Baked Flounder Italian Style is a quick and easy meal that is on the table in less than 60 minutes. The mild-tasting flounder fillets get a flavor boost with the fresh cherry tomato Italian herb sauce. Add angel hair pasta as a base for the Italian baked flounder and you have a delicious main dish.
Fishing for flounder
Fishing is not as easy and relaxing as it sounds. Nope! It takes a lot more work, preparation, and concentration than you think. The weather and tides have to be just right.
The next concern is bait. If there's no bait there's no fish for our Baked Flounder Italian Style.
The usual bait Honey uses for flounder fishing is finger mullets{ mud minnows are excellent if you can find them}. This he gets by using a cast net. It takes quite a bit of concentration, movement, and timing to successfully get a netful of mullet.
Sometimes it just doesn't go as smoothly as you want it to.
For example, Honey is about to cast his net when a feminine voice behind him asks, "What are you fishing for?" Several groups of tourists are visiting the pier. How can you tell? By the name tag they all wear.
Unexpected interruptions
He stops his cast and answers, "Bait."
"Oh," she answers. "What kind of bait?"
He keeps staring at the water trying to locate another school of baitfish, "Finger mullet."
A second woman from the tour group leans over the rail, stares down at the water, and asks, "What kind of fish are you after?"
Hubby turns to the woman and answers, "Flounder or sea trout, ma'am. Either one would be good."
A third woman in the group looks around and says, "This is a really big lake. We have one just like this at home. What's this one's name?"
"The Atlantic," answers Sam, another regular on the pier who's standing by Honey anxiously waiting for some bait so he can start his fishing.
"Oh," says the first woman. "Is it saltwater?"
"It's the ocean, ma'am," Sam says smiling. The three women smile back and wish the men good luck as they head off to return to the tour bus. *true story*
Catching and cleaning the flounder
Once there's bait the fishing begins. Now, the fishing pace can either be as fast as a shark going after bait or slow as a sea turtle on land. The pace so far is the latter.
We believe we're jinxed. Truly! Every year we're able to fill a cooler with fillets.{look at the picture above - that was last year} This year the cooler is sadly empty.
Fortunately, this one particular flounder doesn't know about the curse. He takes the bait.
Once Honey cleans the fish we know the four fillets {yes there are 4 fillets on 1 fish} are the ideal size for the Baked Flounder Italian Style.
Baked flounder Italian Style
This makes a wonderful one-dish meal, although I have to do it in two steps. We aren't at home and I don't have my braiser that's big enough to do it in one step.
Preparing the baked flounder if you don't have a braiser
- Sauté the veggies for the sauce in a smaller skillet
- then place them in a glass casserole dish to bake the fish in the oven.
How long does it take to make the baked flounder Italian style?
- It takes about 10 minutes to prep the veggies for the cherry tomato herb sauce,
- 10 minutes to sauté the vegetables
- About 20 to 25 minutes to bake in the oven.
While the Flounder Italian style is baking, we make pasta to go along with the seafood and sauce. We use bucatini for our pasta because that's all we have on hand. Angel hair pasta, I think, would be better since it's easier to get on the fork.
This is a great tasting dish that is low in fat and calories yet high in flavor and satisfaction. We hope you sign up for our newsletter, we enjoy sharing our recipes and adventures.
Tutti a tavola è pronto!
Un caro saluto e alla prossima.
YOU MAY NEED...
This is the Braiser I can't stop talking about! We use it all the time. It was a Christmas gift from our son. Frankly I don't know what we did without it. It's perfect for braising, making sauces, I could go on and on. And it easily goes from the stove top to the oven and even to the table as long as you have a heatproof trivet under it. This is one piece of kitchen equipment that will last a lifetime.
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Baked Flounder Italian Style Recipe
Baked Flounder Italian Style with Fresh Cherry Tomato Herb Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb flounder fillets about 4 fillets
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil - divided
- 1 cup thinly sliced onion
- 3 garlic cloves minded
- ½ cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 2 Tablespoons capers rinsed in cold water
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 drops hot sauce
- 2 Tablespoons dry white wine
- ¼ cup water
- 5 fresh basil leaves cut into ribbons
- 8 ounces angel hair pasta cooked al dente
- 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese divided
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Coat a heavy duty skillet with cooking spray plus large glass casserole **** see notes
- Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and hear over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and celery and cook for about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, capers, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, hot sauce, wine, and water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover tightly, and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Rub fish, on both sides, with the rest of the olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper both sides.
- Pour the vegetables into the glass casserole making a place in the center for the flounder fillets. Spoon some of the sauce over the fish.
- Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until fish is opaque in the center.
- Remove fish to a serving platter. Arrange the pasta around the fish Sprinkle the pasta with parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the basil ribbons on top of the pasta and flounder.
- Serve immediately with additional parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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