Fish Florentine
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Fish Florentine is a delicious dish combining pan-fried fish fillets served on a bed of spinach and other veggies and topped with a creamy sauce. This “fancy fish” recipe can easily be customized according to your tastes and is one the whole family will love!
Fish and Vegetables
I’m always saying “We need to eat more fish”. So I’m continuing my mission to have a large variety of fish and seafood recipes to choose from. It’s great for us and great for you too!
While I’m normally okay with a simple pan-fried seafood dish, I occasionally crave something a little more special – as in over a cream sauce! While this one seems fancy, it’s really easy to make.
Why This Recipe Works:
- SIMPLE – This Florentine recipe is quick and simple to make, using simple ingredients that are easily found in most grocery stores.
- PERFECTLY COOKED FISH – Be mindful when cooking the fresh fish. We recommend cooking it at a high temperature in a cast iron skillet and cooking it just until it flakes with a fork. Don’t overcook!
- CREAMY SAUCE – The creamy sauce uses just a few ingredients, including ricotta cheese, chicken broth, and parmesan cheese.
NOTE: Typically, fish florentine uses cream cheese in the sauce. After testing the sauce, I determined that cream cheese tasted overly tangy and salty, so ricotta was a better alternative for my personal preferences.
What You’ll Need:
- Unsalted Butter and Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Fish – Use your favorite firm white fish.
- Seasonings – You’ll need red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Veggies – Bell mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, and baby spinach. You could also use red bell pepper (or other colors) and sliced zucchini.
- Ricotta Cheese – or use a combo of milk, heavy cream, half and half, cream cheese, etc.
- Chicken Broth – We use a lower-sodium version.
- Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
How to make Easy Fish Florentine Recipe:
Step 1
Sauté veggies. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. When hot, add the sliced mushrooms and cook until browned. Add cherry tomatoes and continue to cook for a few minutes. Then add the minced garlic and spinach and stir constantly until spinach is wilted.
Step 2
Add seasonings. Add the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper (to taste). Stir well.
Step 3
Add sauce ingredients. Then add the ricotta cheese and chicken broth and stir until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the shredded parmesan cheese and stir again.
Step 4
Cook fish. Meanwhile, heat another cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter and add fresh lemon slices to the skillet. Then add the fish filets and cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side (depending on the thickness of the fish). Flip and cook the other side until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Step 5
Serve. Divide the creamy spinach mixture to four serving plates. Then place fish on top of the spinach along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. I prefer to cook the fish fresh so if you aren’t serving four people, you might wait to make the additional fish and store the sauce in the refrigerator. Heat to serve.
What to serve with Fish Florentine:
- I recommend serving the fish over some rice or pasta.
- BREAD – How about a slice of Multigrain Sourdough Bread, Braided Brioche Bread, or Honey Wheat Bread?
- VEGGIES – Try our Roasted Asparagus with Prosciutto, Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, or Cheesy Cauliflower Steaks.
Recipe FAQs:
White fish varieties such as cod, haddock, or tilapia are commonly used for Fish Florentine. We also enjoy sea bass (our favorite fish) and halibut for something a little nicer.
Use paper towels to pat the fish fillets dry and season them with salt and pepper (and other seasonings as desired).
Yes, you can use frozen spinach in place of fresh spinach. Thaw it and squeeze out excess water before incorporating it into the recipe.
To prevent sticking, grease the baking dish with olive oil and/or butter before placing the fish fillets in it.
Yes, you can experiment with herbs like thyme, dill, or parsley, and spices such as paprika, cayenne pepper, or basil for added flavor.
Other Delicious Fish Recipes:
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Fish Florentine Recipe
Ingredients
For the fish:
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 24 oz. white fish filets
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large lemon
For the veggies:
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 oz. sliced Bella mushrooms
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes – halved
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 12 oz. baby spinach
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 oz. ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese – freshly grated
Instructions
- Sauté veggies. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. When hot, add the sliced mushrooms and cook until browned. Add cherry tomatoes and continue to cook for a few minutes. Then add the minced garlic and spinach and stir constantly until spinach is wilted.
- Add seasonings. Add the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper (to taste). Stir well.
- Add sauce ingredients. Then add the ricotta cheese and chicken broth and stir until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the shredded parmesan cheese and stir again.
- Cook fish. Meanwhile, heat another cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter and add fresh lemon slices to the skillet. Then add the fish filets and cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side (depending on the thickness of the fish). Flip and cook the other side until fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Serve. Divide the creamy spinach mixture to four serving plates. Then place fish on top of the spinach along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Enjoy!
Notes
- White fish varieties such as cod, haddock, or tilapia are commonly used for Fish Florentine. We also enjoy sea bass (our favorite fish) and halibut for something a little nicer.
- Use paper towels to pat the fish fillets dry and season them with salt and pepper (and other seasonings as desired).
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. I prefer to cook the fish fresh so if you aren’t serving four people, you might wait to make the additional fish and store the sauce in the refrigerator. Heat to serve.
I enjoyed this recipe, but would have liked it a bit more creamy. Could you tell me what the measurements are for the cream cheese version?
The measurements are the same but use cream cheese instead. I’d say if you like it creamier, just add more ricotta or cream cheese and maybe a little more liquid.