Puttanesca Inspired White Fish Fillet Recipe -- Gluten Free, Allergy Friendly, Paleo, and Frugal

I've mentioned quite a few times on my blog that white fish fillets, usually St Peter's fish tilapia, or other types of tilapia, are one of the cheapest animal proteins round this part, once you factor in bones to your price per pound, since white fish fillets are eaten in their entirety like chicken breast, unlike chicken thighs or wings, for example. These fish fillets are $2.46-$3.36 per pound locally (standard sale price vs not on sale), versus chicken breast that is $3.10 to $4.15 (sale vs not). It also is pretty quick to cook so long as its defrosted, and even if not defrosted, you can cook it from frozen, it just takes a little longer. Unfortunately, I don't find white fish nearly as flavorful and chicken breast, and sometimes it feels like its a chore to eat it, that I'm eating it because I need protein, and not because the flavor is terrific. Its just ok, nothing special. It's just got such an insipid flavor that even with seasoning it just feels lacking. But I want food to be something that nourishes me emotionally, not just physically, and to do that, the food needs flavor and excitement.

I've made it my mission to find ways to make white fish that are almost intensely flavorful, to counteract their otherwise boring blah flavor. I already posted my laksa inspired fish, lemon butter tilapia, pink fish salad, but I came up with what I think is my new favorite type of fish.

Pasta puttanesca is a quick to make pasta dish made with anchovies, olives, capers, tomato sauce, and olive oil, and I figured that its flavors would work perfectly with white fish fillets. I wasn't wrong. Its flavors soak into the fish and give it that rich flavor. I don't necessarily eat it with pasta, I just plated it with pasta because how could I not, if I was inspired by a pasta dish. It's great plain or with rice or anything else. 

Best of all, other than defrosting, this is a pretty quick throw-it-in-the oven dish. (You don't even need a cutting board.) So it is easy like pasta puttanesca as well.

Puttanesca Inspired White Fish Fillet Recipe -- Gluten Free, Allergy Friendly, Low Carb, and Frugal

Ingredients:
5 white fish fillets (tilapia, cod, sole, hake, etc...)

1-2 splashes white vinegar
2 tablespoons dried sliced garlic or fresh equivalent 
1-2 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 cup black olives
1 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 cups water  

1/2-1 teaspoon of salt
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 small bunch parsley

Instructions:

1. Soak your fish in water with vinegar to defrost. If your fish is already defrosted soak it in water with vinegar for 20 minutes or so.

2. Lay your fish in a baking pan so they more or less aren't overlapping each other.

3. Scatter garlic and onion powder over the fish.

4. Scatter olives and capers over your fish. If you are using larger olives or capers, you can break them into smaller peices to spread the flavor our more.

5. Mix tomato paste with water to thin it out, then mix salt into it.

6. Pour over the fish making sure every surface is covered in tomato sauce.

7. Drizzle olive oil over the fish and sprinkle with hot pepper flakes.

8. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes when you insert a fork into it.

9. Chop parsley and scatter on top.

Enjoy!

Have you ever had puttanesca pasta? Are you a fan of olives or capers? Does this look like a recipe you'd try? What is your favorite flavor to use to season fish?