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Garlic Butter Cod Florentine with White Wine Cream Sauce. This is one of my favorite fancy-but-easy dinners. Everything comes together in a single skillet with cod fillets (though any white fish or even salmon works beautifully), butter, garlic, a splash of white wine, and a touch of cream to create a light, creamy Parmesan sauce with baby spinach and fresh basil. Finish it all with crispy bacon for the perfect salty crunch. It’s simple enough for a weeknight dinner, yet elegant enough for entertaining.
I’ll be the first to admit, fish isn’t always my family’s favorite dinner, so I don’t cook it all that often. But I know so many of you love lighter fish dinners, especially during the summer months.
Recently, I was chatting with a reader who encouraged me to share a cod recipe for summertime. Whenever you all send recipe requests, I always try to create something even better than what you imagined.
My ideas started to wander a bit, but I kept coming back to the fish dinners my Nonnie used to make for my grandpa. She loved a creamy sauce and often made a Florentine-style dish with shrimp. I can still remember her keeping white wine in the fridge and spinach tucked away in the freezer so she could throw together an easy dinner at any time. My grandpa absolutely loved it.
I recreated her recipe here using cod in place of the shrimp and added crispy bacon for extra flavor and texture. The salty crunch from the bacon pairs so perfectly with the flaky fish and creamy sauce. Prosciutto is also delicious here.
These are the details
Ingredients
- cod – both fresh and frozen cod fillets work well here. I use frozen most often.
- bacon – adds a salty, crispy finish that takes this dish over the top.
- olive oil
- salted butter
- fresh thyme
- garlic
- chili flakes
- white wine – adds brightness and depth. If you don’t cook with wine, use white grape juice, apple juice, or simply water
- whole milk or cream – creates a light, creamy sauce. For a dairy-free option, use full-fat coconut milk
- parmesan cheese – freshly grated Parmesan melts best and gives the sauce the richest flavor
- frozen spinach – make sure to thaw and squeeze out any excess water
- fresh basil
Kitchen Tools
You really only need one large skillet for this recipe. I love using a cast iron skillet because it gives the cod the most beautiful golden sear and adds so much flavor to the sauce. A fish spatula is helpful for flipping the fillets without breaking them apart, and freshly grated Parmesan truly makes a difference, so if you have a microplane, definitely use it. Other than that, just keep a few paper towels nearby to pat the fish dry before cooking. That’s the secret to getting a perfectly crisp, golden crust every time.
The Steps
Step 1: Get the Bacon Crispy
Start by cooking the bacon until crisp. Transfer it to a plate and save it for serving, but leave all those flavorful drippings in the skillet. That’s where so much of the flavor comes from, and it makes the sauce extra delicious later on.
Step 2: Prep and Sear the Cod
While the bacon cooks, pat the cod dry and season it well with salt and pepper. I most often use frozen cod for this recipe, so don’t feel like you need anything fancy. Just make sure it’s fully thawed and patted dry before cooking.
Add the olive oil and butter to the skillet. Once the butter is melted and beginning to bubble, add the cod. Let it cook until deeply golden, then carefully flip and cook until flaky. Fish cooks quickly, so keep an eye on it. Once done, transfer the cod to a plate.
Tip: The secret to getting that beautiful golden crust is making sure the fish is completely dry before it hits the skillet.
Step 3: Create the Florentine Sauce
To the same skillet, add the garlic, thyme, and chili flakes. As soon as the garlic becomes fragrant, pour in the wine and let it simmer for a few minutes. If you don’t cook with wine, white grape juice, apple juice, or simply water all work well too.
Stir in the milk or cream and the Parmesan. Add the spinach and cook until wilted and warmed through.
Tip: Freshly grated Parmesan makes all the difference here. It melts into the sauce beautifully and gives it the best flavor.
Tip: I love using frozen spinach because it’s easy to keep on hand and helps this recipe come together even faster.
Step 4: Add the Cod Back
Slide the cod back into the sauce and spoon some of that creamy goodness over top. Let everything simmer together for a minute or two so the fish can soak up all that flavor.
Tip: This is when the whole kitchen starts smelling really good.
Step 5: Finish It Off
Finish with the crispy bacon, fresh basil, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. The basil adds the prettiest fresh finish and makes the whole dish feel extra summery.
Serve immediately with crusty bread, roasted potatoes, or whatever you have on hand for soaking up every last spoonful of sauce.
Tip: Don’t skip the flaky sea salt. It’s a small touch, but it really brings everything together.
Garlic Butter Cod Florentine with White Wine Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 cod fillets
- sea salt and black pepper
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- chili flakes
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 bag frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- fresh basil or thyme, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Pat the cod dry and season with salt and pepper.2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.3. Add the olive oil and butter to the skillet. Once melted, sear the cod until golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.4. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic, thyme, and chili flakes. Pour in the wine and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, until reduced.5. Stir in the milk and whisk in the Parmesan until creamy. Add the spinach and cod to the skillet and spoon the sauce over top. Remove from the heat and top with the bacon. Serve with fresh basil or thyme and flaky sea salt.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Delicious! I made this last night and my husband, 2 year old and 4 year old ate it up! I put it over a bed of orzo and added a bit of Parmesan to thicken up the sauce but it really didn’t need to be. I just ate the leftovers for lunch and it was just as good. Highly recommend!
Hey Samantha,
Perfect! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and your comment.
Have the best week!
This was delicious. I even forgot to thaw the frozen spinach and drain water and it still worked out great. We did include some starch as perm some of the reviews suggested it did not become creamy (just flour). It was delicious cold as left overs also.
Thanks so much, Vanessa! I’m so glad to hear this dish was enjoyed, thanks for sharing what worked well for you!
June 18th hello Tieghan, such an enjoyable fish recipe used cream & fresh spinach, will try salmon next lovely sauce .
Thanks so much, Jenny! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks for making it. Have a great Friday!
Flavor was a 5! Followed the recipe to a t but sauce never got creamy. I be would add a starch to make more of a rue next time!
Thanks so much, Laura! Love to hear this dish was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it!
What size bag of spinach?
Hi Kate,
I used an 8 ounce bag os spinach. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
What would be a good side for this?
Hey Christopher,
I love doing a side salad or rice pilaf. I hope you love this dish!
Absolutely delicious! This was amazing! My husband wouldn’t stop raving about it and even brought him to tears. He said, it was much better than restaurant food. 😋
Hey Loretta,
Awesome! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and taking the time to comment, love to hear it was enjoyed!
Oh gosh where to start. I don’t ever leave reviews but feel the need to for this recipe. First the sauce is so heavy and thick it just over powers and ruins the cod. It reminded me of a hot spinach dip app vs a sauce for fish. I did not have white wine, but had white grape juice and substituted that per the recipe, do not do this. Such a weird flavor to mix with the cream and parmesan cheese. I feel like this recipe was made for chicken and the cod was just subbed in to make it a fish dish.
Hi Leah,
I appreciate you trying this dish and sharing your detailed feedback, very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
Forgot to mention also that I used fresh spinach leaves instead of frozen
Perfect!
I used frozen wild caught Mahi Mahi fillets. I did not use the bacon. I used a cheap grinot. Excellent!!
Hey Gaye,
Awesome! Thanks for making this dish and sharing what worked well for you, so glad it turned out nicely!
Can I sub coconut milk and white grape juice?
Hey Kim,
Yes, that will work nicely for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish.
Hi Tieghan ,what a enjoyable fish recipe, used cream and fresh spinach, will try salmon next.
Hey Jenny,
Amazing! Love to hear this dish was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it!
This looks wonderful! You mentioned using shrimp originally, would I cook everything the same just with shrimp instead of the cod?? I have a freezer full of gulf shrimp needing to be cooked.
Thank you!
Hey Kimberly,
You bet, that will work nicely for you! Just be mindful that the shrimp will cook faster than the cod. I hope you love this dish!
Hi/ Spinach…how many ounces, tere are too many variations for a “bag” Thank you
Hi Elizabeth,
I used an 8 ounce bag of spinach for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
How big are the fillets?
Hi Sima,
I used 6 ounce filets for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Do you think that this would work with tofu? I know the other day on your Instagram stories you said you wouldn’t stoop to using tofu for your recipes haha so don’t yell at me, but I don’t eat fish! That sounds delicious though so trying to figure out what I could do to make it work since I’m vegetarian! Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Mary Sue,
Sure, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it!
This looks yummy but I wouldn’t call it a lighter fish dish. It’s very ‘heavy’ with cream and bacon, butter and cheese. I would love to see some actual fresh light healthy fish dishes for summer! A recipe without dairy!
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Kelsey! Let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it!
Are we cleaning out the bacon skillet before adding the butter and oil?
Hi Vita,
I like the bacon drippings in the pan for extra flavor:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!