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Home » Recipes » Seafood

Easy Italian Baked Fish

By: Kathryn Doherty | Last Updated: Mar 10, 2025 | Published: Oct 1, 2020
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Easy Italian baked fish is just 2 ingredients, simple to make, and so tender and flavorful. Serve over noodles or polenta, or pair with a side salad, for a delicious and healthy seafood dinner!Large fish filet served with sauce on a white serving tray with lemon slices and fresh parsley as garnish

This post is sponsored by The National Fisheries Institute’s seafood education blog, Dish on Fish. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This year, October marks the first ever National Pescatarian Month!

As you know, I am a huge seafood lover and proponent of eating more and more seafood.

So is my son. He’s 7 and told me clams are his favorite seafood. My daughter’s favorite is shrimp. And we all adore salmon.

We are not strictly pescatarian, but we do enjoy leaning that way on a regular basis.

A pescatarian diet, in case you were wondering, consists of mainly fish and seafood in addition to other plant-based foods.

It’s a great way to ensure you are getting all of the healthiest foods, as well as all the main vitamins and nutrients our bodies need.

And you don’t have to commit to a pescatarian diet for life! You can try it for a week or month, or eat pescatarian just a few days a week. It’s flexible so you can make it work for you.

Baked cod with Italian dressing served on a white platter with lemon slices and parsley as garnishes

Any way you do it though, you’ll get the delicious bonus of having more seafood in your diet!

That’s been an ongoing goal of mine. I’m a health and nutrition editor for my day job, so I know all about how great seafood is for us, and I try to incorporate it into our meals at least twice a week every week. (That’s also what the Dietary Guidelines for Americans calls for.)

I also really love how quick and easy it is to cook seafood. Right up my alley in terms of easy weeknight dinners.

Some of our go-to favorites are southwest baked salmon, Mexican shrimp skillet and honey Dijon salmon.

Today, we’re going with another classic at our dinner table, this easy Italian baked fish.

It’s just 2 ingredients, y’all. Yup, TWO.

Cod (or mahi mahi or another mild white fish) and some Italian dressing.

(I'm sorry but just look at this beauty!)

A beautiful piece of fresh, raw cod in paper wrapping A piece of raw cod in a baking dish covered in Italian dressing before being cooked

That is all you need! And despite its simplicity, it’s really so flavorful!

The marinade time, the flavor of the dressing and baking it in the oven all create a really tender, flaky, infused flavor throughout the fish.

And because it’s so easy, you’ll be able to incorporate more seafood meals into your family dinner rotation!

You might also like this buttery baked cod recipe, just 4 ingredients!

Now, I’ve got some notes and substitutions coming up on how to make baked Italian fish. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Also, if you are interested in reading more about the pescatarian diet or benefits of eating more seafood, check out the Dish on Fish blog.

A large fish filet in a pan with Italian dressing after being baked

A spoon drizzling Italian dressing over baked white fish in a pan

Notes on making Italian baked fish:

  • As mentioned, the recipe calls for cod, but you could substitute mahi-mahi or another mild white fish like haddock or tilapia. Grouper would be great too.
  • The total baking time will depend on the thickness of your particular piece of fish. My huge, beautiful, thick piece of cod in these photos was a full inch thick and it was done at 18 minutes. If yours is thicker, add a few minutes. If it’s on the thin side, check it at 12-14 minutes. It should flake easily with a fork when it’s cooked through and not have any of the translucent or raw appearance on the inside.
  • You can also check it with a digital thermometer. It should be done when it reaches 140-145.
  • You can make your own homemade Italian dressing or use your favorite store-bought brand.

Marinating the fish is key here to infusing that flavor and having it come out delicious and not bland. It takes just 15-20 minutes and it can sit out on the counter to marinate while your oven is preheating.

We enjoy this as is, but you could certainly finish the cooked fish off with some chopped fresh parsley or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese if you prefer.

A filet of cooked cod with sauce served with noodles and veggies on a white plate

OK, let’s get ready to eat!

Ways to serve Italian baked fish:

- Serve over thin spaghetti noodles (or something similar like a linguine) with some of the extra juices from the roasting pan drizzled over both. Add a steamed or roasted vegetable and you are set.

- You could also pair this baked fish with some creamy polenta.

- Or serve as a stand-alone protein alongside a side salad, like Caprese pasta salad or creamy pesto pasta with spring vegetables.

- Or serve it with roasted mixed veggies or a big salad and some crusty buttery bread.

A fork taking a bite of flaky cod with sauce alongside noodles and veggies on a white plate

Tons of options. You know I love helping you make a recipe work for you.

I hope you give this a try next time you want a hands-off healthy fish dinner. And cheers again to easy seafood recipes and the first ever National Pescatarian Month in October.

Happy cooking!

XO,

Kathryn

A piece of cooked cod with sauce served with noodles and veggies on a white plate
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4.41 from 10 votes

Easy Italian baked fish

Easy Italian baked fish is just 2 ingredients, simple to make, and so tender and flavorful. Serve over noodles or polenta, or pair with a side salad, for a delicious and healthy seafood dinner!
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Additional TimeAdditional Time15 minutes mins
Total Time35 minutes mins
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds cod filets (or mahi mahi or a similar mild white fish)
  • ½ cup Italian dressing

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • Place the cod in a 9x12 (or similarly sized) baking dish. Pour Italian dressing over the fish and allow it to marinate, at room temperature, for 15-20 minutes.
  • Transfer the baking dish to the oven and cook at 400 for 12-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish. (Fish that’s about an inch in size will take 16-18 minutes; larger or smaller will need adjusting from there. See notes)
  • Serve hot, with extra pan drippings drizzled over the fish.

Notes

The recipe calls for cod, but you could substitute mahi-mahi or another mild white fish like haddock or tilapia. Grouper would be great too.
The total baking time will depend on the thickness of your particular piece of fish. My huge, beautiful, thick piece of cod in these photos was a full inch thick and it was done at 18 minutes. If yours is thicker, add a few minutes. If it’s on the thin side, check it at 12-14 minutes. It should flake easily with a fork when it’s cooked through and not have any of the translucent or raw appearance on the inside.
You can also check it with a digital thermometer. It should be done when it reaches 140-145.
You can make your own homemade Italian dressing or use your favorite store-bought brand.
Marinating the fish is key here to infusing that flavor and having it come out delicious and not bland. It takes just 15-20 minutes and it can sit out on the counter to marinate while your oven is preheating.
We enjoy this as is, but you could certainly finish the cooked fish off with some chopped fresh parsley or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese if you prefer.
Serving ideas: Serve over thin spaghetti noodles (or something similar like a linguine) with some of the extra juices from the roasting pan drizzled over both. Add a steamed or roasted vegetable and you are set.
You could also pair this baked fish with some creamy polenta. Or serve with a big salad and some crusty bread.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 424mg | Sugar: 3g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram @familyfoodonthetable and tag me in your photo!
Large fish filet served with sauce on a white serving tray with lemon slices and fresh parsley as garnish and a text box on top of the photo

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Evie

    October 06, 2020 at 12:25 am

    I'm going to make this for my Aunt tomorrow!

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      October 06, 2020 at 6:52 am

      Yay, I hope you both enjoy it Evie! 😊

      Reply
  2. Sara Welch

    October 29, 2020 at 5:19 pm

    Gave this a try for dinner last night and it didn't disappoint! Even my picky eaters gobbled this up! Easily, a new favorite recipe in our home!

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      October 30, 2020 at 8:38 am

      I'm so happy to hear you all loved it Sara!

      Reply
  3. Dorothy Reinhold

    October 29, 2020 at 6:12 pm

    Love that simple ingredient list! I bet this is flavorful and delicious.

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      October 30, 2020 at 8:41 am

      It really is! And you can't beat a really simple dinner on a busy day!

      Reply
  4. Amanda

    October 29, 2020 at 6:26 pm

    Simple and delicious, that is what it's all about!

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      October 30, 2020 at 8:41 am

      Agreed! And especially for 2020, right? 😂

      Reply
  5. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert

    October 30, 2020 at 3:40 am

    This Italian baked fish is looks incredibly delicious!

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      October 30, 2020 at 8:41 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  6. Beth

    October 30, 2020 at 9:52 am

    Yummy! This looks so delicious and tasty! My daughter and I love fish anything! Can't wait to give this a try!

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      November 01, 2020 at 8:56 am

      Yay for fish lovers in the family! 🙌

      Reply
  7. Haley Williams

    October 30, 2020 at 10:17 am

    Wow this looks so good and easy to make! Love the step by step photos

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      November 01, 2020 at 8:56 am

      Thanks Haley! 😊

      Reply
  8. Catalina

    October 30, 2020 at 5:50 pm

    This is my type of dinner! Looks amazing and so inviting!

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      November 01, 2020 at 8:56 am

      Thanks! 😊

      Reply
  9. Eden

    December 09, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    Two thumbs up from my picky family! Made it with tater tots and zucchini noodles with everything but the bagel seasoning. Such a nice change of pace. I’m not the best cook and this recipe was not as overwhelming as so many others I’ve seen. I’m a forever follower.
    😉

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      December 10, 2020 at 1:18 pm

      I'm so happy this was a hit for your family! And that it was easy for you; totally my goal ☺️ Love those sides for serving it with too - yum!

      Reply
4.41 from 10 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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Meet Kathryn

Hi there! I’m Kathryn Doherty, a cookbook author, mom of two, and devoted food and home cooking nut. I’ve got lots of easy recipes to help you get delicious food on the table for your family!

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