This simple creamy salmon pasta is quick and easy to make, delicious and flavorful, and loaded with salmon. Perfectly seared salmon is flaked and tossed in into a creamy, buttery, and garlicky homemade white sauce with pasta. The best part? It’s ready in less than 30 minutes. Salmon pasta perfect for busy weeknights but fancy enough for date night.
Why You’ll Love Creamy Salmon Pasta
- It’s quick and easy to make. This creamy salmon pasta only takes 25 minutes from start to finish. You’ll cook the pasta, sear the salmon, prepare a quick sauce, and mix it all together. If you think that sounds easy, it’s because it is!
- It tastes like a restaurant-quality meal. Even though this recipe is quick and easy, it doesn’t taste like a last-minute meal. Bring home restaurant-quality taste with this homemade salmon pasta using real ingredients (no jar of pasta sauce here!). This recipe will leave you and any guests you might have very impressed and satisfied.
- Salmon is a healthy protein. Salmon is full of protein, plus essential nutrients like omega 3 fatty acids. Fish is one of the best types of protein to get into your diet, and salmon is one of the tastiest. Just be mindful that salmon should only be eating in moderation due to mercury levels.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this creamy salmon pasta, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- pasta - feel free to use any pasta that you like. I prefer a long string pasta like spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine.
- salmon fillets - use any kind of salmon.
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- butter
- onion
- garlic
- cornstarch - or substitute with all-purpose flour. Either ingredient will help to thicken up the creamy sauce.
- heavy cream
- white wine - adds flavor but you can feel free to leave it out if you prefer.
- Italian seasoning
- Parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley - optional, for serving.
- lemon wedges - optional, for serving.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a cooking pot, and a large skillet or shallow saucepan.
How to Make the Best Creamy Salmon Pasta
- Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente (fully cooked but still firm), or according to package directions, about 8-10 minutes. Drain well and set aside in the pot. Drizzle a little olive oil and toss together to keep the pasta from sticking together.
- Prep salmon. Pat dry salmon fillets and season with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Sear salmon. In a large skillet, heat oil for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles. Sear the salmon fillets (skin side facing up first) for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden browned and fully cooked. When salmon is cooked, the flesh will turn opaque, and it will flake easily when inserting a fork. Transfer the cooked salmon onto a plate and use 2 forks to shred it into flakes.
- Make the creamy sauce. Add butter, onion, and garlic to the same skillet, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in cornstarch and mix well until combined, about 1 minute. Add wine and stir well to combine, about 1 minute. Add heavy cream, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Stir well and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and keep stirring until thickened to a desired consistency, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add salmon and pasta. Return the cooked shredded salmon to the skillet and toss in the creamy sauce over to coat. Add cooked spaghetti into creamy salmon sauce and toss well to combine.
- Serve. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley on top, and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Adjusting the sauce: You can adjust the creamy sauce to be as flavorful and thick as you like by adding more flour, onions, or garlic and simmering for longer.
- How to store: Keep leftover creamy salmon pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- How to reheat: The best way to reheat creamy salmon pasta is in a covered dish in a 350F oven for 15-30 minutes. To make cleanup easy, I like to place my leftovers on a large piece of tin foil. Then, I wrap it up and sinch the edges. Covering this dish when reheating is essential so that it doesn’t dry out. You can also reheat it on the stove over medium-low until warmed through. Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened up too much in the fridge.
- Microwave instructions: You can also reheat salmon alfredo in the microwave (covered) on medium-low heat for 30 seconds to 3 minutes, until warmed through. The time will vary based on how much pasta you’re reheating.
More Pasta Recipes
- 40 Best Pasta Recipes
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes
- Spaghetti Carbonara
- Cacio e Pepe
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
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Recipe
Creamy Salmon Pasta
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Description
This simple creamy salmon pasta is quick and easy to make, delicious and flavorful, and loaded with salmon. A weeknight dinner in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pasta, spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine
- 2-3 pieces salmon fillets, about 2-inches wide (1 pound)
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente (fully cooked but still firm), or according to package directions, about 8-10 minutes. Drain well and set aside in the pot. Drizzle a little olive oil and toss together to keep the pasta from sticking together.
- Pat dry salmon fillets and season with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
- In a large skillet, heat oil for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles. Sear the salmon fillets (skin side facing up first) for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden browned and fully cooked. When salmon is cooked, the flesh will turn opaque, and it will flake easily when inserting a fork. Transfer the cooked salmon onto a plate and use 2 forks to shred it into flakes.
- Add butter, onion, and garlic to the same skillet, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in cornstarch and mix well until combined, about 1 minute. Add wine and stir well to combine, about 1 minute.
- Add heavy cream, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Stir well and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and keep stirring until thickened to a desired consistency, about 4-5 minutes.
- Return the cooked shredded salmon to the skillet and toss in the creamy sauce over to coat.
- Add cooked spaghetti into creamy salmon sauce and toss well to combine.
Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley on top, and serve immediately.
Notes
Adjusting the sauce: You can adjust the creamy sauce to be as flavorful and thick as you like by adding more flour, onions, or garlic and simmering for longer.
How to store: Keep leftover creamy salmon pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
How to reheat: The best way to reheat creamy salmon pasta is in a covered dish in a 350F oven for 15-30 minutes. To make cleanup easy, I like to place my leftovers on a large piece of tin foil. Then, I wrap it up and sinch the edges. Covering this dish when reheating is essential so that it doesn’t dry out. You can also reheat it on the stove over medium-low until warmed through. Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened up too much in the fridge.
Microwave instructions: You can also reheat creamy salmon pasta in the microwave (covered) on medium-low heat for 30 seconds to 3 minutes, until warmed through. The time will vary based on how much pasta you’re reheating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
b says
Great filling but quick meal.
I made half for the two of us, not a morsel left.