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Roasted Garlic Red Pepper Pesto Tilapia
PIN THIS RECIPE!As you may have noticed from previous posts, I really like my roommate Laura. She’s super good looking, so I hang around her to look cooler. She also has a fascination with food blogs like me. Let’s just say, she has her sh*t together. Well Laura and I have been friends for 5 or 6 years at this point, we’ve lived together in 2 different households, and we’ve seen each other go through many boyfriends. By boyfriends I mean emotional instabilities filled with chocolate rampages and funfetti cake splurges. Ok, let’s be realistic, I’m talking about myself here, but she has been supportive throughout all of it. She will always go to the grocery store with me during these scenarios. The grocery store is my happy place. I’m not even kidding.
Anywho, Laura and I have shared a lot of personal space throughout the years. While living together for the past couple years and with me walking around naked 17 hours out of the day, she really has no choice in the matter. Well, in our new house, Laura and I have have to share a VERY small bathroom, and when I say small, I mean SMALL. We have no counter top, so our make up goes in the sink, meaning I brush my teeth in the kitchen, meaning our dishes smell like mint and trash, meaning you want to gag while walking through our kitchen. Or maybe not if you like rancid mint meat. Why does it smell like rancid meat in the first place? Because I suck as a roommate and tend to put off doing my dishes. I’m very aware of this fact. Reason #35 why I will be single forever. Maybe I’ll invest my love in cats. Kidding. I hate cats. No seriously, hate. Sorry for all you cat lovers. They just really suck.
Roasted Garlic Red Pepper Pesto Tilapia
Ingredients
- 1lb tilapia
- 1/2 cup blanched almonds
- 1 bundle cilantro, stems removed
- 1/2 7oz jar of roasted red peppers
- 6–8 garlic cloves
- 2 zucchini, chopped
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 orange pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- roughly 7–8 tablespoons olive oil (I really have no idea because I just poured)
Instructions
- Ok let’s get set up and ready to go. Season your fish on both sides with 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. You’ll cook this later so set aside.
- Now start roasting your garlic. Get a deep pan and toss in a ton of olive oil along with your garlic cloves over medium heat. Let those garlic cloves roast, tossing them often so they do not burn. After about 6 minutes or so, they should be soft to the poke and roasted to garlic perfection.
- When your garlic cloves are done roasting, add the cloves along with your cilantro, roasted red peppers, and blanched almonds to a food processor. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, slowly start pouring in around 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt, pepper, and onion powder until you get the right consistency and flavor. Think pesto consistency. That’s why it’s in the title.
- Now let’s cook your chopped veggies. Use the pan you roasted your garlic in. Genius. You may have to remove some excess fat but NBD (no big deal, duh). Add your veggies to the pan, toss with a bit of salt and pepper and add HALF of your garlic red pepper pesto to the veggies. Cover, place on low heat, and let simmer for 7-9 minutes until veggies are soft.
- While the veggies finish cooking, cook your fish. Add just a little olive oil to a pan over medium-high heat and cook the tilapia for 3 minutes per side.
- Once fish is done cooking, add veggies to a plate, top with your tilapia and add a bit more of the leftover garlic red pepper pesto on top of the fish. I topped everything off with avocado but I do that with everything. EVERYTHING. Seriously.
Oh, Hi! I’m Juli.
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24 thoughts on “Roasted Garlic Red Pepper Pesto Tilapia”
A seafood day! And why haven't we seen the funfetti cake on your blog yet? That sounds DAMN good.
This was delish. Even better the second day. Yum.
Agreed…but what isn’t?
Dear Juli,
I made this last night with one modification. See Jo is Italian and when I went to get the cilantro, she tapped the side of my and said, with her finger pinched together point up,( this how real Italtians talk when they want to make a point), she said ” Whats the matta wit you! you gotta use basil not this cilantro stuff. Oh how I love her.
The dish came out amazing we loved it, thought there was going to left overs, but……… you know what happened.
Why didn’t you take me with you guys?! How do meals disappear so quick? I rarely even have a meal left by the time I’m done cooking. I eat while I cook. Example A of why my mouth is ALWAYS burnt. XOXO!
I just made this tonight and it was fantastic. The only change was that my husband grilled the tilapia since it is unseasonably warm here in KY today. It had all my favorite things: squash, fish, peppers, and cilantro! Throw in a sweet potato and some chocolate (maybe for dessert?) and I’m in heaven!
★★★★★
Oooo I’m jealous of your grill, I can’t wait for grilling season again here!
I just went Paleo about a week ago, and was feeling hungry. And deprived. So glad I found your site. I’ve made a meal from this page every night and I am eating more delicious meals than I ever did in the past! Thanks so much! The fish was awesome.
★★★★★
That’s freaking fantastic Katie! Glad I could help!!
OMG!! I just made this tonight. Didn’t have any blanched almonds so I used walnuts. So freakin good!! Love your site!!
I made this tonight and it was awesome! I spent 30 minutes looking for blanched almonds, but it was sooo worth it! I went a bit heavy on the roasted red peppers, it was outstanding!
Thanks again
★★★★★
This was amazing!!! I also went a bit heavy on the roasted red peppers, it was perfect!! I used your advice and topped this with avocado…PERFECTION! YUM.
★★★★★
This recipe was super yummy!! I grilled the tilapia and then topped with all the vegetables. Absolutely delicious… I also went a bit heavy on the roasted red peppers.
★★★★★
I made this last night & me & my boyfriend loved it!!!! It was delicious!!
★★★★★
Made this last night for my mom’s birthday dinner – had to find a paleo recipe since she requested tilapia. I never leave reviews – but this was so amazing!! Even family members that don’t like fish loved it – received rave reviews across the board and they all asked for the recipe so I have them a link to your blog!! Thank you!! I make recipes from your blog all the time and it is making 100% paleo diet so much easier! My iPhone doesn’t seem like it’s allowing me to give five stars but your recipe deserves it!
Amazing recipe. Will definitely be making this again!!! Thanks!!!
I made this last night with Walleye and it was AWESOME!! Thanks so much!! 🙂
So. Good. I want to eat this pesto on everything! …or just by itself 😉
This was awesome!!
★★★★★
Made this tonight, it was amazing…minus my mushy fish. I plan to use the left over sauce on chicken later this week, thanks!
A huge hit with my mom and I!!
I like to go fishing for Trout – do you think this would be good with Trout also?
Do you think this will work with whiting? I’ve just started my paleo journey and I’m super excited I found your sight! I made a paleo dinner last night, sweet potatoes with honey glazed wings. I asked my teen this morning via text, who came in from work while I was already in bed last night How as your dinner last night? her response was ” healthy” But im so glad I’m here and get all these delicious ideas on the table. I’ve been on your site all day, just happen to bump into your sight searching for a paleo recipe for whiting and I’m going to stay!! but I think I’m going to try this tonight, it just sounds too yummy to go wrong with whiting. any thoughts?
I don’t see why not! You may just need to adjust the cooking time, which should be easy to see in the pan!