Seared Tilapia with Spicy Almond Pesto
Tilapia lends itself perfectly to pesto meals. With the right amount of seasonings and a generous portion of noodles, you’ll walk away satisfied. The key to this recipe is the use of jalapeno peppers and almonds, which make for a wonderful combination of healthy oils and spices. Be generous with the Cajun seasonings, or substitute in habanero or other chili powder for the Cajun for those of you who truly like it hot.
For the Pesto:
Ingredients
- 2 jalapeno peppers, diced
- ½ cup almonds
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ small onion, diced
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ cup olive oil + 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 6-8 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
Cooking Directions
- Heat a sauté pan to medium heat and add almonds along with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cook about 5 minutes, or until nuts just begin to brown.
- Add jalapeno peppers and onion, and cook about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer mixture to a food processor.
- Add remaining ingredients and process until mixture is chunky. You can easily add more oil to thin out the mixture to your liking.
For the Tilapia:
Ingredients
- 2 8-ounce tilapia filets
- 1-1/2 cup noodles (we used elbow macaroni for this recipe, but vary it up!) – prepared as desired
- 1 potato, diced
- ½ small onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Cajun or chili pepper seasonings to taste
Cooking Directions
- Heat a sauté pan to medium heat and add potato. Cook about 10 minutes, or until potatoes begin to soften.
- Add onion and cook another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove vegetables from heat and reserve. Increase heat to high.
- Add tilapia files (you may need a bit of extra oil), then dust with Cajun seasonings to taste. Sear about 2 minutes each side, or until tilapia is cooked all the way through, nice and flaky white throughout.
- For presentation, divide noodles between 2 bowls. Top with 1 tilapia filet, then with potato/onion mixture, then with pesto sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
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