Creamy salmon pasta

Seared salmon in creamy dill sauce on pasta. This easy salmon pasta recipe takes minutes to make and will be a hit with your friends and family.

Ingredients needed

• Salmon. I used salmon fillets but you can use canned salmon too, if preferred. This same recipe would also be delicious with tuna, mackerel or any other canned fish.
• Extra-virgin olive oil. 
• Butter. 
• Onion. 
• Fresh garlic cloves. 
• Cream. Heavy cream/whipping cream.
• Fresh dill. Fresh parsley, tarragon or chives will also be delicious and add loads of flavor.
• Fresh lemon juice.
• Salt and black pepper.
• Pasta. I used linguine but spaghetti, fettuccine, or penne will all work for this pasta dish.

How to make creamy salmon pasta

1. Cook the salmon: The salmon for this creamy salmon pasta recipe is simply seared before being flaked into the sauce. Pat skin-on salmon fillets dry with paper towels then season generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with a few teaspoons of olive oil. Heat a nonstick frying pan or large skillet over medium-high heat then sear the salmon, skin-side down, for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crisp. Carefully flip over and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside while you make the sauce.
2. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente then drain and reserve a cup of cooking water.
3. How to make creamy sauce for pasta: In the same pan, melt a tablespoon of butter and add an onion that you’ve diced finely. Cook for a few minutes until softened then add the crushed garlic. Allow to cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the cream and add the fresh dill. You can substitute chopped parsley or tarragon for the dill if you prefer. Stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon then season with salt and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Simmer gently for a few minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Flake in the salmon (discard the skin if preferred or chop finely and add to the sauce) and toss in cooked pasta. Add a splash of the pasta cooking water to thin out the sauce if necessary then serve.

Can you freeze salmon pasta?

Cream sauces don’t always freeze very well as they can split once thawed. This recipe takes minutes to make and it’s much better when prepared fresh. However, the salmon can be cooked up to a day in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator before being flaked into the sauce. Similarly, the cream sauce can be made a day in advance before being reheated gently in a pan on the stovetop before tossing with cooked pasta.

Creamy pasta recipes

1. Creamy lemon pepper pasta 
2. Creamy spinach garlic chicken
3. Pasta with basil cream sauce

Salmon recipes

1. Baked sticky apricot salmon
2. White wine garlic salmon
3. Creamy garlic butter salmon
4. 20-minute Honey Garlic Salmon