Baked Tilapia & Creamy Kale

with Fregola Sarda Pasta

40 MIN

4 Servings

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with Tilapia

From the Test Kitchen

In this bake, creamy kale and fregola sarda create a hearty bed for spiced tilapia fillets. For a golden brown crust, we’re adding a layer of panko breadcrumbs in the last few minutes of baking.
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Nutrition

PER SERVING
Calories

690 Cals (est.)

View Full Nutrition

fresh

ingredients

4 Tilapia Fillets
1¼ cups Fregola Sarda Pasta
2 cloves Garlic
1 Lemon
1 bunch Kale
¼ cup Grated Romano Cheese
2 Tbsps Butter
¼ cup Cream
¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
2 Tbsps Mascarpone Cheese
¼ cup Labneh Cheese
¼ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tbsp Weeknight Hero Spice Blend (Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Smoked Paprika & Whole Dried Parsley)

time-saving

tips & techniques

step-by-step

instructions

Cook Along

1 Cook the pasta

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Place the pasta in a strainer. Thoroughly rinse under water to remove any excess starch. Once boiling, add the pasta to the pot and cook 7 to 8 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly.

2 Prepare the ingredients

Meanwhile, wash and dry the fresh produce. Separate the kale leaves from the stems; discard the stems, then roughly chop the leaves. Peel 2 cloves of garlic; using a zester or the small side of a box grater, finely grate into a paste. Using a zester or the small side of a box grater, zest the lemon to get 2 teaspoons. Quarter and deseed the lemon. In a large bowl, combine the garlic paste and lemon zest.

3 Cook the kale

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped kale; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Add 1/2 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and the water has cooked off. Turn off the heat.

4 Dress the pasta & kale

To the bowl of prepared garlic paste and lemon zest, add the mascarpone, labneh, cream, romano, the juice of 2 lemon wedges, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Whisk to thoroughly combine. Add the cooked pasta and cooked kale; season with salt and pepper. Stir to thoroughly combine. Transfer to a baking dish (making sure the kale is evenly distributed).

5 Prepare the tilapia

Pat the tilapia dry with paper towels; season on both sides with salt, pepper, and the spice blend. Cut the butter into 4 equal-sized pieces. Place the seasoned tilapia on top of the dressed pasta and kale. Top each tilapia fillet with 1 piece of the butter. Cover the baking dish with foil.

6 Bake & serve your dish

Bake the prepared tilapia and pasta 7 minutes. Leaving the oven on, remove from the oven. Carefully remove the foil. Evenly top with the breadcrumbs. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Return to the oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned and the tilapia is cooked through.* Remove from the oven. Let stand at least 2 minutes before serving. Serve the baked tilapia and pasta topped with the juice of the remaining lemon wedges. Enjoy!

*An instant-read thermometer should register 145°F.