Quick and Easy Fish Puttanesca

Worry-free halibut or cod inspired by the classic pasta sauce.

Apr 21, 2025

I’ve been updating The Dinner Plan’s recipe index, and I’ve noticed that even though I tend to cook seafood at least once a week at home, I haven’t shared many fish recipes so far in these missives.

Perhaps it’s not surprising; my weekly guests on the podcast tend to offer up their go-to weeknight comforts. Don’t you crave noodles after a long day?

But as I was paging through Alix Traeger’s new cookbook, Scratch That, I was immediately drawn to this recipe, which can be made with halibut or cod—or your favorite flaky white fish.

The fillets cook gently in a sauce inspired by one of my favorite pastas: that briny mix of tomato, olive, caper, and anchovy known as puttanesca. You don’t have to worry about any fish skin getting crispy or sticking to the pan—and if you must have pasta tonight, you can serve it all on top of spaghetti.

Scroll down for the recipe. If you have a moment, I’d love to hear about any of your favorite ways to cook fish in the comments.

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Fish Puttanesca

Seafood can be intimidating, so straightforward and simple is the name of the game, and each and every seafood recipe I have to offer you is back-to-basics. The thing about fish is that it cooks more quickly than other proteins, which means it’s prone to being overcooked, so it’s best to keep a close eye on it. Good thing eating fish is good for eye health. Puttanesca is a fairly simple Italian sauce made with anchovies, olives, capers, and a chunky tomato base. It’s bright and briny, and comes together as quickly as the fish cooks within it, resulting in a beautifully pungent dish that’s shore to make a splash. (SOMEBODY STOP ME, PLEASE.)

HOT TIP: If anchovies freak you out, you can leave them out. If you do choose to use them, be mindful of their natural saltiness; you might not need to use as much actual salt in the dish.

Serves 4

4 (4-ounce) skinless white fish fillets, such as cod, halibut, or tilapia
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
3 anchovy fillets, minced, or 1⁄2 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juices
1⁄2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
2 tablespoons drained capers
1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1⁄4 cup dry white wine (I like Sauvignon Blanc)
Cooked pasta or crusty bread, for serving
Fresh parsley, for serving

Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and black pepper on both sides.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the anchovies (if using) and stir until they’ve dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes with their juices and use the back of your spoon to break them down a bit so they get a little saucy-meets-chunky. Stir in the olives, capers, and red pepper flakes. Pour in the wine. Return the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the flavors have melded and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Gently place the fish into sauce. Spoon some of the sauce over the fillets to coat. Cover the pan and cook for 6 to 10 minutes, until the fish is opaque, cooked through, and flakes easily with a fork at its thickest point. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Remove the pan from the heat. Serve the fish puttanesca over cooked pasta or with crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce, dividing it evenly among four plates. Garnish with parsley and serve.

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