Roasted Red Snapper with Summer Salsa over Pesto Pappardelle
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe by:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Water
  • ½ cup salt
  • 1 16-ounce package of pappardelle pasta or wide pasta noodles
  • ½ cup pesto sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon white pepper
  • 4 ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped small
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 whole, medium-sized (3 to 4 pounds) red snappers, cleaned and scaled with head and tail on
  • 2 large lemons
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
  2. Add water and salt to a large pot over high heat and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente. Remove from the heat and strain. Once thoroughly drained of moisture, add the pasta to a large mixing bowl and toss with the pesto sauce, oregano and black pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
  3. In a mixing bowl, add the tomatoes, cilantro, onion, and lime juice. Mix well and drizzle with olive oil while stirring. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover the salsa and refrigerate.
  4. Rinse the whole snappers and make sure there are no scales. Pat them dry and lay on a foil-lined baking pan. Slice the lemons into thin rounds and then cut again in half moon shapes. Cut long slits in the skin of the fish and insert slices of lemon in each slit. Push the sprigs of thyme inside the cavity of the fish along with any remaining lemons slices. Sprinkle with salt and a grind of pepper. Cover the pan with foil, sealing the edges tightly. Place the baking pan with the two whole fish into the oven for 30 minutes. Take out of the oven and check for doneness by sticking a sharp knife into the fish to see if flakes easily.
  5. To assemble, lift the aluminum foil containing the fish out of the baking pan. Spread the pesto-infused pasta over the bottom of the pan and using a spatula, carefully lift the fish and place on top. Pour the lemon and fish juices from the foil over the baked fish and the pasta. Place the pan back into the hot oven and let bake for another 5 minutes just until the fish comes up to temperature.
  6. For presentation, serve family-style with the pan placed in the center of the table. Spoon some of the fresh salsa on top of the fish and place the rest on the side. A loaf of crusty French bread is all you need for your snapper feast.
Notes
Detect freshness of the fish by looking them in the eyes. Clear eyes and the smell of saltwater equals fresh. Stay away from cloudy, milky-looking eyes. One whole, medium-sized snapper will feed two hungry adults. Always choose the medium-sized fish rather than the larger ones — the flesh is closer to the bone and will cook more evenly. I pair this with my favorite pasta – pappardelle. I love the broad, flat egg noodles, and how the sauce, lemon, and fish flavors cling to it. Feel free to use whatever pasta you like
Recipe by Acadiana Table at https://www.acadianatable.com/?p=5224