Pan-Seared Cod in White Wine Tomato Basil Sauce

Ingredients

For the White Wine Tomato Basil Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (more to taste)

For the Cod:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 pounds fresh cod, cut into 4 fillets (or four 6 ounce fillets)
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

For the White Wine Tomato Basil Sauce:

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper flakes and garlic and saute for 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and blistering, but still hold their shape, 9 to 12 minutes. Add in the white wine, stir, and allow the mixture to come to a gentle simmer. Stir in the basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, sugar, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the sauce into a bowl and set aside until needed.

For the Cod:

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Pat the cod dry with paper towels. Then season both sides of cod with salt and pepper.
2. Place cod in the oil and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip the cod over and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes, OR until it’s cooked through.
3. Pour the white wine tomato basil sauce over the cod, let the sauce warm up for a minute, then remove from heat and and serve at once.