Pesto salmon with roasted tomatoes and green beans
A spoonful of pesto does all the work here, while the tomatoes burst into a sweet, jammy sauce around the fish.
- 35 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $6.90 a serving
- 580 calories
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 2 salmon fillets, about 6 oz each
- 8 oz green beans, stem ends trimmed
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 tbsp basil pesto
- ½ lemon, cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 580 calories, 39 g protein, 15 g carbs and 40 g fat, and costs about $6.90 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No green beans? Frozen green beans work.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F and line a with .
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Parchment paper. Parchment paper is a nonstick, oven-safe paper for lining pans. Food lifts right off and cleanup is easy, but don’t swap in wax paper or put parchment under the broiler.
How you’ll know: It lies flat in the pan, and the food slides off when you lift it.
the stem ends off the green beans, then put them on the pan with the tomatoes.
Trim. Trimming means cutting off the parts you don’t eat, like stem ends, tough bits or thick fat. It keeps chewy or bitter bits out of the finished dish.
How you’ll know: What’s left is the good part, with no dry ends, woody stems or thick white fat.
the vegetables with the oil, sprinkle with half the salt and the pepper, and with your hands to coat.
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
the vegetables on their own for 8 minutes to give them a head start.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Timer: 8 min
the salmon dry, sprinkle with the rest of the salt and spread the pesto thickly over the tops while the vegetables .
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Push the vegetables to the edges of the pan and lay the salmon in the middle, skin side down.
for 10 to 12 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork in the thickest part and the tomatoes have split and .
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Softened. For vegetables it means cooked until they bend and lose their crunch; for butter, left out until it dents easily. Soft onions taste sweet, and soft butter mixes in smoothly.
How you’ll know: Onions squash easily against the pan with your spoon, and butter dents under a finger without looking greasy.
Timer: 11 min
Dolly’s tip: The pesto browns a little in the oven. That’s flavor, not burning.Food safety: Fish is done at 145°F, when the middle looks opaque and flakes apart easily with a fork.
Squeeze a lemon wedge over each piece, sprinkle with parmesan and spoon the jammy tomatoes over the top.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
