Italian pesto crusted Cod with Asparagus in Parma ham | Bacalao con pesto y espárragos en jamón de Parma | What is the national dish of Italy?

Pesto is as Italian as it comes, it’s lovely stirred through pasta, but we don’t eat that shit here. Spread it on a chunky cod fillet, you won’t miss the heavy carb.

Serve it with another couple of classic Italian treats, Parma ham, wrapped around asparagus spears and rocket and Parmesan salad.

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Bacalao con pesto y espárragos en jamón de Parma | Italian pesto crusted Cod with Asparagus in Parma ham

I'm focusing on the main event here, the pesto cod. You can access the recipes for the sides on the site, links above. For the pesto you can use a mortar and pestle, I used an electric hand blender, because it's quicker, obvs.

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Italian

Prep Time

25 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 2 chunky fillets of cod skinless and boneless
• 2 eggs
• 1 large bunch fresh basil
• 1 handful pine nuts grab a frying pan too
• 100 grams parmesan cheese finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 100 ml olive oil extra virgin, preferably Sicilian
• 1 pinch sea salt flakes
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 optional green chilli roughly chopped

Course Main Dish Cuisine Italian Prep Time 25 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Servings people Ingredients 2 chunky fillets of cod skinless and boneless 2 eggs 1 large bunch fresh basil 1 handful pine nuts grab a frying pan too 100 grams parmesan cheese finely grated 2 cloves garlic crushed 100 ml olive oil extra virgin, preferably Sicilian 1 pinch sea salt flakes 1 pinch ground black pepper 1 optional green chilli roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Put the pan on a medium high heat and roast off the pine nuts - bit of colour, don't let them catch. Also, put the kettle on and the oven on 220.
2. Add all the other ingredients, except the cod, eggs, chilli and seasoning to your hand blender pot and then add the pine nuts.
3. Blend it up and taste, now very carefully season with salt and add the chilli - another quick blitz.

   
4. Rub a little olive oil on to your cod and season with salt and place in a suitable sized roasting tray. Smother the top side in the pesto - don't be shy.

   
5. Whack in the oven for 15 mins. This is your time to sort the side dishes too.

   
6. Get a pan boiling salted water (from the kettle) on the hob to poach the eggs 1 minute from end.
7. Serve it up, slice the soft poached egg - people tend to lose their shit over this sort of thing...for good reason.

   
8. Thank you Italy.
   Grazie