Recipe: Giada's Sole with Lemon-Basil Pesto (with lemon-garlic marinade)

SOLE WITH LEMON-BASIL PESTO

"This no-cook sauce - a particularly bright, citrusy pesto - started as a dipping sauce in my house. But I liked it so much I started making it to serve with sole, which proved to be a great way to get Jade to eat fish. The sole is nice and light and needs only a smear of the lemon-basil pesto to make a simple, elegant dish."



1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive all, divided use
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 (2 ounces each) skinless sole fillets sole
1/2 cup Lemon-Basil Pesto (for serving, recipe follows)

In an 8-inch square glass dish, combine 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk the marinade to blend. Add the sole and turn several times to coat evenly, Let stand for 15 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Remove 4 sole fillets from the marinade, letting any excess marinade drip off, and add to the hot pan. Sear for 2 minutes and then turn the fish over. Sear until just cooked through, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to plates and repeat with the remaining 4 pieces of sole.

Top each serving of sole with 2 tablespoons of the lemon-basil pesto and serve,

Makes 4 servings

Per serving (includes pesto): Calories 325; Protein 239: Carbohydrates 3g; Dietary Fiber 1g; Sugar 19: Total Fat 25g: Saturated Fat4g; Sodium 287mg

LEMON-BASIL PESTO
Makes about 3/4 cup

"Leftovers can be tossed with whole-wheat pasta or served with fish, meat - or pretty much anything. You can store the pesto, covered and refrigerated, for a couple of days."

2 packed cups fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted*
Grated zest of 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a blender or food processor, pulse the basil, pine nuts. lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until the mixture is smooth and thick. Add the cheese and pulse until just incorporated.

*To toast pine nuts, arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until golden, about 6 minutes. Let cool completely before using.

Per serving (2 tablespoons): Calories 181; Protein 4g; Carbohydrates 3g: Dietary Fiber 19; Sugar 19: Total Fat l8g; Saturated Fat 3g; Sodium 177mg

Used with permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Source: Giada's Feel Good Food by Giada de Laurentiis