Sea Bass with Roasted Vegetables Pasta

Pan fried sea bass fillet served on a bed of pasta and mixed roasted veg

Sea bass is a naturally delicious eating fish so I always like to cook and serve it in a way that ensures those natural flavours are preserved and not masked. This simple creation not only sees sea bass served and enjoyed in precisely such a fashion, it is also an extremely nourishing and healthy meal.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

12 ounce foil tray of mixed roasting vegetables
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Pinch of dried oregano
Pinch of dried basil
1 coffee mug of dried fusilli pasta spirals
6 ounce sea bass fillet (skin on)
2 tablespoons plain (all purpose) flour
Vegetable oil for frying
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley plus extra to garnish

Seasoning and oiling vegetables for roasting

Directions

Start your oven preheating to 220C/450F/Gas Mark 8.

Season the roasting vegetables in their tray with salt and pepper as well as the dried basil and oregano. Drizzle with olive oil and mix carefully with a wooden spoon. Cook in the hot oven for thirty minutes.

Measuring out fusilli pasta for boiling

When the vegetables have been in the oven for about fifteen minutes, put a large pot of heavily salted water on to reach a rolling bowl. Measure out the pasta. I find that using a coffee mug gives me the perfect portion for one person but you can use more or less if you wish.

Cooking pasta in boiling salted water

When the water is boiling, carefully add the pasta and adjust the heat under the pot to maintain a moderate simmer for eight to ten minutes.

Fresh sea bass fillet

If your sea bass fillet has been in the fridge, take it out to let it come part of the way up to room temperature.

Pasta is drained through a colander

Drain the pasta and leave it for a few minutes to steam off and dry out.

Sea bass fillet is floured for frying

Scatter the flour on a large plate and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Pat the sea bass fillet in the flour on its skin side only. Gently shake to remove any excess.

Sea bass is fried firstly on its floured skin side

Pour a little vegetable oil in to a non-stick frying pan and bring it up to a medium to high heat. Lay the fish fillet in skin side down. Season the flesh side with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat slightly and fry for around three minutes until you can see the flesh colour changing to show the fillet is cooked almost all the way through.

Sea bass fillet completes frying on its flesh side

Reduce the heat to minimum and turn the sea bass on to its flesh side for one minute to complete cooking.

Combining pasta with roasted vegetables

Return the pasta to the empty cooking pot. Add the roasted vegetables and the tablespoon of parsley. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon.

Pasta and veg bed for sea bass

Spoon the pasta and vegetable combination in to a suitably shaped deep dish.

Sea bass fillet is laid on pasta and vegetables bed

Lift the sea bass fillet from the pan on to the bed of pasta and vegetables. Garnish with the last of the parsley.

Skin is peeled from sea bass fillet

The skin should be beautifully crisp on the sea bass fillet and should easily pull away from the flesh in one clean piece.

Tucking in to fried sea bass fillet