Pesto-Baked Salmon Recipe

Salmon is one of those entrees for which we all need a go-to recipe. It's a tasty, healthy fish that makes a great centerpiece to dinner or a lunch and that can be served at a holiday dinner or used for an efficient weeknight meal and it will work just great for both occasions or anything in between. And when you have a recipe this quick and tasty, that also incorporates pesto for extra flavor, you'll be on the lookout for all those occasions! "My favorite thing about this recipe is how quick and simple it is to prepare," recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating says. "It uses basic ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen and results in a healthy, flavor packed dinner." 

Now, what you add to this flavorful salmon to build out the full meal, the options there are many. It goes great with a green salad and rustic bread. You can serve potatoes and green beans or Brussels sprouts. You can serve this fish with rice, couscous, or quinoa. And on and on goes the list, but for now, let's go on with the recipe.

It's kind of amazing how few ingredients it takes to make an entree this tasty, but all you need here are salmon fillets, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, pesto, salt and pepper to taste, and optional (but well advised) lemon wedges for serving.

"I'd say the pesto has to be the star ingredient here," Brookes says. "Homemade or store-bought will work great here. It's packed with herby, garlicky flavor that works so well with the salmon."

As with most recipes, your first step is to preheat the oven, and in this case, to 400 F.

Then place the cherry tomatoes a heavy glass or ceramic roasting dish. Drizzle over the olive oil and then sprinkle on salt and pepper — you can be liberal or sparing, based on your preference — and then toss and stir the tomatoes to coat them fully and to spread the oil around the pan.

Next, spread a generous layer of pesto over the top of each of the salmon fillets, then place the fillets into the roasting pan with the oil-coated and seasoned tomatoes. Make sure to move the tomatoes around the fish as opposed to letting them pop atop the salmon.

"Nestling the tomatoes around the salmon rather than placing them on top of it works best here, as this allows the layer of pesto to crisp up a little," says Brookes. Meanwhile, the liquid released by the tomatoes will keep the fish moist.

Pop the prepared roasting dish into the preheated oven and let things cook for between 16-18 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Once the cooking is done, remove the dish from the oven and optionally serve each fillet with a fresh squeeze of lemon.

And if you have a bit extra, Brookes says, "Leftovers can be kept up to two days in the fridge and reheated in the microwave or oven."