Cod al Forno with Cherry Tomatoes and Cannellini Beans
Cod baked over creamy cannellini beans and burst cherry tomatoes — a summer Ligurian one-pan dinner.
Best for heart-healthy · high protein · high fibre
This is the dinner I make when good cod is in the case and the tomatoes are finally worth eating: everything goes into one dish and comes out of the oven in under half an hour. The beans soak up the tomato juices and turn into a savoury bed that eats like a sauce, so you get lean protein and legume fibre in the same forkful — no butter, no cream, just olive oil doing the heavy lifting. It's Mediterranean cooking at its most honest: fish, beans, tomatoes, herbs, and enough good oil to make it sing.
Ingredients
- 600 g Skinless cod fillets , 4 pieces, patted dry
- 480 g cannellini beans , 2 tins, drained and rinsed
- 400 g cherry tomatoes , mixed colours if you have them, kept whole
- 45 ml olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves , cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon , half zested and juiced, half in wedges to serve
- 15 g Fresh basil , leaves torn
- 2 g dried oregano , about 1 tsp
- 1 g Chilli flakes , a pinch, to taste (optional – can be omitted)
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 1 g black pepper , freshly ground
Instructions
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1
Heat the oven to 200°C (fan). In a large baking dish, toss the drained cannellini beans, whole cherry tomatoes and sliced garlic with most of the olive oil, the oregano, chilli flakes, half the salt and a good grind of pepper. Spread into an even layer.
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2
Roast the beans and tomatoes on their own for 12 minutes, until the tomatoes start to soften and split and the garlic smells sweet. This head start lets the tomatoes release their juices so the beans braise rather than just warm through.
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3
Nestle the cod fillets into the beans, pushing some tomatoes up around them. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, the lemon zest and a squeeze of juice, and season with the rest of the salt. Return to the oven for 12–14 minutes, until the cod is opaque and flakes at a gentle push — internal temperature 55–58°C.
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4
Rest for 2 minutes out of the oven, then scatter with torn basil and a final thread of olive oil. Crush a few beans into the tomato juices at the table to make a rough sauce, and serve with lemon wedges.