🇮🇹 Italian · Main Dish
🐟 Baccalà alla Napoletana
Baccalà alla Napoletana
Naples' version of salt cod, simmered in a bright tomato sauce with olives, capers, and pine nuts, a Christmas Eve tradition for families observing a meatless holiday meal.
This preparation leans into Naples' love of bold, briny flavors — olives and capers cutting through the richness of the fish — and remains one of the most anticipated dishes on the traditional Neapolitan Christmas Eve table.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large bowl for soaking, Heavy-bottomed pan with lid
- 800 g (1.75 lb) dried salt cod
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 500 g (1 lb) canned crushed tomatoes
- 80 g (½ cup) black olives, pitted
- 3 tbsp capers, rinsed
- 30 g (¼ cup) pine nuts, toasted
- 30 g (⅓ cup) raisins, soaked in warm water
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Soak the salt cod in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water several times to remove excess salt.
- Drain, remove any skin and bones, and cut into large pieces.
- Warm the olive oil in a heavy pan and sauté the onion and garlic until softened.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the olives, capers, pine nuts, and drained raisins, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Gently add the cod pieces and simmer for 15–18 minutes until the fish is tender.
- Finish with fresh parsley and serve hot.
Chef Tips
- Soaking the cod thoroughly and changing the water several times is essential to remove excess salt.
- Handle the cod gently once added to the sauce, so it stays in recognizable pieces rather than breaking apart.
- This dish is deliberately bold and briny — don't skimp on the olives and capers.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not soaking the cod long enough, resulting in an overly salty final dish.
- Overcooking the fish, which causes it to fall apart completely into the sauce.
- Using a thin, underseasoned sauce that doesn't stand up to the rich, briny cod.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of lean protein and calcium from the salt cod.
Cultural Note
Baccalà alla Napoletana is a centerpiece of Naples' traditional Christmas Eve meatless feast, its bold, briny sauce a defining feature of the region's holiday table.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate up to 2 days.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop.
Serve with: Crusty bread, As part of the Christmas Eve Feast of Seven Fishes