This delightful recipe for Salmon Pasta includes a zesty lemon twist! This dish combines the richness of salmon with the freshness of lemon, creating a flavor-packed pasta experience that is sure to impress.
The irresistible combination of salmon and lemon in this creamy Salmon Pasta recipe. Enjoy cooking and savor every bite of this flavorful smoked Salmon Pasta with a citrusy twist of lemon!
Table of Contents
Why you'll love this
Fresh Flavors
The succulent smoked salmon pairs perfectly with the tangy notes of lemon, creating a balance of flavors. Each bite has a delightful combination of creamy and citrusy goodness.
Quick and Easy
Thanks to using smoked salmon, this meal comes together in less than 30 minutes. Relying on cream cheese for the creaminess this also requires minimal effort for a well rounded and satisfying dinner.
Ingredients and substitutions for Creamy Salmon Pasta
- Pasta: Linguine was used here thanks to it’s slightly thicker texture than spaghetti and the way it swirls up with the creamy sauce.
- Smoked salmon: Plain smoked salmon fillet works a charm here, however, flavored smoked salmon with a little spice or herbs would also work. You could also use freshly cooked or even cooked from frozen.
- Cream cheese: Full fat cream cheese was used here as it’s adds richness and balances out the richness in the salmon. You could replace in equal measure with creme fraiche or Greek yogurt, if your prefer.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley has the strongest flavor and is incredibly complimentary to the salmon and lemon flavors in this. If you cannot source or do not have on hand you could simply omit or replace with a little dry parsley.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is used thanks to the fullest flavor without additives that also helps to cut through the richness in the cream cheese and give depth to our dish.
- Garlic granules: Dried garlic granules add an umami to the pasta without having to mince fresh garlic. You could absolutely add in a few cloves here to really increase the garlic undertones, but really, we want the lemon and salmon to be the stars of the show.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Creamy Salmon Pasta:
Cook the pasta: Add enough water into a large pot and bring to a rolling boil and cook.
Creamy base: Place all the creamy ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine.
1
Add salmon: Crumble in the smoked salmon and stir.
2
Pasta water: Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and drain your pasta.
Toss and stir: Toss the pasta and pasta water into the creamy salmon and stir throughly to coat.
Serve: Plate up and toss over a little more finely chopped parsley.
Enjoy: Dig in!
Equipment needed to make this
Large pot: To cook your pasta to al dente.
Large bowl: To combine your creamy ingredients that you’ll need to mix the hot pasta through.
Tongs: To coat your pasta with that creamy sauce.
FAQ's for the best Salmon Pasta
Yes, you can use frozen salmon for this recipe. Thaw the salmon fillets completely before seasoning and pan-searing them. It's important to ensure that the salmon is fully cooked and flakes easily before adding it to the pasta.
Absolutely! While our recipe suggests using linguine, feel free to experiment with different shapes and types such as penne, fusilli, tagliatelle or papperdelle. Each pasta shape will bring a unique texture to the dish and make it even more enjoyable.
Certainly! If you prefer a dairy-free version, you can substitute the cream cheese with a non-dairy alternative. This will still create a creamy consistency and complement the flavors of the salmon and lemon.
Absolutely! You can enhance the nutritional value and add more color to your Salmon Pasta by adding vegetables like asparagus, cherry tomatoes, or spinach. Simply sauté or blanch the vegetables separately and toss them in with the pasta and sauce before adding the salmon.
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Salmon Pasta
Ingredients
- 280 grams / 9.8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 bunch parsley leaves finely chopped
- 43 grams / 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 medium lemon
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic granules
- 3 teaspoons sea salt
- 170 grams / 6 ounces smoked salmon finely chopped
- 400 grams / 14 ounces linguine
Instructions
- Add enough water into a large pot alongside 1 teaspoon of sea salt and bring to a rolling boil.
- Cook your pasta according to packet instructions.
- Meanwhile, place the cream cheese, parsley, lemon juice, garlic granules into a bowl and stir to combine.
- Add in the smoked salmon and remaining salt, stirring to combine.
- Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and drain your pasta.
- Toss the pasta and pasta water into the creamy salmon and stir throughly to coat.
- Serve your pasta up and toss over a little more finely chopped parsley.
- Dig in!
Notes
- Pasta: Linguine was used here thanks to it’s slightly thicker texture than spaghetti and the way it swirls up with the creamy sauce. Feel free to use different shapes and types such as penne, fusilli, tagliatelle or pappardelle to make this your own.
- Smoked salmon: Plain smoked salmon fillet works a charm here, however, flavored smoked salmon with a little spice or herbs would also work. You could also use freshly cooked or even cooked from frozen.
- Cream cheese: Full fat cream cheese was used here as it’s adds richness and balances out the richness in the salmon. You could replace in equal measure with creme fraiche, Greek yogurt or a non dairy alternative, if your prefer.
- Adding vegetables to this dish: Whilst the dish is incredibly simple and relies on parsley and lemon juice, you could definitely toss in asparagus, kale, spinach or zucchini.
Nutrition
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