Dinner in a Dash

This quick dish will soon become a family favorite.

This dish is perfect for a weeknight meal when time is limited. Diane Rossen Worthington/TCA

Cod is a tender, mild fish that can handle big flavors. This Provençale style dish includes a rich tomatoey sauce infused with white wine, fresh thyme, salty olives, and red pepper flakes. Leeks add a tame inviting onion flavor.

My husband claimed that this was now one of his favorite dishes for a quick dinner. That made me very happy since it really is Seriously Simple. And it’s all prepared in one pan. Make sure you have a large skillet and a cover. If you don’t have a cover, you can always use aluminum foil to tightly cover the skillet.

The key is for the cod to steam in the sauce, and using good-quality marinara sauce saves a lot of time. Look for the same size fish pieces so they will all finish cooking at the same time.

This dish is perfect for a weeknight meal when time is limited. I like to serve a grain like farro, quinoa, or rice to accompany this dish. The sauce will flavor the grain. A green veggie like broccoli, asparagus, or green beans rounds out the meal. Serve a chilled sauvignon blanc here to complement all the flavors.

One-Skillet Cod Provençale

Serves 4

Note: To clean leeks, trim the stem, cut off the dark green part and cut the leek down the center just to the root. Turn the leek a quarter turn and cut down again to the root. You will now have two slits to clean the leeks. Place the leek under water and rinse to remove any debris. Then chop it. You can find videos on YouTube for reference.

For the sauce:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 leeks, light green and white part only, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 cup dry white wine like sauvignon blanc
• 1 bottle (24 ounce) best quality marinara sauce (I like Rao’s or Carbone)
• 2/3 cup pitted black olives like kalamata or Nicoise, sliced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons drained capers, optional
• Red pepper flakes, to taste

Salt and pepper

For the fish:

• 4 (6 ounce) cod filets from center cut
• Extra thyme leaves, for garnish

1. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add leeks and saute for 7 to 10 minutes or until the leeks are soft but not brown. Add garlic and saute another minute. Add thyme and white wine and increase heat to high and reduce by 1/4, about 4 minutes. Add the marinara sauce, lower the heat to medium, and cook another 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Add olives, optional capers, and red pepper flakes to taste, and cook another minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Note: Add a pinch of sugar if sauce is too tart.

2. Season the fish with salt and pepper and nest each filet in the skillet surrounding the sauce. Place a few thyme sprigs on top of each filet and cover the skillet and cook on medium high for about 10 minutes, depending upon the thickness or until the cod is cooked through. You can use a sharp knife to test it.

3. Place each filet and some sauce on serving plates. Accompany with your favorite grain like quinoa, farro, or rice and a green vegetable like broccoli, green beans, or asparagus. Serve immediately.

Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to [email protected].