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.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and then the 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 6)
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 minced garlic to the pan and stir for 30 seconds until aromatic (don't let the garlic burn)
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 quick) then stir in the zest of the lemon and the juice of half the lemon. (see note 5)
Pour in the heavy cream (See note 5) and heat through.
Add the parsley and season generously with salt and black pepper. Taste your sauce, it should taste good. If not, add more salt and more lemon juice.
Add the pasta and ¼ 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
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.
If you can't get shallot then use half a small onion.
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!)
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.
You will need all of the zest of the lemon, but unless you have a very small lemon, you will probably only need the juice from half of it.
If you prefer your salmon firm, cook for an additional 2 minutes on the underside.