BAKED TILAPIA WITH ARUGULA AND PECAN PESTO

Baked Tilapia with Arugula and Pecan Pesto image

Having lived in the culinary paradise known as Vietnam for a few years has inspired me to experiment with a variety of Asian fusion dishes; this is one of my favorites. Most of these ingredients are abundant in the US as well as in Vietnam. This unique pesto gives the Tilapia a tantalizing flavor. Hope you enjoy!

Provided by Another Black Swan

Time 40m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

3 cups young arugula leaves, rinsed and dried
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 dash fresh lemon juice
sea salt to taste
½ cup young arugula leaves, rinsed and dried
4 (8 ounce) fillets tilapia
1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Combine 3 cups arugula, garlic, pecans, olive oil, 1/4 CUP Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, black pepper, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until it reaches the consistency of a pesto sauce.
Spread 1/2 cup arugula on the prepared baking pan. Place the tilapia fillets on the arugula. Spread the remaining pesto generously on top of fillets. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on the pesto.
Bake in preheated oven until fish flakes easily, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 490.4 calories, Carbohydrate 3.7 g, Cholesterol 88.9 mg, Fat 29.7 g, Fiber 1.8 g, Protein 51 g, SaturatedFat 4.6 g, Sodium 281.8 mg, Sugar 1.1 g