Pesto Roasted Wild Salmon - The Copper River Fever Continues!

This evening I made Pesto Roasted Salmon with one of the two pieces of Copper River Wild Salmon I picked up from Costco over the weekend. Typically, I'm not a big fan of a pesto because it can oftentimes be overpowering. I like a little, but not too much. I would never want to do anything to cover up or mask the unbelievable flavor of Copper River Salmon (I truly believe its the best wild salmon there is). In this particular dish, the pesto gets cooked with the salmon and develops a delicate herb flavor and it keeps the salmon extremely moist. I put a slightly rounded teaspoon on each fillet and spread it out. It is so easy to make and only takes 12 minutes to roast. To keep it simple, I made a fresh diced Caprese salad for our side dish, which is essentially fresh mozzarella, torn fresh basil, and tomatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. I added a pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper and added a little splash of Pomegranate infused red wine vinegar. It was a simple, fresh meal...and perfect for this hot and extremely humid Monday. I enjoyed a little slice of my Grain-Free Bread with butter on the side. I snapped some photos below and included the easy peasy recipe for the salmon. Enjoy!

Ready to pop into the oven to roast for 12 minutes

Tomato medley waiting to become Caprese Salad

My fresh basil waiting to join the tomato medley in the Caprese Salad

My tomatoes are beginning to turn red...I can't wait to pick the first one!

Pesto Roasted Salmon

Ingredients:

1 to 2 pounds of salmon fillets

Olive oil for drizzling
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/4 cup Pesto (I use Mezzetta Homemade Style Basil Pesto)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place salmon fillets on a foil lined baking pan. Drizzle and brush each salmon fillet with olive oil. Sprinkle lemon zest on top of fillets and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top each fillet with a slightly rounded teaspoonful of pesto and spread evenly on top using the back of a spoon. 

Place salmon in the oven and immediately reduce heat to 425 degrees and roast/bake for 12 minutes. Remove salmon from oven and immediately cover tightly with foil and let rest for an additional 10 minutes to gently complete the cooking.