• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Sprinkles and Sprouts

Great food with grocery store ingredients

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
Home > Meal Type > Main Dishes > Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Pasta

Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Pasta

Updated: Oct 15th 2019 • Published: Jun 26th 2019 • 8 Comments

Jump to recipe button JUMP TO RECIPE
JUMP TO VIDEO
seared salmon and creamy pasta on a black plate with text at the top

This Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Pasta is a perfect date night dinner. Easy to make and ready in 15 minutes, this crispy salmon and pasta is delicious and beautiful.

Learn how to cook a salmon fillet in the skillet so you get a gorgeous crispy exterior and tender juicy interior. Perfect for serving with the easy, creamy lemon sauce and pasta.

creamy spaghetti on a black plate with a seared salmon fillet

Jump Menu

  • How to sear salmon
  • How to make a lemon cream sauce for pasta
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Pasta Recipe

How to sear salmon

Pan-seared salmon is very simple to prepare. With these tips, you’ll be pan searing salmon like a pro!

  • Make sure you remove the salmon from the refrigerator in advance. Around 15 minutes should be enough, this is to help to ensure the salmon doesn’t stick to the pan.
  • Rub the salmon with a little olive oil and season with salt. Oiling the fish rather than the pan means you can use a higher heat under your pan without the worry that your oil will get too hot and start to smoke or worse set on fire.
  • Once you have oiled the salmon use a non-stick skillet or frying pan to ensure that your salmon crisps up nicely and doesn’t stick to the pan.
  • You want to cook the salmon over medium-high heat. This will give you the crispy exterior without overcooking the inside.
  • Cook the salmon presentation side down. This means you are going to start cooking the top of the salmon first. By doing this you can get a beautiful crisp golden crust and then flip and continue cooking for as long as you need to get a soft succulent interior.
  • Cook the salmon for 3 minutes on the presentation side then carefully flip and cook for a further 2 minutes on the other side, then if your fillet is extra large give each of the sides a minute to crisp up. This will give you a crisp exterior and a soft interior. If you like a firmer finish, then check the recipe notes for additional timings.
2 salmon fillets on a sheet of parchment paper

How to make a lemon cream sauce for pasta

The simple creamy sauce is a mixture of white wine and cream, spiked with plenty of lemon juice (and zest) and finished with parsley.

To make the sauce a shallot is cooked gently in butter and then the pan is deglazed with white wine. If you don’t have white wine or can’t drink it, then you can replace that with fish stock or vegetable stock. (I have a great recipe for shrimp stock that would be great here too!)
Once the wine has reduced then lemon juice is added and finally the heavy cream. Once this has come to a simmer the sauce gets a final seasoning in the form of plenty of black pepper, lemon zest, and fresh parsley.

You want to use either freshly milled black pepper, or store bought cracked pepper. It really makes so much difference. The pre-ground pepper powdery pepper will add a sawdust texture to your beautiful creamy sauce.

a silver fork lifting a piece of salmon and pasta up from a black plate

Serving Suggestions

Sides: This Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Pasta would be perfect served with some roasted asparagus or broccoli. Alternatively serve this with a fresh green salad and made with a lemon mustard dressing.

Dessert: To balance the creamy main course serve a fresh dessert based around fruit. If strawberries are in season then a simple bowl of strawberries, drizzled with a little balsamic syrup would make a perfect end to the meal. Alternatively, a crisp lemon or apple sorbet would finish the meal well.

Wine: Lemon sauces can cause problems with so many wines, the acidity of the lemon works to soften and mellow the wine. However here the cream helps to overcome that. So try pairing this with a Sémillon. Or buck convention and opt for a red! Salmon is such a rich fish that it can take a low-tannin red like a Valpolicella.

close up showing how crispy the salmon is in this salmon pasta dish

Enjoy x

For more delicious pasta ideas why not try:

  • Garlic Butter Pasta with Garlic Chicken
  • Shrimp Chorizo Pasta
  • Pasta with Chicken Broth and Butter
  • Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
  • Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce
  • Creamy Pepper Steak Pasta
  • Black Truffle Pasta
  • See ALL 45+ Pasta Recipes

And for more ways to enjoy salmon why not try:

  • Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Risotto
  • Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Smashed Potatoes
  • Seared Salmon with Peas and Chorizo
  • Smoky Blackened Salmon Soft Tacos
  • Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Salsa (The Crumbly Kitchen)

RECIPE NEWSLETTER

Signup and get my FREE soup cookbook.

By clicking submit, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Pin this recipe for Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Pasta. Pin it here.

close up on the crispy salmon and pasta on a black plate
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
4.38 from 8 votes

Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Pasta Recipe

This Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Pasta is a perfect date night dinner. Easy to make and ready in 15 minutes, this crispy salmon and pasta is delicious and beautiful. Learn how to cook a salmon fillet in the skillet so you get a gorgeous crispy exterior and tender juicy interior. Perfect for serving with the easy, creamy lemon sauce and pasta. Light yet filling and stunning on the plate. Serve with a salad or asparagus for a healthy meal.
Prep Time2 mins
Cook Time13 mins
Total Time15 mins
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2
Calories: 766kcal
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
  • 5 oz spaghetti
  • kosher salt
  • 2 salmon fillets (skin on or off)
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper – see note 1
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 shallot – finely chopped – see note 2
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine – see note 3
  • ½ cup heavy cream – see note 4
  • 1 lemon (zest and juice)
  • 3 tbsp coarsely chopped parsley
  • Lemon wedges – to serve

Instructions

Cook the Pasta

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil and then add a good amount of salt.
  • Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. (around 1 minute less than the packet suggests)
  • When the pasta is cooked, reserve 2 cups of the cooking water and then drain.

Whilst the pasta is boiling cook the salmon and sauce

  • Season the top of the salmon fillets evenly with salt.
  • Rub the salmon fillets with olive oil and then place a large nonstick frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add salmon, presentation side down. Sauté for 3 minutes and then flip and cook for a further 2 minutes. Then flip the salmon onto each side and sear for a minute. (see note 5)
  • Transfer salmon to a warmed plate. (You can tent with foil, but this will stop the salmon from being as crispy.)
  • Add the chopped shallot to the skillet/frying pan and add in the butter
  • Gently fry the shallot until softened.
  • Add the wine to the pan and scrape any browned bits off of the bottom of the pan.
  • Cook the wine for about a minute (it will start to evaporate pretty quicklthen stir the zest and juice of the lemon.
  • Pour in the half and half (See note 4) and heat through.
  • Add the parsley, season generously with salt and black pepper.
  • Add the pasta and 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to the sauce and stir over low heat.
  • Gently toss the pasta about until everything is well coated and the pasta is cooked to your liking. You can add more cooking water if the sauce starts to thicken too much.
  • Serve with the seared salmon on the side, a garnish of parsley and some lemon wedges.

Notes

  1. You want to use either freshly milled black pepper, or store bought cracked pepper. It really makes so much difference. The pre-ground pepper powdery pepper will add a sawdust texture to your beautiful creamy sauce.
  2. If you can’t get shallot then use half a small onion.
  3. If you don’t have white wine or can’t drink it, then you can replace that with fish stock or vegetable stock. (I have a great recipe for shrimp stock that would be great here too!)
  4. Heavy cream or thickened cream is perfect here. I find that single cream and half and half will split due to the lemon juice. Whipping cream could be used, but add the lemon slowly and mix well.
  5. If you prefer your salmon firm, cook for an additional 2 minutes on the underside.

Nutrition

Calories: 766kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 903mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 989IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @sprinklesandsprouts or tag #sprinklesandsprouts

Find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook 
Let’s share the food love and make the world a tastier place 🙂

Jump to recipe buttonFacebook share iconPinterest share icon

Filed Under: All Recipes, Main Dishes, Pasta Recipes, Valentines Day

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kim says

    Jan 3rd 2021 at 2:44 pm

    4 stars
    This recipe was really good. I actually served my pasta with some asparagus and it worked quite well with the salmon 😁. The only thing I had in mind was that there was a bit to much lemon
    in the sauce. It made the sauce a wee bit sour but in the end it complimented the salmon perfectly.

    Reply
    • Claire McEwen says

      Jan 13th 2021 at 10:27 pm

      It has a heavy lemon taste but I find that cuts through the richness of the salmon so I am glad you found the pasta complimented the salmon.
      Asparagus sounds like a great accompaniment 🙂
      Cx

      Reply
  2. Jane says

    Sep 8th 2020 at 9:25 am

    1 star
    I made this recipe following all the directions and the half and half curdled and the entire sauce was ruined. Very upsetting 🙁

    Reply
    • Claire McEwen says

      Sep 21st 2020 at 9:53 am

      Hi Jane,

      The recipe calls for heavy cream rather than half and half, because of the higher fat content heavy cream doesn’t curdle when you add lemon juice, it just thickens up (perfect for this sauce)
      If you do want to make this with half and half then you’ll want to just use lemon zest without the juice, however the sauce will be thinner.
      Hope that helps Cx

      Reply
  3. Jacqueline says

    Nov 11th 2019 at 12:31 pm

    5 stars
    Awesome!

    Reply
    • Claire McEwen says

      Nov 11th 2019 at 1:40 pm

      Thank you 😀

      Reply
  4. Sharon says

    Jul 11th 2019 at 11:16 pm

    Can’t wait to try this one

    Reply
    • Claire McEwen says

      Jul 12th 2019 at 8:43 am

      I’m thinking you are going to love this one 😀

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I’m Claire,

Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts

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

Here on Sprinkles and Sprouts you will find delicious meals all made with easy to find grocery store ingredients. Family friendly mains, sensational sides and delicious desserts. Plus a great selection of party food and appetizers.

Read More

RECIPE NEWSLETTER

Signup and get my FREE soup cookbook.

By clicking submit, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Readers’ Favorites

Small close up of pasta in chicken broth braised celery in an oval white dish
a silver spoon dipping into a white bowl of hallandaise sauce tube pasta with a creamy steak sauce in a grey bowl
homemade flour tortilla on a sheet of baking paper close up on a chicken portion coated in peri peri seasonings
a small bowl of red salsa on a blue table close up on a sliced chicken breast with garlic spaghetti
small white bowl filled with linguine topped with shaved black truffle Beef and broccoli takeout style in a white bowl

Footer

All content, recipes and photographs are copyrighted to Claire McEwen and are the property of Sprinkles and Sprouts.
THEY MAY NOT BE REPUBLISHED IN PART OR WHOLE WITHOUT PERMISSION AND PROPER CREDIT.
Contact me to see republishing and syndication rights.

2014-2020 Sprinkles and Sprouts

  • Home
  • About Sprinkles and Sprouts
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact Me
  • Disclosure and Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Cravings Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in