The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Pesto-crusted Cod with Tomato & Aubergine Lentils
A high-quality pesto is a great way to dress up a simple oven-baked fish. Here, our fresh cod fillets come with a basil and almond crust and are served over a flavourful lentil and veg stew.
High protein
1/3 daily fibre
4 of 5 a day
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 1 cod fillet (skin off) (Fish)
- 40g baby spinach (use half)
- 1 aubergine (use half)
- 1 vegetable stock cube (use a quarter) (Celery) (Sea salt, potato starch*, sustainable palm oil*, sugar*, vegetables*(6,8%) [celery*, onion*, carrot*, parsnip*, tomato*], sunflower oil*, yeast extract, caramelised sugar*, herbs* & spices* ( lovage*, turmeric*, parsley*, black pepper*) *Organic ingredients)
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste (use half) (Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (use half) (Sulphites) (Wine Vinegar, Concentrated Grape Must)
- 20g pitted green olives (use half)
- 2 tbsp ground almonds (use half) (Nuts)
- 200g passata (use half) (tomatoes, salt, citric acid)
- 230g lentils (use half) (Cereals Containing Gluten) (Rehydrated lentils, water, tomato paste, salt, antioxidant: ascorbic acid)
- 2 tbsp green pesto (use half) (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 1 onion (use half)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 505
Protein: 46g
Carbs: 30g
Fat: 22g
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (Sulphites) (Wine Vinegar, Concentrated Grape Must)
- 20g pitted green olives
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste (Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)
- 40g baby spinach
- 1 onion
- 1 vegetable stock cube (use half) (Celery) (Sea salt, potato starch*, sustainable palm oil*, sugar*, vegetables*(6,8%) [celery*, onion*, carrot*, parsnip*, tomato*], sunflower oil*, yeast extract, caramelised sugar*, herbs* & spices* ( lovage*, turmeric*, parsley*, black pepper*) *Organic ingredients)
- 200g passata (tomatoes, salt, citric acid)
- 2 tbsp ground almonds (Nuts)
- 230g lentils (Cereals Containing Gluten) (Rehydrated lentils, water, tomato paste, salt, antioxidant: ascorbic acid)
- 1 aubergine
- 2 tbsp green pesto (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 2 cod fillets (skin off) (Fish)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 505
Protein: 46g
Carbs: 30g
Fat: 22g
Pesto-crusted Cod with Tomato & Aubergine Lentils
A high-quality pesto is a great way to dress up a simple oven-baked fish. Here, our fresh cod fillets come with a basil and almond crust and are served over a flavourful lentil and veg stew.
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Cooking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C / fan 180C / gas mark 6. Make the pesto crust; in a small bowl, mix together the pesto, almonds, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
- Place the cod on a lined baking tray and spoon over the pesto crust. Bake for 25-27 mins, or until cooked through. Check your fish is cooked through; it should be steaming hot, opaque and separate easily with a fork. Cook for longer if necessary.
- Meanwhile, dice the aubergine into 1cm cubes. Finely slice the onion. Heat a medium frying pan with 1/2 tbsp oil on medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and aubergine. Cook for 6-8 mins, until softened slightly.
- Halve the olives. Drain and rinse the lentils. Add both to the pan along with the vinegar, passata, sundried tomato paste and 150ml hot water (75ml for 1 person). Crumble in half the stock cube and stir. Simmer for 6-8 mins, until the sauce has thickened. Rinse the spinach and stir into the sauce until wilted. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
- Spoon the aubergine and lentils onto plates, then top with the pesto-crusted cod.
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