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–+ servings

Burnt Tomato Lentils & Cod

5 | 4 reviews
This easy dinner recipe is a mostly-oven wonder. The tomatoes caramelize and burnish at the edges, concentrating their flavor into a smoky, spicy pile. The lentils then cook in the tomatoes, making them the perfect base for the cod. It's a one-pan dinner, and tastes supremely elevated, without that much work.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 cup petite black lentils
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil , plus more for serving
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 6 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, plus more for serving
  • 1/4 cup chopped Calabrian chili peppers
  • 1 (28-ounce) can of diced San Marzano tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 (4-ounce) cod fillets

Instructions 

  1. In a medium bowl, pour the vegetable broth over the lentils and set them aside to soak.
  2. Set a rack to the bottom of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
  3. Set a large, high-sided and heat-safe sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and let it heat up for a few minutes.
  4. Add the onion to the pan and let it cook for 8-10 minutes or until softened but not brown. Season with a few pinches of salt.
  5. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes or until the garlic no longer smells raw. Add the basil, oregano and Calabrian chili peppers and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to combine.
  6. Add the tomatoes to the pan. Mix in the brown sugar and red wine vinegar. Season with a few more pinches of salt and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust as needed.
  7. Transfer this sauté pan to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes have darkened by one shade.
  8. Pour in the lentils and broth and mix to combine. Put the pan back in the oven for 55-65 minutes, or until the lentils no longer have any bite to them.
  9. Season each cod fillet with salt and pepper on both sides. When the burnt tomato lentils are done cooking, nestle the cod on top of the pan and pop it back into the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the cod has an internal temperature of 135°F.
  10. Drizzle the whole pan with a bit of olive oil and garnish with fresh oregano. Serve warm!