I have recently re-discovered my love of whole fish after a traumatic experience in high school that involved me gutting my own recently caught Blue Northern. But my taste buds reminded me that whole fish is succulent and the flavors are so clean that even frozen fish tastes (almost) as good as the freshly caught variety.
Even though my hubs is a vegetarian and I have severely reduced my meat intake, I just can’t shake the fish. Maybe it’s because it’s so fresh and so delicious that I simply can’t resist but also because I need my brain food to pound away on a keyboard all day long.
I’ve been experimenting with different types of seasonings—ginger, mint, limes & blood oranges, nutmeg, jalapenos, shallots and cocktail onions—and this time I thought I’d go with simple Mediterranean flavors.
If possible you should always try to go with fresh herbs because they just taste so much better than dried herbs in a jar. Especially rosemary. When rosemary is fresh it’s so fragrant and sinfully delicious that I make rosemary bread at least once a month.
Add your favorite herbs and spices all over the fish and let the sauce cook to perfection and you’ve got a delicious Mediterranean dinner.
Servings: 1 fish serving & 2 pasta servings
Ingredients
1 onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cans, organic crushed tomatoes
1 whole trout
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1.5 tsp. each basil, oregano, rosemary & marjoram
Salt & Black pepper to taste
Whole wheat pasta
¼ cup black olives, chopped
2 tbsp. Pecorino Romano (optional)
Instructions
For the trout
1. Preheat the oven to 325 (F). Turn the oven on first so it gets good and hot when you’re ready for it.
2. Combine 1 garlic clove with ½ tsp. of basil, oregano, rosemary and marjoram in a small bowl then rub evenly on the outsides and inside the fish. This will make sure the yummy flavors seep into the flesh.
3. Wrap fish tightly in aluminum foil and pop it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. DO NOT open the foil or check it until the proper time has passed.
4. Let the fish sit for 5 minutes then open and plate.
For the pasta
5. Heat olive oil and rosemary in stock pot over medium-high heat, then add onions.
6. When onions are transparent, add remaining garlic and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add crushed tomatoes, herbs and olives to the pot and stir. Let sauce reduce for 15 to 20 minutes until nice and thick.
8. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta.
9. Follow cooking instructions and drain pasta.
10. Return pasta to pot and pour sauce over, stirring until well blended.
11. Serve and grate cheese over pasta (if desired).
Make this meal one course or two by serving the fish first, then the pasta.
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