Cod & Orzo Arrabbiata Recipe

I have a bit of an obsession with Rao’s jarred arrabbiata sauce. It’s loaded with just enough red pepper flakes to make the tomato sauce feel angry, per its Italian name, but not so many that my tummy is too. Here, my homemade version works together with orzo, sturdy chard leaves and flaky cod loin to create an ultra-flavorful Italian-ish one-pan meal. Cod, like most white fish, is on the mild side, but this makes it a perfect canvas for “big sauces.” If you can’t find cod, hake, haddock or halibut will work. You want thicker fillets so they can nestle in the tomato sauce without taking up the entire surface area of the pan. Chard is the fiber all-star here, but you can use any leafy green (kale, collards, spinach, etc.). Broccoli rabe or broccolini, cut into 1-inch pieces, would also pair nicely with the fiery sauce. Last, if you need a carb swap, use long-grain white rice instead of the orzo. —Phoebe Lapine

Cod & Orzo Arrabbiata

Makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1¼ cups gluten-free orzo
• Sea salt
• 2 cups fish or vegetable stock, or water
• 1½ pounds cod loin, skin removed, cut into 4 equal fillets
• ½ lemon
• ⅓ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn

Courtesy Hachette Book Group

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large ovenproof skillet or saucepan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onion, chard stems, garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Fold in the chard leaves and cook for 2 minutes until wilted.

Carefully stir in the tomatoes, followed by the orzo and ¾ teaspoon salt. Once combined, pour in the stock, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently to keep the orzo from sticking, until the pasta has plumped but isn’t fully cooked through, about 7 minutes. Off the heat, nestle the fillets into the orzo so they are partially submerged. Season the fish generously with salt.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the fish is fork-tender and the orzo is al dente, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and squeeze the lemon half over the fish, using your opposite hand to catch any seeds.

Serve directly in the skillet, garnished with the torn basil leaves and more red pepper flakes, if desired.

Excerpted from Carbivore: 130 Healthy Recipes to Stop Fearing Carbs and Embrace the Comfort Foods You Love by Phoebe Lapine. Copyright © 2024. Photos copyright © 2024 by Haley Hunt Davis. Available from Hachette Go, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.