Salmon Pesto Pasta
Tender salmon, vibrant spring vegetables, and aromatic basil pesto combine to make a light and satisfying salmon pesto pasta. Simple to make, absolutely delicious to eat, and perfect for a weeknight dinner or special occasion, this creamy pasta is hard to beat.
Erica’s Thoughts
As the snow slowly melts and I feel the promise of tweeting birds and a barely warm breeze, I’m getting excited for spring! I’m channeling all the sunny springtime vibes in this dish- protein-packed salmon, bright lemon, lots of fresh veggies and of course, pesto. Pesto pasta is one of those simple classics that I come back to again and again.
Here are a few things I’m loving about this salmon pesto pasta:
- Balance. We’ve got lean protein, healthy fats and satisfying carbohydrates, all in one dish.
- Simplicity. You can whip up this easy meal in less than 30 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients.
- Versatility. Have time to make homemade pesto? Perfect. Need a shortcut? Storebought pesto wil work! Don’t like asparagus? No worries, throw in some broccoli florets or fresh spinach. Like things spicy? Toss in red pepper flakes to amp up the heat. As a home cook I appreciate recipes that you can make your own. 👊🏼
Pour yourself a glass of wine, it’s pasta night! Lots of fresh flavor headed your way.
What You’ll Need to Make Salmon Pesto Pasta Recipe:
Short pasta: I recommend a short cut pasta like fusilli, rotini or penne pasta.
Salmon: wild-caught salmon is the best in my opinion, but it is a fair bit leaner than farm-raised salmon so take care not to overcook. I generally buy fresh salmon from Costco and put it in the freezer, so fresh or frozen will work.
Seasonings: I recommend kosher salt, black pepper and a good all-purpose seasoning. I like the 21 seasoning salute from Trader Joe’s or this Kinders seasoning.
Cooking fat: you’ll need a little drizzle of olive oil and pat of butter for cooking the salmon and veggies.
Garlic: grab fresh garlic for the best flavor.
Veggies: I like a mix of asparagus (get the big stalks, not the super skinny ones!) and peas. You can use fresh or frozen peas.
White wine: wine is for deglazing the pan and adding a wonderful acidic depth of flavor. Always choose a wine that you’d enjoy drinking straight up!
Pesto: this traditional pesto recipe features pesto ingredients like fresh basil, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, spinach and pine nuts. If you’re going to buy pesto from the grocery store look in the deli section (as opposed to the canned aisle) for fresh pesto.
Heavy cream: cream creates a luscious, creamy pesto sauce. You can use half and half if you prefer.
Parmesan cheese: I’ve said it once, i’ll say it again, grab a block of parmesan cheese, it is truly so much better than the pre-grated kind.
Lemon zest: zest of a whole lemon adds the perfect, bright finish.
Variation Ideas
- Substitute salmon with grilled chicken or shrimp for a different protein.
- Use whole-grain or gluten-free pasta to cater to dietary preferences. You can use chickpea pasta or other legume varieties but beware they don’t hold up quite as well as leftovers.
- Incorporate other vegetables like cherry tomatoes, zucchini or kale for added variety.
- Make it vegetarian by omitting the salmon. Add more protein with a can of chickpeas or white beans.
How to Make Salmon Pesto Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta per package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
If the salmon has skin, pour hot water over the skin and peel it off. Cube into 2-inch pieces. Season salmon with salt, pepper, and all-purpose seasoning. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat; sear salmon flesh side down 1-2 minutes. Flip and sear another 2-3 minutes until just cooked; remove and set aside.
In the same skillet, sauté garlic, asparagus, and peas for 2 minutes, seasoning with pinches of salt and pepper. Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up browned bits. Add the vibrant pesto, heavy cream, and Parmesan and whisk until a creamy sauce forms. Add cooked pasta to the sauce. Toss to coat, using a little bit to adjust consistency if needed.
Gently fold in the flaky salmon and lemon zest. Serve hot with extra Parmesan, lemon wedges, and fresh herbs.
Expert Tips
- Cook the pasta until just al dente.
- Don’t overcook the veggies! They may seem firm after sautéing for only 2 minutes, but they’ll continue to cook with the wine and hot pasta.
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese is the GOAT!
- Cook salmon until the internal temperature just reaches 140 degrees F.
- Make your own pesto!
- Use a good-quality white wine that you enjoy drinking. (doesn’t make sense to cook with wine that you don’t like!)
FAQs
A dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio is ideal for deglazing.
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add an ice cube or splash of water and place in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. You can also reheat in a skillet with a bit of water.
You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth.
Use coconut cream instead of heavy cream, omit the parmesan and use a dairy-free pesto.
Use any certified gluten-free pasta.
Yep! I usually let them thaw a little before adding.
Cheers to a seriously tasty meal. 🥂🤤
Print
Salmon Pesto Pasta
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Total Time: 25-30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Light, lemony, full of basil flavor and spring vegetables, this salmon pesto pasta is the perfect weeknight pasta and will have you coming back for bite after bite!
Ingredients
- 10oz short pasta like fusilli or rotini
- 1/4–1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 lb salmon, cubed in 2-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon all purpose seasoning (like Kinders or 21 seasoning salute)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb asparagus, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup peas
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/3 cup pesto
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- zest of a whole lemon
- for serving: parmesan, lemon wedges, fresh herbs like basil, dill or parlsey
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta according to the package directions.
- If your salmon has the skin on- pour very hot/ boiling water briefly over the salmon skin and it should easily peel off. Alternatively, you can cook the salmon with the skin on and remove it after cooking.
- Slice the salmon into large chunks (about 2-inch squares) and season with 1 teaspoon each salt, pepper and all-purpose seasoning. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sear the salmon pieces, flesh side down/skin side up (if the skin is still on) for 2 minutes. Flip so they are ‘skin’ side down and sear for another 2 minutes, until salmon is just cooked through. Remove the salmon pieces to a plate.
- Add the garlic, asparagus and peas to the remaining fat in the pan, sautéing for 2 minutes. Season the veggies with pinches of kosher salt and black pepper.
- Deglaze pan with white wine, scraping up all the browned bits at the bottom. Whisk in the pesto, heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Turn off the heat and add the cooked pasta, tossing everything until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta. Add a splash of starchy pasta to loosen the sauce, if needed. See my note about the pasta water!
- Fold the lemon zest and salmon chunks into the pasta and serve hot with a big squeeze of lemon, more parmesan cheese, cracked pepper and fresh basil. Oof. She’s a delight.
Notes
Pasta water: I didn’t add any pasta water initially, and served the pasta as soon as it was tossed with the sauce and salmon. After dinner when the dish was cooled slightly, I added about ½ cup pasta water to loosen up the sauce and make it saucier as leftovers.
Refer to above blog post for step-by-step photos, expert tips and answers to freqently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
- Calories: 479
- Sugar: 4.5 g
- Sodium: 801.9 mg
- Fat: 18.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 43.7 g
- Fiber: 4.4 g
- Protein: 30.7 g
- Cholesterol: 57.1 mg
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
So yummy. Fresh and delicious!
Super excited to try this recipe with asparagus from the garden- and perfect for lent!
So delicious!! Can’t wait to make it again. Very flavorful, my family loved it!
Quick, easy meal. We omitted the peas because I didn’t have any in the freezer. I also added a little red pepper flakes because my house kives spice. Will make again as all had seconds.
Amazing!! So glad you liked this one Stephanie! Thanks for your review 🙂
this was so good! perfect spring dish. 🍃
Seriously so stinking good!! I used chicken broth because I didn’t have white wine and it was still amazing! Filling but not heavy! 10/10 recommend.
Delicious!! Leftovers were great as well.
This was so delicious. I used salmon, but chicken would also work. I will definitely make this again.
This was so good! I don’t know why I never thought to do salmon and pasta together. I did sub zucchini in for the peas and also added some flavor bomb tomatoes I had on hand. Will be adding this to the rotation! Held up well as leftovers as well.
This was scrumptious!! I also swapped zucchini for peas since my son is allergic, and it turned out great! Neither one of my kids are fans of salmon, and my husband doesn’t typically like pesto, but everyone enjoyed this one. Two thumbs up!