This summery dinner is the perfect way to enjoy your protein: Light, fresh, and delicious.

Every time I stand at the fish counter, I remind myself that there are many fish in the sea, not just salmon and tuna. And then, once again, I buy tuna. Or salmon. 

So when a friend mentioned that she was trying a new recipe using branzino, I listened. 

I had tried cooking branzino a few times but somehow never repeated the recipe (by the way, that is my way of telling if a recipe has what we call “staying power.” Sometimes we try something once and never again. Yes, it might have been delicious. But, if you never made it again, you know: It’s simply a recipe that you don’t need in your life. And those recipes, don’t make it into BCP.)

Up until that moment, branzino was something I ordered in restaurants. But that was about to change. 

This recipe has become my Thursday night dinner, the one the adults eat while the children have the tradition of eating pizza and French fries (because otherwise how would we even know it’s Thursday night?).

Try this dish and you will see. This recipe has staying power.

Place the cherry tomatoes, olives, red onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning in the bottom of a 9×13 pan or oven to table.

Drizzle with half the lemon juice and half the olive oil. Toss to coat.

Place the branzino fillet over the vegetable mixture, skin side down touching the vegetables. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil,

sprinkle the salt and pepper,

and then with the remaining lemon juice.

Bake until golden and browned to your liking.

Print Recipe

2 from 1 vote

9×13 Branzino

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 branzino fillets, (depending on how big they are and how they will fit into the pan)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• ¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted
• ¼ cup green olives, pitted
• ½ red onion, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• juice of 1 lemon, divided
• 3 tsp olive oil, divided
• ½ tsp salt
• pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400℉.
• Place the cherry tomatoes, olives, red onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning in the bottom of a 9×13 pan or oven to table pan (this is the perfect dinner to bring to the table, its so pretty!) 
If you don't have “Italian seasoning” handy, you can use a combination of dried oregano, parsley, basil and thyme.
• Drizzle with half the lemon juice and half the olive oil. Toss to coat.
• Place the branzino fillet over the vegetable mixture, skin side down touching the vegetables. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and then with the remaining lemon juice and olive oil. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden and browned to your liking.
• Place a fillet on each plate and top with the tomato and olive mixture. Enjoy!