Roasted branzino filets are topped with citrus pesto and a variety of seasonal citrus slices. It’s a simple, healthy and delicious fish recipe.

When people ask the question, “could you ever live in a foreign country?” My answer is always yes. Without a doubt. I adore SoCal with all my heart, but I also love many other countries on this beautiful planet. Of course, New Zealand comes to mind (I’d be a bad kiwi if I didn’t say that), but the first country that always pops in my head, where I could lay down roots and feel 100% completely at home….Italy.

I’ve been fortunate to have traveled Italy twice, but there’s always a longing to go back. Which, is unique for my adventurous soul that always craves new and exciting experiences.

But Italy’s comfy. There’s just something about it that feels, well, like I could live there. Unique and diverse landscapes (with lots of dreamy coastline). Delicious and bountiful farmer’s markets. And friendly, welcoming people. Yep, that’s where I’d live. What about you?

Branzino is a delicious, delicate and mild white fish that goes by many names. In Italy, it’s branzino. In other parts of the world it may be better known as European seabass, Mediterranean seabass, sea dace, loup de mer, lubina, spigola or robalo. The lovely thing about branzino though is that it’s extremely versatile – it can be paired with a variety of flavors and cooked a myriad of ways (grilled, roasted, baked, poached, etc).

Cooking a whole branzino makes for a stunningly beautiful presentation on a platter – and trust me, I aspire to do that in a future recipe. But here’s the honest truth. I absolutely suck at cleaning, deboning and filleting fish. Ugh. Yep, I’m the American who’s used to having restaurants serve up perfectly clean and edible fish entrees without having to do any additional work before devouring a delicious meal. Spoiled, I know.

But after spending so much time in Lisbon, with some of the most talented fisherman who can literally prepare any type of fish in seconds, I’m making that a goal for myself this year. Fish prep 101. Just you wait and see.

Until then, I went the easy route when I saw these whole branzino at Santa Monica Seafood. I simply asked, “Can you filet those for me?” And they did. Fabulous. Which makes the rest of this recipe a breeze. I’ve also seen branzino filets in the freezer section at Whole Foods Market, so take a peek next time you’re there.

Once you’ve got your branzino, here’s what you do. Lighty oil the filets, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook them in the oven for about 12 minutes. While they’re cooking, toss a bunch of stuff into your food processor – basil, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, garlic clove and zest and juice from a lemon and orange. Give it a few pulses and set it aside.

Then, slice up your favorite in-season citrus with a mandoline or knife – I used a variety of oranges (navel, cara cara, mandarin) and a lemon. But whatever you have access to is fine.

When the branzino is cooked through, top it with some citrus pesto and fresh citrus slices. Voila. A gorgeous, healthy meal done in less than 25 minutes. Oh, and keeping with my simple theme, I just served this up for lunch with a side of baby spinach, tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

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Roasted Branzino with Citrus Pesto

Other recipes you might like:

Grilled Fish Tacos with Citrus Carrot Slaw

Citrus Shrimp Ceviche

Salmon Asparagus Salad with Blistered Tomatoes

Thank you to KitchenAid for generously providing their food processor to me free of charge. As always, all opinions are my own.