Baked Salmon with Pesto and Tomatoes (Printer-friendly)

Tender salmon fillets with basil pesto and roasted cherry tomatoes. A fresh Mediterranean main dish that's gluten-free and ready in under 30 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 skinless salmon fillets, 6 ounces each

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Pesto

04 - 1/3 cup basil pesto

→ Pantry

05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

08 - Fresh basil leaves
09 - Lemon wedges

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease a baking dish.
02 - Arrange salmon fillets on prepared baking sheet. Season each fillet with salt and pepper.
03 - Spread approximately 1 tablespoon of pesto over the top of each salmon fillet.
04 - In a mixing bowl, toss cherry tomatoes and red onion with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
05 - Scatter the tomatoes and onion around the salmon fillets on the baking sheet.
06 - Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until salmon flakes easily with a fork and tomatoes are roasted and juicy.
07 - Transfer to serving plates and garnish with fresh basil leaves and lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The pesto creates a protective blanket that keeps the salmon incredibly moist while infusing it with flavor—no dry fish disasters here.
  • Those roasted cherry tomatoes transform into little pockets of sweet-tart goodness that perfectly cut through the richness of the salmon.
02 -
  • Leaving a small section of the baking sheet empty creates a perfect spot to place lemon wedges during the last 5 minutes of baking—they become warm and release juice more readily.
  • The salmon continues cooking for about 2 minutes after removing from the oven, so I always take it out when its just shy of being completely done.
03 -
  • Pat your salmon dry with paper towels before adding seasonings—this simple step ensures the pesto adheres perfectly and prevents it from sliding off during baking.
  • Always allow salmon to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking for more even results—a tip a fishmonger shared that transformed my salmon dishes.

Return