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Home > Meal Type > Main Dishes > Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta

Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta

Updated: Jul 8th 2019 • Published: May 1st 2019 • 9 Comments

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a fork in the bowl of salmon pasta with text at the top

This Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta is comforting and filling whilst still being fresh and light. With just a few grocery store ingredients you can create such a delicious pasta recipe.

The beauty of this Pasta recipe comes from the natural reaction between heavy cream and lemon juice. Lemon juice naturally thickens the cream without curdling and creates an almost instant creamy lemon sauce for pasta.

a grey bowl of spaghetti and salmon on a blue table

There is something elegant about a seafood pasta, and this creamy lemon salmon pasta is no exception. It tastes just like something you would get in a great Italian restaurant. Yet it is so easy to make at home.

The recipe serves 4 but it is easy to half the recipe if you want to serve this for a special date night. Or you can double the recipe if you want to serve this as a quick dinner party dish.

Tip:
To quickly and easily half or double my recipes, just click on the servings box in the recipe card and you can change the number of servings you require. The recipe card will automatically scale the recipe for you! How great is that!!! (Just be aware that some measurements might look a little odd)

a silver fork in a bowl of spaghetti and salmon with a wine glass behind

Jump Menu

  • Which salmon to use for Salmon Pasta
  • How to make a Creamy Lemon Sauce for Pasta
  • What kind of pasta to use for Salmon Pasta
  • Serving Suggestions:
  • Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta Recipe

Which salmon to use for Salmon Pasta

This salmon pasta recipe uses 2 salmon fillets for a 4 person serving of pasta. That makes it really economical and a great way to add fish into your diet. I buy skinless salmon fillets as it makes this dish so much easier.

The salmon is cut into cubes and pan-fried in butter and olive oil. We like the ‘meaty’ chunks, but if you have a large fillet you could cook it whole and lightly flake the fish.

Once cooked the salmon is taken out of the pan and given a spritz of lemon juice and a seasoning of black pepper and salt. This really soaks into the fish and seasons it inside and out. Don’t skip this step

The beauty of cooking the salmon separately means you can get a nice crisp edge to it and also cook it to your likely. We like to cook it over high heat to get a light crust on the outside and a soft medium cooked center. But cook for longer if you like your salmon more cooked.

two raw salmon fillets on a sheet of parchment paper

How to make a Creamy Lemon Sauce for Pasta

This sauce uses heavy cream and lemon juice. This is thickened using the natural reaction between heavy cream and lemon juice. When you add lemon juice to cream it will naturally thicken without curdling! Add some black pepper, lemon zest, a little salt and you have an almost instant creamy lemon sauce for pasta.

Ideally, you want to use fresh lemon juice, it will make all the difference to the sauce. Plus the zest adds so much to the dish.

half a lemon being juiced on a ceramic juicer with cut lemons scattered around

What kind of pasta to use for Salmon Pasta

For this creamy lemon salmon pasta, we like to use spaghetti or linguine, Tagliatelle or Fettuccine would be also be a great choice.
If you prefer a smaller shape then pick a penne or rigatoni.
Whatever shape you choose remember to generously season the pasta water and to reserve a cup of the cooking water before you drain it.

Why reserve pasta cooking water?

Using some of the pasta cooking water helps to make the sauce go further (so no need to add extra cream) but still keeps it thick enough to cling to the pasta. The pasta cooking was is starchy and seasoned! So it is liquid gold. Never just pour it all down the sink. Even if you are cooking someone else’s pasta recipe reserve some of that water and add it to your sauce. The difference is amazing!
You must be sick of me talking about pasta cooking water 😉 I talk about it in pretty much EVERY pasta recipe I have here on Sprinkles and Sprouts….and there are a lot!

Just a few include:

  • My Favorite Pasta: Garlic Butter Pasta with Garlic Chicken (I think! This changes weekly!)
  • Stew’s Favorite: Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce
  • Mr 11’s Favorite: Authentic Spaghetti Bolognese
  • Mr 8’s Favorite: Four Cheese Pasta
  • Perfect for when you are feeling ill: Pasta with Chicken Broth
  • Great for Entertaining: Shrimp Chorizo Pasta
  • Something a bit different: Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta
  • Also see all 40+ pasta recipes here
close up on the spaghetti in a light grey bowl

Serving Suggestions:

Side: The rich salmon and the cream in this sauce means this creamy lemon salmon pasta is the perfect dish for serving with something fresh. We would suggest a parsley salad. Simply mix lettuce leaves with plenty of fresh flat leaf parsley and a simple lemon and olive oil dressing. The addition of some roasted bell peppers would add a nice level of sweetness too.
Alternatively, some steamed asparagus makes a wonderful side.

Wine: Lemon sauces can soften and mellow the wine, leaving your wine tasting bland and insipid. But the cream and rich salmon balance that here meaning you can pair this dish with a crisp white Sémillon or a dry Riesling.
This is also great with a sparkling wine! Prosecco is a great choice or a Californian sparkling.
Or if you are a lover of red wine then throw out the traditions and pair this Salmon pasta with a low-tannin red like a Valpolicella or a light Zinfandel.

a silver fork picking up creamy lemon salmon pasta from a grey bowl

Enjoy x


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4.5 from 18 votes

Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta Recipe

This Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta is comforting and filling whilst still being fresh and light. It is so easy to make and is perfect for families and the weeknight meal, or elegant enough for company. Adding the salmon to the pasta makes the fish go further, making this a great economical way to add fish to the family diet. Plus this pasta recipe is ready in under 25 minutes!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time25 mins
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4
Calories: 697kcal
Author: Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts
For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout
Need Metric Measurements?Use the options below to toggle between cups and grams (if relevant)

Ingredients

US Customary – Grams
  • 12 oz spaghetti

For the salmon

  • 2 salmon fillets – boned and skinned
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

For the Sauce

  • 2 lemon
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp coarsely chopped parsley

Instructions

Start by cooking the pasta

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil and then add a generous amount of salt.
  • Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
  • Once the pasta has cooked, reserve a cup of the cooking water and drain.

While the pasta is cooking get on with the salmon and sauce.

    For the Salmon

    • Cut the salmon into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and black pepper.
    • Melt the butter and olive oil in a large nonstick pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
    • Add the salmon and sauté for 2 minutes over high heat until a crust has formed and the salmon is almost cooked.
    • Remove the salmon to a warmed plate, squeeze over the juice of half a lemon, add the black pepper, tent it with foil and set aside.

    To make the sauce

    • Pour the heavy cream into the skillet the salmon was cooked in.
    • Add the zest of one lemon and the juice of the remain 1 1/2 lemons.
    • Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes until thickened.
    • Season with salt.
    • Add 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to the sauce and allow to simmer.
    • Add in the drained pasta and stir gently to coat the pasta in the sauce.
    • Add more cooking water if required.
    • Stir in the cooked salmon and serve sprinkled with parsley.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 697kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 725mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 940IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2.1mg
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    Filed Under: All Recipes, Main Dishes, Mother's Day, Pasta Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Zoe McPhee says

      Jan 30th 2021 at 12:49 am

      5 stars
      This Recipe is absolutely brilliant especially it really works with Morrisons smoked salmon fillets even though I’ve added mixed vegetables, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic paste and 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard through in mine.

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        Feb 4th 2021 at 10:20 am

        Oh using slightly smoked salmon fillet sounds delicious!! I bet that worked amazingly well with the creamy pasta!!!
        So pleased you enjoyed the recipe.
        Cx

        Reply
    2. Claudia Rios Zertuche says

      Dec 31st 2020 at 5:23 am

      5 stars
      Thanks !!! I made a great dinner for my Family 😄

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        Jan 13th 2021 at 10:30 pm

        Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it Claudia 🙂
        Cx

        Reply
    3. Kfir says

      Oct 26th 2019 at 12:24 am

      5 stars
      It was Amazing! Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        Oct 26th 2019 at 8:00 am

        Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it Kfir 😀

        Reply
    4. indian restaurant robina says

      May 6th 2019 at 6:32 pm

      5 stars
      I like pasta so much, and I shall look forward to trying this soon!

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        May 8th 2019 at 11:23 am

        Thank you Robina,
        It is such a great light pasta isn’t it!

        Reply
    5. Fiona Manoon says

      May 2nd 2019 at 2:15 pm

      I love pasta . And I loved your recipe.
      Great work. Thanks for sharing such a brilliant recipe.
      Keep Cooking !! Keep Posting !!

      Reply

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    Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts

    I believe cooking for those you love should be stress free and simple.

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