This Creamy Salmon Pasta Recipe is loaded with flavor. With perfectly roasted salmon and a creamy garlic sauce, this simple recipe will make you feel like a 5-star chef!
This pasta dish is perfect for a date night meal but is quick enough to make any day of the week! Enjoy with pappardelle or linguini and you've got a delicious meal on the table in 30 minutes!
Love easy pasta recipes, try this Cajun Salmon Pasta, Lemon Garlic Pasta, and Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo with Grilled Chicken!
When I need to cook an easy and quick dinner, I always think of one thing - pasta! Specifically salmon and pasta recipes. Pasta is so versatile and works well with any kind of add-ins. For this salmon pasta recipe, it's creamy, easy to make, and absolutely delicious.
The salmon is cooked with lemon, seasonings, and red pepper flakes for a nice hint of spice and the garlic cream sauce is truly heavenly. It combines garlic, parmesan, fresh herbs, and heavy for a delightful experience for your tastebuds!
Ingredients
- Fresh Salmon
- Honey
- Lemon
- Seasonings - dried parsley, onion powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- 1 lb pappardelle or linguine
For the garlic sauce:
- Butter and Olive oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Onion
- Fresh thyme
- Heavy cream
- Seasonings: smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Lemon zest
How to make Creamy Salmon Pasta
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Then prep the salmon by making slits across the fish and squeezing lemon juice and honey on top (this will cut the fish taste).
- Season the salmon and drizzle with olive oil. Cook the salmon in the oven for 25 minutes.
- While the salmon is baking, make the cream sauce by combining garlic and thyme in a large pot and sautéing in olive oil and butter. Then add heavy cream and seasonings and allow it to simmer for 5-8 minutes, until it becomes slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from the heat and add lemon juice and parmesan. Stir and set aside.
- Whether you're using pappardelle, linguini, or fettuccini, cook in salted water according to package instructions until al dente and drain. Add to cream sauce and toss together.
- Once salmon is finish cooking, cut into pieces and combine the salmon with pasta and sauce.
What kind of salmon should i use?
For this salmon with pasta recipe, I prefer fresh, wild-caught, skinless salmon. I do recommend wild-caught as the flavor is better for this salmon pasta. You’re always welcome to use frozen salmon; just make sure to thaw it before cooking. For more information on how to choose the perfect salmon, check out this guide!
In addition, if you are having difficulty finding salmon at your local grocery store, you can try steelhead trout. It very closely resembles salmon and can be cooked the exact same way!
How do i store creamy salmon pasta?
You can store this easy salmon pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
How do i reheat creamy salmon pasta?
To reheat the salmon pasta, place leftovers in a pan on the stove and saute on medium heat until warm. I recommend adding a splash of cream, broth, or water to help thin the cold sauce.
Can i freeze creamy salmon pasta?
I do not recommend freezing this salmon pasta recipe due to the cream-based sauce. The cream and the water will separate and will not reheat very well.
Can i swap out salmon for another protein?
Of course! You can swap the salmon out for shrimp, chicken, or even Italian sausage! You could also leave out the protein and add vegetables or eat the pasta with a side salad - yum!
How do i know when salmon is done cooking?
It is critical to make sure that your salmon is cooked thoroughly. I recommend using a meat thermometer. The FDA recommends cooking salmon to the internal temperature of 145° F.
If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can tell that the salmon is done when it begins to become flaky and is no longer translucent when you cut into it.
Tips for making Salmon Pasta
- If your salmon has pin bones, be sure to remove it prior to cooking! This will prevent accidentally poking yourself while chewing!
- Be sure to not overcook the salmon. You will know when it's done when it begins to become flaky and the middle is no longer translucent.
- Salt your pasta water by adding 2 tablespoons per pound of pasta. This simple step adds so much flavor to the pasta!
- Try to avoid farm raised salmon if you can! Wild caught salmon that's never been frozen is best and gives the freshest taste for this recipe!
- I recommend using thicker, long noodles so that it holds the sauce well. Fettuccine, pappardelle (as pictured above), or linguine are all excellent options! However, you can use spaghetti too if that's what you have!
- If you love a crispier salmon, broil the salmon for 2-4 minutes after it's fully cooked for a nice crispy top!
More Pasta Dishes!
- One Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta with Spinach
- Pesto Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto
- Sausage and Spinach Gnocchi Bake
- Honey Salmon Skewers with Zucchini and Grapes
- Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon
- Pesto Shrimp Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Salmon Salad on Cucumber Rounds
- Spicy Peanut Noodles with Sesame Meatballs
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Let's stay connected on social media and continue to cook together! Also, if you decide to make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and leave a comment below! Tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can see your creations! I hope that you love this recipe as much as we do!
The Best Creamy Salmon Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- Skillet
- 9x13 baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs salmon
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 lemon
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lb pappardelle or linguine
Creamy Garlic Sauce
- 2 tbsps Salted Butter
- Olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, diced
- ½ onion , diced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place salmon on a baking sheet or 9x13 baking dish and make small slits in the salmon. Squeeze ½ lemon juice on top and then add a drizzle of honey. Combine parsley, onion powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Spoon together and pour on top of salmon. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil on top and bake for 25 minutes.
- While salmon is baking, add olive oil and butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute for 3 minutes and then add garlic and thyme and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
- Reduce heat to low and add heavy cream, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook until slightly thickened and remove from heat, about 5 minutes. Squeeze the other half of the lemon into the sauce and then add grated parmesan and lemon zest and stir. Set aside.
- Cook noodles as per package instructions. Drain noodles add them to the garlic sauce. Toss around so that all noodles are coated. Add salmon to the pasta. Garnish with additional red pepper flakes and grated parmesan on top.
Delicious! I made it dairy free with unsweetened oat milk and DF parm/nutritional yeast - love love love this recipe.
I'm so happy to hear this, thank you!
Goodness 😭😭😭 this is delicious!! I'm home alone and have it all to myself, mmmmm! Can't wait to make it for others!
I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!
This recipe is a regular in my house, it's so easy and the sauce is delicious. The salmon is always so tender and well seasoned too. Thanks for this!
This looks delicious! Will make for Christmas. How much olive oil should I use for the sauce??? Thank you!
One tablespoon is more than enough! I hope that you enjoy and Merry Christmas!
The salmon was perfect, seasoned and had just enough kick to it but the pasta garlic sauce recipe needed more seasoning and cheese in my opinion! It was still really good though, we did enjoy it!
Best pasta I ever made. Substituted the mild and cheese for dairy free options and it was so delicious
Thank you so much! I'm so happy that you enjoyed it!
This salmon was a hit, I made it for a dinner party and made your bourbon smash with it too. You have such amazing recipes!
Thanks so much, that means so much to me!
I'm so happy that I found this recipe. I was scrambling for something to make for dinner and found this online. I saw the beautiful pictures and wanted to eat my screen. I made it and it tasted even better than I expected. Creamy, garlicky, perfectly cooked salmon, and the red pepper gave it a nice kick. This recipe was the best!
Thank you so much!
This recipe was so easy to make and really delicious. The salmon came out so flaky and tender and didn't taste fishy at all. Also, I loved the cream sauce with the noodles. I added a tiny bit more cheese and it was heavenly.
I'm so happy that you enjoyed the salmon and that it came out so well!
I don't usually comment on recipes but I just had to say that this recipe was delicious! I thought I couldn't cook but decided to make this for my girlfriend and we both loved it!! I can't wait to try more of your recipes. Thanks!