Baked Tilapia with Roasted Zucchini, Penne, and White Wine Cream Sauce

Prepare to drool a little bit, oh ye fish lovers out there....

I find tilapia to be a relatively versatile fish, as it's on the mild end of fishiness and there are a gazillion different ways to prepare it.

Of course, I generally just make lemon pepper tilapia.  Which is delicious, and we love it, but it's not very glamorous.

I got a little bit adventurous last night, despite the fact that it was a Monday, I was tired, my brain was still fried from having done 24 report cards in about three and a half hours straight over the weekend, and I was trying to get the house straightened out for a dinner party I'm hosting Thursday night.

The result was this:

What was particularly beautiful is the fact that it was a three-pan meal (a baking sheet, a sauce pan, and my melting pot).  And it only took 40 minutes start to finish, and only about 15 of that was hands-on work.  And I also managed to make this entire dish without using a single grain of salt.

Baked Tilapia with Roasted Zucchini, Penne, and White Wine Cream Sauce
Ingredients

• 2 fresh tilapia fillets
• 2 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon white cornmeal
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3/4 cup dry white wine (I used a chardonnay)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon milk (or cream if you're daring)
• 1/2 pound penne pasta (or pasta of choice), cooked according to package directions.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Place the tilapia in the center of the baking sheet, with about an inch between the two fillets.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with lemon juice.
4. Season fillets with fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and Italian seasoning.  Sprinkle cornmeal lightly on top.
5. Arrange zucchini slices around fish in a single layer (you can overlap if you have to).  Drizzle lightly with olive oil and lemon juice, then season with pepper, garlic and onion powder, and Italian seasoning.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until zucchini is tender and fish is opaque through and flaky.
7. Cook pasta; drain and set aside.
8. In a small saucepan or melting pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.  Add flour; stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until roux is cooked and smooth.
9. Add wine and lemon juice, stir to combine.  Bring to a boil.
10. Add thyme. Continue to boil, stirring frequently, until sauce is thick and coats a spoon.
11. Stir in 1 tablespoon of milk or cream.
12. Off heat, stir in remaining butter, one tablespoon at a time, adding the second tablespoon when the first has almost melted into the sauce.
13. Place one tilapia fillet over a bed of penne on a plate.  Toss zucchini on the baking sheet, then add to serving plate.  Top with sauce.