Lemon Pasta with Baked Cod
This Lemon Pasta with Baked Cod is a delicious (and easy) way to mix up weeknight dinners!
This Lemon Pasta with Baked Cod post is sponsored by Gorton’s, but the recipe and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!
This post may contain paid links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.
We eat a lot of pasta around our house. I seriously think I could eat pasta in some form every single night. Laura is half-Italian, so she’s more than willing to go along with my love for pasta. (#Winning!) However, as much as I love a good red sauce (aka gravy), I always enjoy a change of scenery in the flavor department. That’s where this Lemon Pasta with Baked Cod comes in! In an effort to mix things up, I left the red sauce out of this recipe entirely. Instead, the pasta is tossed with a simple mixture of olive oil, cream, Parmesan, garlic and lemon juice. Delicious!
Not only does this Lemon Pasta with Baked Cod come together quickly, but it’s sure to be a family favorite. I literally had dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes, and that included the time I stopped to color a shark with Robbie. (We decided it needed to be a rainbow shark. That makes it a little less scary I think.) For the pasta, I used some spinach linguine that I found in our local grocery store. It was quite tasty, but a traditional pasta would work here as well.
If you’re so inspired, I have a fun recipe for homemade spinach pasta. Homemade pasta is amazing, however the amount of homemade pasta I’ve made since Robbie was born has dropped dramatically. Imagine that!
Lemon Pasta with Baked Cod
As tasty as the lemon sauce was on this pasta, the real shining star was the baked cod. Lemon goes well with fish, so the lemon pasta topped with baked cod was a great combination. For the baked cod, I used Gorton’s Cod Fillets with Crunchy Panko Breadcrumbs. We always keep fish sticks around for Robbie (and sometimes us, too), but when I saw the baked cod fillets, I was all in!
Gorton’s makes a whole variety of delicious seafood options, and I have to say that these cod fillets are right up there near the top of the list. They’re crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside and packed with flavor. Add in the lemon pasta, and we felt like we were eating a restaurant-quality meal!
In addition to the taste, I respect the fact that Gorton’s places a strong emphasis on sustainability. The cod used in Gorton’s Cod Fillets is 100% wild-caught from fisheries in the Barents Sea and Bering Sea. The fisheries have been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, an organization that focuses on ensuring our future generations can enjoy wild seafood.
Turning back to this delicious recipe, this Lemon Pasta (aka Pasta al Limone) is an easy, tasty recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights. There are soccer practices and football scrimmages. There are dance recitals and piano lessons. Oh, and don’t forget swim lessons, too! I get it. Weeknights during the school year can get hectic. This recipe is an ideal one to keep on hand for those busy nights.
Yes, you can have a delicious dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes! I hope you enjoy this pasta dish as much as we do. It’s going onto our list of ‘easy go-to recipes’ for when 6:00 sneaks up on us and we haven’t planned anything for dinner. Cheers!
How to Store Leftovers
Any leftover pasta and cod filets should be stored separately in airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat the pasta, reserve a bit of the cooking liquid from when you initially cooked the pasta and add it to the skillet when reheating. To reheat the cod, place the filets in an oven or toaster oven at 300°F for 6-8 minutes, or until heated through.
Did you make this Lemon Pasta recipe at home? Leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Lemon Pasta with Baked Cod
Ingredients
- 1 14.6-oz. package Gorton’s Premium Cod Fillets
- 16 oz. linguine pasta can substitute spaghetti
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice ~3 lemons
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest ~1 lemon
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Spray baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; bake Gorton’s Premium Cod Fillets according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions.
- Using a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic; stir until well combined. Set lemon sauce aside.
- Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- Using a large skillet, add pasta and lemon sauce; toss until well combined. Heat over medium-high heat until sauce has been fully absorbed. (Note: Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen pasta.)
- Remove from heat and add salt, pepper and chopped basil; toss until well combined.
- Divide pasta onto plates and top each with baked cod fillet.
Notes
Looking for more tasty seafood recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
This is a flavor packed dinner that I would love to serve at my table. This is so perfect for these busy weeknights and my family would be getting a delicious meal in no time at all!
This really is a great meal, Kathy! It’s got so much flavor in there, but it’s easy to make. And that baked cod is absolutely delicious on top! Thanks so much, my friend!
Such a great dinner! 🙂
I love pasta, too! Definitely happy to eat it every day! This lemon pasta is a lovely idea, and would work so well with the cod!
Lemon pairs so well with seafood, so I figured it would work in pasta form, too. This is one heck of a tasty meal, Alexandra…and it’s so quick and easy, too. Thanks so much!
Such a great weeknight dinner. We too love pasta and I make it atleast once a week 🙂 The cod looks so good!
That cod is absolutely delicious, Kankana! Pair it with the lemon pasta, and you’ve got one heck of a tasty (and easy) dinner. Thanks so much!
Hi David! Even though it is still hot here I have been craving pasta dishes. I looked for the fish at my local store and they didn’t have it, but we have other stores I can check. I have a bag of wild garlic pasta that I picked up at Big Lots of all places and I think that it would work well here. Enjoy your cooler mornings and I hope you post some amazing apple recipes soon!
Hey Dorothy! Check out Gorton’s product finder to see which products are available near you: https://gortons.com/where-to-buy/ (These cod fillets are listed under their “Everyday Gourmet” section, although I suspect any of their fillets would work on top of this pasta.)
Yes, I think that wild garlic pasta would totally work for this recipe. Lots of garlic. Lots of lemon. I think we’re heading in the right directions! As far as apples go, you know I’ve got some good stuff up my sleeve here soon. Stay tuned! 😉
i love panko, and lemon and fish so winner! but not so much the pasta. i’m not really a fan, tho hubby loves the stuff:) this does look good but i’d serve it with something else. that fish does look delicious! cheers sherry ah when you say red sauce aka gravy – what is that? here in OZ gravy is brown and goes with roast beef and veg.
Yes! I used to think of gravy as the thick brown liquid that goes with roast beef. Then I met Laura. A lot of Italians here in the US call classic red sauce ‘gravy.’ In fact, it’s sometimes called Sunday Gravy since traditionally you would let a pot of sauce simmer all day on Sunday. That term still catches me off guard!
As far as the pasta, I bet you could serve this over rice or perhaps even risotto. What do you think?
That lemon pasta is a nice twist David. I confess to being a bit boring when it comes to what to serve with my baked cod. I usually just serve it on a bed of rice, so this recipe will make a change. Thanks!
Yes! Totally make a change and serve baked cod over lemon pasta. The flavor is out of this world good! I promise you’ll like it…assuming you like lemon. Haha! Thanks, Neil!
We eat a lot of pasta too and seafood so this is right up our alley! Best of both worlds, if you ask me! I’ll have to keep an eye out for that cod. Looks so crispy, golden brown and straight up delish! Perfect for Friday night with a glass of vino and crusty bread (again, carbs, lol). Love ’em 😉
This Gorton’s baked cod is absolutely delicious, Dawn! I hope they carry it up in your area. The pasta is easy to make, and this is seriously one heck of a flavorful dinner. Also, I second the crusty bread and vino! Great minds think alike, huh? Haha!
I try to only buy wild-caught sustainable fish, so I’m loving this brand. Looks really delicious, too, and paired with the lemon pasta, oh my! Perfect, David.
Yes! I love everything that Gorton’s does in terms of sustainability + wild caught seafood. Not only is it good for the long term, but it taste awesome, too! 🙂 Thanks, Valentina!
My family really likes fish, but with it being a busy time of year I’m always looking for recipes to help make frozen fish a bit more interesting. This looks just like the type of thing I can see my boys loving. Pasta, which is always a winner, and crispy fish!
I hear ya, Matt! I feel like frozen fish has gone through a transformation lately. This baked cod is absolutely delicious, and pairing it with the lemon pasta was quite a fun dinner. Plus, it’s super easy to make! I hope the family enjoys this one. Thanks so much, my friend!
David, that baked cod looks seriously crunchy! So good! I’m impressed with what I’ve learned about Gordon’s practices. Not much of the fresh fish I see for sale are wild caught. “Processed” food gets such a bad rap. It’s definitely time to rethink that with Gordon’s quality and support for sustainability. The pasta looks Ah. May. Zing! I really, really need a bite of that!
That baked cod is indeed seriously crunchy, Kelly! It’s so tasty! I agree that processed food gets a bad rap. Sometimes it’s well deserved, but Gorton’s is one of the companies out there doing it the right way. I’m all about the way they are focusing on sustainability! Thanks so much, my friend!
The pasta sounds like it has a ton of flavor. Lemon pasta and cod pair well together.
The pairing is quite tasty for sure, Dawn! Thanks so much! 🙂
Simple, satisfying meals like this are the best. That cod looks SO good! I’m hoping they have that brand locally.
Yes! Definitely look for Gorton’s out in your area…I’m pretty sure it’s available. That baked cod is out-of-sight good!! 🙂
Found this looking for seafood recipes. Needed to use a piece of halibut I had in the fridge. Used spaghetti instead of linguine, because that was what I had on hand. It was delicious! The lemon flavor was perfect with the halibut. The creamy sauce was just right – not too heavy (used half and half in place of heavy cream, because once again, it was what I had on hand). I will definitely use this recipe time and again! I like the idea of using frozen fish. Our local fish market is closed on Sundays and Mondays. I will begin to keep some Gorton’s in stock!
Hey Sherri! Thank you so much for stopping by and making this recipe. It really is quite easy, but super tasty, too. And you know what? I’m always adapting recipes for what we have around, too. Fortunately, we almost always have the ingredients for this sauce. And, yes, Gorton’s are great to keep around for those dinners when you’re not sure what to make. Thanks for the comment!!