Ingredients:
Serves 4

  • 1 1/2 lb Salmon
  • 3/4 lb. Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 Lemon, cut in half
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil, Extra Virgin
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste
  • 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. Oregano, dried
  • 10 oz Spinach, frozen
  • 1/2 lb. Pasta, vermicelli
  • Garnish-Basil, fresh
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded – to sprinkle over top
You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to get a healthy dinner on the table…in record time! This fresh, simple marinara sauce kisses the salmon with a taste of Italy!

Prep:

  • Dissolve 1 tsp sea salt in a bowl. Add the juice of the lemon and soak the salmon for 30 minutes.

Directions:
Preheat oven 400° F

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving the water. Add a little bit of olive oil (about 1 tsp) so it doesn’t stick together, then set aside.
  2. Add frozen spinach to the hot water.
  3. Drain the fish, rinse, and pat dry.
  4. Pour 2 Tbsp. Olive oil in baking dish. Place fish in baking dish, arrange tomatoes around the fish, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic cloves, and crushed oregano.
  5. Drizzle remaining oil over the top.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes. Salmon should be opaque in middle, but not flaky.
  7. Remove the salmon from the baking dish, cover and set aside.
  8. To create the marinara sauce, run the tomatoes and juice through a ricer or pulse in a food processor.
  9. To serve, run hot water over pasta, if needed. Drain spinach and toss with the pasta. Divide vermicelli onto plates, top with marinara sauce and then one portion of salmon per serving. Garnish with fresh basil, shredded parmesan, and fresh ground pepper.

Cook’s note: If you’re following the Naples-inspired meal plan, cook 3 lbs. of salmon and you’ll have enough for another meal.

Alternate Cooking:

If you prefer, grill the salmon then make the marinara sauce separately.

For the salmon, simply sprinkle with lemon-pepper and brush with olive oil. Cook over heated grill, started with the skin side up. Just before you flip, use tongs or a long fork to peel back the skin. Grill this gently because you don’t want to overcook it. It won’t take long.

For the sauce, prepare everything in a skillet over the stove. Heat the oil. Saute the garlic until fragrant then add tomatoes and oregano, salt, and pepper. Turn to medium-low heat, cover and simmer until the tomatoes start to crack and the skins get wrinkled. Run the cooked tomatoes through a ricer as directed.