This Italian Cod traybake is an easy meal all made in one pan, with crispy pancetta wrapped fish and tasty Mediterranean style flavours.
We all love a one pan meal and this is a favourite. Light, fresh flavours all in one traybake. No standing by the stove for this Italian Style Baked Cod recipe.
If you’re trying to introduce more fish into your family’s diet and are looking for new ways to cook it, this is an easy recipe that is low maintenance, while not compromising serving up a mouthwatering meal. Simple, delicious, full of nutrient-rich vegetables.
What’s more, if you’re worried about overcooking or faffing about with fish as an ingredient, this one pan baked method solves that issue. Pancetta not only tastes amazing but also reduces the chances of the cod drying out.
You’ll love this recipe because:
✅ All in one-pan for no faff
✅ Light, flavourful, perfect for summer days
✅ An easy way to eat more fish
FAQs about this Italian-Style Baked Cod Recipe
Is fish difficult to cook?
If you’re nervous of cooking with fish, this is a fantastic introductory recipe (although I always try to keep it simple so you can check out my other fish recipes too). That’s because it’s protected to some degree by the pancetta and it doesn’t require cooking carefully over a hot pan.
How do you make this Baked Cod recipe?
Pop your potatoes into the oven for 15 minutes. Add your other vegetables, cook for another 15 minutes. Finally add the wrapped fish to cook too and you’re good to go.
Can I substitute the pancetta for bacon?
Smoky pancetta is an Italian cured ham which gives a lot of flavour here. You can substitute it for any thin cut of bacon, or streaky bacon if you prefer.
Thick cut may not cook quickly enough to be done in the time it takes for the fish to cook.
What kind of cod should I use?
I like to use cod loins for this as they’re the thick part of the fish, so nice and chunky. If you use a thinner cut it may cook quicker, so adjust cooking time accordingly.
To ensure you don’t overcook the baked cod, check to see if there’s any white residue coming out, as this is a sign that it’s overcooking, so take it straight out of the oven.
My pancetta isn’t very crispy. What should I do?
If the fish is cooked but not your pancetta, pop it under a very hot grill for a couple of minutes to brown – or you could even blast it with a kitchen blow torch if you have one!
Fancy more easy fish recipes?
- Easy Fish Stew – All in one delicious meal
- Creamy Salmon Bake – Another tray bake
- Prawn Pasta – Ready in 10 minutes
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.
I’d love to know how you got on and what you thought of it if you make this Italian Style Baked Cod recipe. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ by the recipe. Also, if you’d like to show me a photo by tagging me on Instagram (@tamingtwins) I LOVE to see your creations.
This post was originally published on Jul 31, 2019 and updated with some more tips and advice on Aug 18, 2022.
Italian Cod Traybake {with Pancetta}
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 750 g New potatoes Cut into chunks
- 2 Red onions Peeled and cut into quarters
- 2 Red peppers Deseeded and cut into chunky wedges
- 8 Garlic cloves Whole, unpeeled
- 400 g Cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Italian herb seasoning
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 500 g Cod loin fillets Boneless and skinless
- 95 g Pancetta Or 8 slices
- 150 g Black olives Pitted and drained
To garnish
- A handful of basil leaves
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 200C.
- Put the potatoes and 1 tbsp of the oil onto a baking sheet. Cover the potatoes with the oil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Add the onions, peppers, garlic cloves with the herbs and salt and pepper and the extra 1tbsp of oil. Mix thoroughly and return to the oven for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wrap the cod loin fillets in the pancetta.
- Remove the tray from the oven, add the tomatoes, olives and cod fillets wrapped in pancetta.
- When cooked, sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.
Notes
New potatoes work well for ease in this recipe as you can leave the skins on and just quarter them. Regular potatoes cut into small chunks are fine too. Obviously the cooking time will depend on the size of the potato chunks. New potatoes do tend to keep their shape better. Tomatoes:
I used cherry tomatoes on the vine, just because they look so pretty. Halved regular tomatoes would be fine too. Peppers:
The sweetness of red, orange or yellow peppers work best in this recipe. Onions:
You can use red onions or brown/white onions for this. Garlic:
There are whole cloves of garlic in this dish. As they roast in their skins they become soft and delicious. Don’t try and crush the garlic and mix in before cooking as the little pieces will burn. When serving this to children, I just remove the roasted garlic from the skins and squish into the saucy juice. Italian herb seasoning:
A good quality dried herb mix here is fine, or dried oregano if you have that.
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve been careful not to take too much on over the holidays so fitting it in hasn’t been too bad so far, although I’ve got a few half-finished posts I really should get a move on with. I think it’s going to be more tricky over the next few weeks as Jon’s off work too so we’ll be wanting to spend more time doing family things.
I love the sound of this fish dish, and my boys love all the ingredients too (well expect the olives but I can pinch theirs and have more on my portion 🙂 ) so it would go down really well as a family dinner too.
Laura says
This sounds delicious, thanks
Lizzy says
Delicious! Where is the roasting fish from please Sarah?
Sarah Barnes says
It’s an old baking sheet, sorry! I think it was from Sainsbury’s!
Marie says
Very tasty. I might keep the potatoes separate next time so that they are more crispy. I added some asparagus 10 minutes before the end.
Caroline says
Yes we agree, we’ll keep the potatoes seperate next time too. We prefer them crisper.
Simon Collin says
Just made this for 5 of us . Did what others said and did the potatoes separate . Absolutely delicious . Was worried it may be dry , but not in the slightest . Spooned the juices over the potatoes and roasted veg . Devine
Sam says
So easy to make and delicious!! Perfect for a quick after work / school meal.
Katie Hyde says
I made this tonight, another amazing recipe! Husband fussy 7 yr old and 10 yr old clean plates ! Thanks so much. Yummy very yummy.
Super quick for a healthy after school/work dinner
Rachel says
Really yummy and easy to make. My partner isn’t always keen on fish but he loved this!
Karen H says
This is an amazing dish, nice and easy, so tasty. The whole family loves it. I cooked the tatties a tad longer before putting the rest in to make them crispier x show stopper, winner delicious. Xx thank you as always x