WW Recipe of the Day: Baked Tilapia with Basil Pesto for One
Summer is basil and lots of basil means PESTO. It's my summer savory staple that I use in anything and everything including sorbet.
Here pesto is the star of a simple 2-ingredient triumph. Since tilapia is such a mild and subtly flavored white fish, it can be bland and downright boring if you let it. Rich butter sauces help a lot, however that's rough on the waistline.
Pesto, with its intense herby taste is a healthy, originally Italian from Genoa, olive oil based thick paste of basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan. You need very little to flavor the fish and the result is stellar.
Tilapia with basil pesto, potatoes and cucumbers
It's easy enough to make pesto if you have a big stash of basil; easier yet to buy a jarred version of Pesto Genovese that's widely available in the pasta aisle of most supermarkets.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Easy Tilapia Recipe?
According to my calculations, each serving has 207 calories and:
3 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
2 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
2 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
How to Make Tilapia with Pesto Step by Step
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a small baking dish with foil or parchment paper, and spray it with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 3: Place the fish fillets on a cutting board (affiliate link) and spread the pesto over the top.
Spreading pesto on tilapia fillets
Step 4: Roll up the fish and secure with a skewer if it is thick, or simply roll up, then place in the prepared pan.
Step 5: Season fish lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle lemon juice over the top.
Tolled tilapia fillets
Step 6: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.
Step 7: Remove from the oven and serve.
Baked tilapia with pesto over rice
Recipe Notes
One package of tilapia from Trader Joe's can vary slightly in size and thickness. It comes frozen and when you thaw it you'll be able to judge whether you need a skewer or not to hold the fillet/s together as they cook. I've tried this a few times and found a thin and a thicker fillet in the same package so it's good to have the bamboo skewers on hand.
What to Serve with Simple Baked Pesto Tilapia?
Most any grain or vegetable is good alongside this simple fish dish. I've served it both with rice and potatoes. A bed of rice under the fish is good as the juices from the fish seep into the rice making it extra yummy.
New potatoes rubbed with a little of the pesto and roasted are delicious. Even a small side of pesto pasta would be lovely.
Any additional veggies like yellow or green zucchini, spinach or broccoli alongside would round out the plate.
A cool and crisp glass of sauvignon blanc is the ideal wine for the fish no matter which side dishes you choose.
Ways to Use Leftover Tilapia
Leftover cold roll ups make delightful and tasty cold fish pesto pinwheels that are delicious for lunch or as a salad topper. It would be worth it to make two fillets even if you're on your own and have the remaining fish pinwheels cold the next day.
You'll have some pesto left over for sure which I often use for summer salad dressings. Thin it out with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
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Baked Tilapia with Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 tilapia filet (6 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon prepared pesto
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a small baking dish with foil or parchment and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the fish on a cutting board and spread pesto over the top.
- Roll up the filet and secure with a skewer if it is thick, or simply roll and place in the prepared pan.
- Season fish lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle lemon juice over the top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and serve.
Recipe Notes
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
More Easy Healthy Favorite Fish Recipes for Weight Watchers
- Low-Calorie Cuban-Style Fish
- Simple Baked Fish with Spinach
- Easy Baked Fish with Lemon and Herbs
- Slow Cooker Foil-Wrapped Fish
- 25 Skinny Recipes for Tilapia
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Hallie is a chef-teacher who eventually found her way to Provence, France, where she gave food and wine tours of the region.
In addition to writing more than a dozen cookbooks, she has also been teaching both professional and recreational cooking classes since 1978.
Hallie looks forward to sharing some of her favorite easy, healthy recipes with you here on Simple Nourished Living.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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