Cod Piccata with Angel Hair Pasta (Easy Fish Recipe)

This Cod Piccata recipe is juicy, flavorful, and seared to perfection! The flaky cod is nestled into a bed of angel hair pasta, and coated with a rich white wine sauce seasoned with shallots, garlic, and capers. It’s one of my favorite seafood recipes and I can’t wait for you to try it yourself!

As a registered dietitian, I love to recommend fish and seafood as a delicious protein option. I’m a lifelong seafood fan and even authored a cookbook about the Pescatarian diet. I included a cod piccata recipe there, but this one is updated and paired with angel hair pasta to make a more complete meal (especially when served with a vegetable or salad on the side). 

Piccata recipes are common in Italian-American cooking. This dish is thought to have originated among Italian or Sicilian immigrants in the 1930s, using veal that was pounded flat, dredged in flour, and pan-fried. Now, you can “piccata” just about anything. A key feature is the caper sauce, made with the pan drippings leftover in the bottom of the pan. We keep many of those elements for this cod piccata recipe, which is simple to prep and cook on the stovetop in just a matter of minutes!

This is a restaurant quality dish you can make yourself, let’s get started!

Ingredients You’ll Need

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• Cod fillets. Look for options that are already skinned and deboned, so you don’t have to mess with prep. However, long fillets may not fit easily into your skillet or pan. If needed, cut them down into more manageable sizes. 
• Olive oil and butter
• Shallot
• Garlic
• Low sodium chicken broth or chicken stock
• White wine vinegar or a splash of dry white wine
• Capers
• Lemon. You can use lemon juice, but I like using whole lemons so you also have something to use as a pretty garnish. 
• Fresh parsley
• All-purpose flour and seasonings. You can use salt and black pepper, or try something like my All-Purpose MSG Seasoning Blend.
• Angel hair pasta

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: You can use fresh or frozen cod for this recipe. Just make sure the frozen cod is fully thawed before cooking so you can pat it completely dry. I recommend taking it from the freezer the night before you plan to cook and letting it slowly thaw in the fridge overnight. It should be soft and pliable, but don’t be alarmed if there’s lots of liquid in the package. That’s simply the nature of frozen fish, and you can give the cod fillets a quick rinse under cool running water to ensure they’re clean and fresh. 

Swaps and Substitutions

Cod is a type of white fish, with a very mild flavor and delicate, flaky texture. It’s one of my favorite types of fish to cook at home. But it can be on the more expensive side. Instead, you can use nearly any other type of white fish fillets. 

Alternatives include:

• Halibut
• Flounder
• Sole
• Tilapia
• Swai (Asian catfish)

You can also swap the seafood entirely and use chicken instead. Chicken piccata is popular on restaurant menus and most commonly uses boneless, skinless chicken breasts. 

And personally, I love the briny flavor of capers. But if that’s not your thing, you can swap for pitted green olives or leave them out altogether.

When it comes to other swaps, you can exchange the angel hair pasta for spaghetti, linguine, or another long pasta shape. And if you don’t have a shallot, simply use a thinly sliced red onion or white onion. 

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: To make a gluten-free cod piccata recipe, swap the all-purpose flour for your favorite GF flour. Almond flour is a good substitute. Plus, be sure to swap the angel hair pasta for a GF pasta.

How to Make Cod Piccata

Don’t be intimidated – cooking fish can actually be just as easy as cooking any other protein! Follow these simple steps for a delicious cod piccata meal, ready in 30 minutes or less. 

1. Mince the garlic, thinly slice the shallots, chop the parsley, and drain the capers. This recipe comes together very quickly once you start cooking so be prepared so you don’t miss any steps. 
2. Add the flour to a shallow dish or plate along with your seasonings. Give it a quick mix with a fork. Pat the cod fillets with a paper towel, making sure they’re very dry. Then lightly dredge them in the flour mixture until evenly coated with a thin layer on all side. 
3. Meanwhile, start heating the olive oil in your pan or skillet and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
4. Once the oil is heated, carefully place the cod into the hot pan. They only need 2-3 minutes of cooking time on each side. But if you have a thicker fillet give it a little more time. Once they’re golden brown on both sides, transfer them to a clean plate to start the sauce. At some point during this step, your water will be boiling and you can add the angel hair pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente. 
5. Add the shallots and cook for a couple minutes, stirring often to grab any of the fond that’s left in the bottom of the pan. Once they turn translucent and fragrant, add the garlic, butter, and capers. After 30-60 seconds, add the broth + white wine or white wine vinegar to deglaze the pan. 
6. Bring it to a simmer, then let it reduce for 5-6 minutes. This helps build big flavor as it will be a more concentrated sauce. 
7. When you’re ready to serve, gently place the cod back into the pan, spooning some of the white wine sauce and capers on top. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, then garnish with lemon slices and chopped parsley

Serve over the cooked angel hair pasta and enjoy! 

This easy recipe is a great way to practice cooking fish, as it’s pretty forgiving. Don’t worry if your cod fillets break apart while flipping or transferring…it’s a very delicate fish and that happens sometimes.

This definitely happen to me the first time I made it (facepalm). It’s still going to taste just as good no matter how big the piece of cod is, so don’t stress!

Serving Suggestions

In addition to the angel hair pasta, I like to include a vegetable on the side. Here, I’ve made some pan-seared green beans. I simply trimmed the stems, heated a little bit of olive oil, and lightly seasoned them with my All-Purpose MSG Seasoning. Let them sauté until tender crisp, about 6-8 minutes over medium or medium-high heat, or until scorch marks start to appear and they turn a bright green color. 

But don’t consider this your only option. Veggie sides can be whatever you want! Try these other pairings to complement your cod piccata with angel hair pasta:

• Roasted broccoli or broccolini
• Sautéed mushrooms
• Asparagus, grilled, roasted, or baked
• Caesar Side Salad
• Kale Caesar Salad, made with just five simple ingredients
• Sautéed spinach or kale, served on its own or mixed into the angel hair pasta

Storage Tips

This cod piccata recipe isn’t my favorite for meal prep, as the pasta gets a little overly soggy from soaking up all of the white wine sauce. The cod fillets also lose their crispy exterior. I personally think this is a recipe that’s best served fresh right after you make it.

But if you do have leftovers, you can keep the fish and pasta separated for better results. Place each of them in their own airtight container. Store leftovers for ups to three days.

When you’re ready to reheat and eat the next day, just microwave separately. Heat in short bursts, then plate the angel hair pasta with the cod on top. Add a few fresh lemon slices or a bit of parsley if you still have some. And this reheated meal can taste almost as good as it did when you first made it!

I love this cod piccata recipe for a quick weeknight dinner. But it’s just as well-suited to impress your guests for a dinner party. I hope you’ll agree if you give it a try, so remember to leave a rating or comment to let me know what you think!