I don’t know about you, but fish is a hard sell in my household. Unless it’s something my dear husband caught that day on a fishing trip, or halibut (Rob actually likes halibut), it is never easy to convince him that fish is a good idea for dinner. I mean, he knows it’s healthy and really good for you and all that jazz, but it’s not something he usually enjoys. It’s always with a resigned sigh of acceptance that his taste buds are about to be subjected to fish that evening. You can understand how happy I was when I actually made a fish recipe he liked! Yay me!
Baking your fish in parchment packets (or as the French say, fish en papillote) is an easy way to lock in moisture and ensure flavorful, tender fish each time because it essentially steams everything inside. What this means to you: It is very forgiving if you happen to leave the packets in the oven a little too long because you got caught up folding laundry or watching a Friends rerun in the other room. (Oh Ross and Rachel, can’t you just work things out?!)
Parchment paper is a “must have” in my kitchen arsenal and can be purchased at most grocery store locations in the food storage aisle near aluminum foil. The hardest part about this recipe is actually making the parchment packets so that they stay closed while cooking to ensure all that lovely steam doesn’t escape in the oven. Pssst – it’s all about the fold and here is an excellent link on Finecooking.com that shows you how to create your packets with ease.
Now, if you want to go the super easy route, you can always buy these handy dandy, pre-made parchment packets and only worry about ONE fold!
This recipe features some really healthy ingredients and is super easy to whip together. The clean-up is a breeze too, which always is a bonus in my book. Rob has even commented that this recipe has a flavor similar to pizza, so it’s a fairly approachable dish for the fish-averse folks in your life.
Tilapia Baked in Parchment with Walnut Pesto, Spinach and Chickpeas
Serving size shown is for 2 very large portions (usually with leftovers…) but can be easily adjusted by cutting the fillets in half before cooking. Ideally, you want one parchment packet for each person served.
Pesto Ingredients:
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- 1 large bunch of basil
- 3-4 large garlic cloves
- 1 whole lemon, zested and juiced
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- Coarse Kosher salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
Tilapia Packet Ingredients:
- Parchment paper or parchment cooking bags (can substitute aluminum foil in a pinch)
- 1 bag of baby spinach (you will want an extra-large handful of spinach for each packet you are preparing)
- Tilapia fillets patted dry with a paper towel (one filet per packet you are preparing)
- Pesto from recipe above (I won’t tell anyone if you use pre-made pesto instead of blending your own, but you should really try this with fresh pesto at some point. It makes a huge flavor difference.)
- ½ of a 14 ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed. You can add more if you really like chickpeas.
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions for Pesto:
If you haven’t already toasted your chopped walnuts, you will want to do so now. The easiest way to toast nuts is to spread them on a baking sheet and pop it in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until they start to brown and become fragrant. Check on them mid-way through to ensure even browning and give it a little stir. When evenly browned, remove from the oven and allow to cool to about room temperature. Don’t skip the toasting step! It makes a big difference in flavor depth.
Place the toasted walnuts in a food processor or blender and blend away until finely chopped up. Turn off the processor and add the basil, garlic, and lemon zest. Cover the device and blend everything together well. Don’t be alarmed if your ingredients aren’t forming a paste yet, this will all happen later with the olive oil.
Turn off the processor/blender and add in the parmesan and lemon juice. Blend well again. This time, leave the processor/blender running and slowly pour in the olive oil through the hole at the top. This will meld everything together. Add in as much olive oil as needed to create the consistency you prefer. I personally like my pesto to be the slightest bit on the thinner side, so I may use a tad more oil than those who prefer more of a paste-like texture.
Turn off the device. Use right away or pour into an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Instructions for the Parchment Tilapia:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
On each of your prepared parchment paper packages, place a large handful of spinach. It may seem like an excessive amount of spinach now, but don’t worry because it will cook down to practically nothing. Place a tilapia fillet on top of each spinach bed. Season the fish with salt and pepper.
Using a spoon, drop a large dollop or two of the pesto on top of the tilapia fillet and spread the pesto around to evenly distribute it across the fish. If you plan on reserving any unused pesto for later use, please do not use the same spoon for dolloping that you use for spreading because you risk the possibility of contaminating the pesto with raw fish bacteria.
Pour a handful of chickpeas on top of the tilapia along with a handful of halved cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle everything with red pepper flakes and a few grinds of pepper.
**Please note that you can distribute the ingredients amongst the packets however you feel best according to your family’s needs. Some people prefer more spinach and hate tomatoes, so adjust accordingly.
Now fold up your packets and place on a rimmed baking sheet. (The rims will catch any stray liquid that may escape from a loose fold…)
Put the baking sheet with the fish packets in the middle of your preheated oven and cook for approximately 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the packets to cool about 5 minutes until safe to handle.
Serving suggestions:
I like to serve this dish over a bed of white or brown rice. For presentation, you can open the packets in the kitchen and slide everything onto the plates in advance of serving. Just be careful not to burn yourself from the steam when opening the packets.
Some people prefer to place an unopened packet on a plate prepared with the other side dishes and have each guest cut open the packet at the table themselves. It provides a little more drama, but can be a bit messy depending on how much liquid is captured in the packet during the steaming process. Let me know how you prefer to serve it – I love to get your opinions!
