This lemon salmon pasta is creamy, delicious, and light. It's a great cozy dish for spring. Made with fresh salmon, heavy creams, fresh lemons and more.
Lemon Salmon Pasta
This lemon salmon pasta has a creamy lemon sauce with fettucine noodles tossed into it. It is all topped with flaky baked salmon and served with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. This is a cozy yet refreshing dinner time meal.
Ingredients
- 5 salmon filets
- 10 ounces fettucine
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 tabelspoon butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- fresh parsley, optional for serving
Instructions
- To start, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the 5 salmon filets on the prepared baking sheet. Season them with 1 teaspoon of the salt and ½ a teaspoon of the black pepper. Top with sliced lemons. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until tender and flakey.
- While the salmon is baking, start a large pot of water on the stove top to come to a boil. Once it boils, place the fettucine in it and cook until al dente.
- While the salmon is going and you are waiting for the water to boil, start on the sauce.
- In a medium to large sized pan heated over medium heat, add in the tablespoon of butter.
- Once the butter is melted, add in the finely diced onion. Cook until translucent, stirring often.
- Once translucent, add in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Once fragrant, pour in the lemon juice, lemon zest, heavy cream, and chicken broth. Stir until the mixture begins to boil then turn down to simmer.
- Once the sauce has been turned to a simmer, add in the spinach and the shredded parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the spinach is wilted.
- Finish off with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ a teaspoon of pepper. Add more to taste if needed.
- Toss in the al dente noodles and top with the baked salmon.
- Squeeze with lemon juice and top with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Notes
If you feel your sauce needs a bit of silkiness, reserve some of that pasta water and add it in at the end.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 685Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 198mgSodium: 603mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 67g
Nutritional facts are automatically generated and should only be used as an estimate.
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When it comes to the seasons changing, it can often feel like I am torn when it comes to what to cook in the kitchen. I so badly want to transition fully over to all things warmer weather. I dream of being in the kitchen and making chicken Caesar wraps, shrimp spring rolls with all the fresh ingredients, and prosciutto paninis.
Although, despite it being Spring on the calendar, the weather just isn't quite there yet. So, I want fresh yet also need a dish that will keep my body warm.
This lemon salmon pasta meets that need of fresh and cozy. A creamy, lemon sauce, with pasta tossed in, and fresh salmon on top. My mouth is watering. This dish gives Spring with the fresh and bright salmon yet also gives warm and coziness with the cold weather. You truly get the best of both worlds.
In our home, we have been doing pasta nights every Saturday and this one will be added to the rotation.
To add this pasta dish to your meal rotation, keep on reading! Let's make this tasty dish together.
How to Make Lemon Salmon Pasta Step-by-Step
Tips
- For extra creaminess within the sauce, use freshly grated parmesan cheese instead of pre shredded.
- Red pepper flakes make a great topping for this pasta dish if you want a slight kick.
- Reserve some of the pasta water to add into the sauce to make it extra silky.
- Just before serving, drizzle with some more fresh lemon juice and/or lemon zest.
Ingredients
Fresh salmon
Fettuccini pasta - the thickness of these noodles will be perfect to soak up the sauce.
Fresh lemons - we will be using the zest as well as the juice from the lemon.
Heavy cream - the heavy cream will help add creaminess and thickness to the pasta sauce.
Chicken broth - chicken broth helps to add protein, flavor, and a savory touch to the dish.
Butter - Butter will be used to sauté the onion and garlic in.
Garlic - Garlic is one of the aromatics that will be used to add extra flavor to the pasta dish.
White onion - Adding in an onion will also help deepen the flavor and create extra texture. Every good dish starts with an onion.
Parmesan cheese - for extra creaminess, try shredding your own parmesan.
Spinach - Just a little bit of spinach in this recipe goes a long way. We don't want it to fully take over the dish, but a bit of greenery helps to add color, flavor, and texture.
Salt & pepper - simple seasonings go a long way with our salmon and our pasta sauce.
Fresh parsley - this is optional, but topping the dish with fresh parsley adds some color and freshness.
Tools You May Need
Large pot
Medium sized skillet
Cutting board
Sharp knife - This Farberware knife is my go-to.
Grater - I love this one and use it almost every day!
Why You'll Love This Lemon Salmon Pasta
This pasta dish is full of so much flavor. The creamy lemon sauce is full of fresh ingredients that help to add a light touch to the dish but there are also savory elements that make for a comforting dish as well.
FAQs
What kind of pasta goes well with salmon?
Within this recipe, we are using fettuccini pasta. Fettuccini has a chewier texture to it while salmon is soft and flaky. This kind of pasta also has a milder taste, allowing the salmon and its sauce to stand out. Fettuccini pasta and salmon complement each other very well.
What is the biggest mistake when cooking salmon?
When it comes to cooking salmon, the biggest mistake comes from overcooking it. When salmon is overcooked, it becomes dry and chewy. You know salmon is done when it flakes easily when a fork breaks it up. It should also be a shiny and slightly translucent color in the middle.
How much lemon juice should I add to lemon pasta?
Our lemon salmon pasta calls for half a lemon worth of juice within the sauce. This will give you about 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice. High heat can often kill the freshness of lemon juice which can lead to a dull lemon flavor. With that being said, we strongly encourage you to top the pasta with fresh lemon juice as well.
Save It For Later!
Save this recipe to Pinterest to easily pull together lemon salmon pasta for dinner any night of the week! Leave a comment below sharing your thoughts on this quick 3o minute meal.
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