into small pieces and place in a medium bowl to soften.
3. Coat a 13 by 9 inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
4. Combine halved tomatoes, yellow onions, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and 1 tablespoon pesto sauce mix in a bowl.
5. Transfer tomato mixture to the baking dish.
6. Add flour to the butter and rub together with fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
7. Stir in Pecorino Romano and Parmesan until blended.
8. Sprinkle cheese topping over tomatoes.
9. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until topping is brown and tomatoes are bubbly.
10. Place sliced almonds and remaining 1 tablespoon pesto sauce mix in a food processor and process until fine.
11. Place fish fillets on top of the tomato bake.
12. Brush fish with egg substitute or beaten egg.
13. Top fish with almond pesto mixture.
14. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
15. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until crust begins to brown and fish reaches 145 degrees F, or is opaque and flakes easily.
16. Peel oranges and cut across sections into 1/2 inch slices.
17. Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, allspice, and kosher salt, then toss oranges to coat.
18. Toss arugula with brown sugar balsamic vinaigrette and spread on a serving platter.
19. Arrange oranges over arugula and sprinkle with goat cheese.
20. Serve fish bake with orange salad and lemon wedges, if using.
Notes
- Bake the tomatoes first so they have time to soften before the fish goes on top.
- Use tilapia, haddock, roughy, or another mild fish fillet with a similar thickness.
- The fish is done at 145 degrees F or when opaque and easy to flake.