Grilled Bass with Lemon Pasta (Printable)

Tender grilled white fish served over spaghetti in a vibrant lemon-butter sauce with fresh herbs and garlic.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 white fish fillets (sea bass or cod), 6 oz each, skinless
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
05 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Pasta

06 - 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine
07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
10 - Zest and juice of 2 lemons
11 - 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
12 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
13 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

15 - Lemon wedges
16 - Additional fresh parsley
17 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# How-To:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain.
02 - While the pasta cooks, preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium-high heat.
03 - Pat the fish fillets dry. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and lemon zest.
04 - Grill the fish for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until opaque and flaky. Remove from heat and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
05 - In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
06 - Stir in lemon zest and juice. Add drained pasta and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce.
07 - Stir in chopped parsley and grated Parmesan. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
08 - Divide the pasta among plates and top each serving with a grilled fish fillet. Garnish with lemon wedges, extra parsley, and Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feels elegant enough for company but comes together faster than most weeknight pastas.
  • The lemon butter sauce clings to every strand without feeling heavy or greasy.
  • Grilled fish on top turns simple pasta into something that looks and tastes restaurant quality.
  • You can swap the fish based on what's freshest at the market and it still works beautifully.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, I forgot once and had to add plain water and the sauce never came together right, it stayed greasy and broken.
  • Pat the fish fillets completely dry before grilling or they'll steam instead of getting those nice grill marks and a bit of caramelization.
  • Add the garlic to the butter when it's warm, not screaming hot, or it'll burn in seconds and taste bitter.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet with the sauce off the heat if you're worried about overcooking, the residual heat is enough to marry everything together.
03 -
  • Zest the lemons before you juice them, it's nearly impossible to zest a juiced lemon and you'll end up frustrated.
  • If your grill pan isn't quite hot enough, the fish will stick, so give it a few extra minutes to preheat and lightly oil the grates.
  • Taste the pasta water before you reserve it, if you undersalted the cooking water, the sauce will taste flat no matter how much you season later.
  • Use a microplane for the Parmesan instead of pre grated cheese, it melts into the sauce instantly and tastes so much better.
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