Cajun Salmon Pasta

5 from 7 votes

Cajun Salmon Pasta is spicy, tender salmon, fresh spinach, and penne pasta tossed in a flavorful creamy, tomato, and parmesan-based sauce. This impressive weeknight dinner can be prepared in just thirty minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dinner, Pasta

Cuisine: American, Cajun

Servings:

Calories: 802kcal

Author: Britney

Equipment

Large Skillet

Ingredients

4 Salmon filets
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Olive oil
3 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
½ Onion diced
2 Bell peppers diced
5 Garlic cloves diced
6 oz Tomato paste
1½ cup Heavy cream
1 Lemon juiced and zested
2 cups Fresh spinach
1 cup Parmesan grated
1 cup Reserved pasta water
16 oz Penne pasta
Salt and pepper as desired
Parsley chopped for garnish

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
Pat salmon dry and season with salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp of cajun seasoning.
Add butter and olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Allow it to melt and then add salmon filets onto the pan, skin side down. Cook for 4 minutes, then turn over and continue to cook for 4-6 minutes, until salmon is cooked thoroughly. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add diced onions and bell peppers to the pan. (add more oil if needed) Cook for 4 minutes, until fragrant and slightly softened. Then add garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Then add tomato paste and mix together in the pan until the paste has warmed and mixes in with the onions and peppers, about 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add remaining 1-2 tbsps of cajuns seasoning (depending on your preference), heavy cream and stir together until a thick sauce forms, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and add spinach and parmesan. The residual heat will cook the spinach, stir together until spinach is fully incorporated into the sauce. Then stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and ½ cup of the pasta water to thin the sauce. Add an additional if you prefer a thinner sauce. Stir everything together until sauce is creamy.
Add in penne pasta and salmon and garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

Tips

Lighten it up: by using cauliflower rice instead of pasta.
The easiest way to tell when the salmon is done is to gently press on the top of the salmon fillets to see if the salmon comes apart/is flaky. For added assurance, you can also use a thermometer to check to see that the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. If so, it's done!
Make sure to get the pan nice and hot prior to adding the salmon, this will ensure a nice seared top! A hot pan is key.
Check the ingredients on your cajun seasoning to see if it contains salt. If so, you may want to adjust the amount of salt added to the recipe.

Nutrition