Salmon Pasta Recipe

This salmon penne is a restaurant quality dinner that is sure to impress any guest or date you serve it to. A simple lemon pan sauce with fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and wine, with meaty chunks of freshly cooked salmon. Topped with parmesan cheese it doesn’t get much more elegant and refined than this!

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.

Why You Love This

• This salmon pasta is elegant and refined, a true restaurant quality dish prepared right at home.
• This recipe is hearty enough to be served as a meal in itself.
• Relatively simple to make and packed with flavor.
• The sauce is creamy, yet uses no cream!

About this Recipe

This salmon pasta recipe uses a few refined ingredients to make something truly wonderful. Perfectly al dente penne pasta is tossed in a one pan lemon garlic sauce featuring shallots, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and white wine. Before serving, this irresistible pasta is topped with tender flakes of baked salmon. Every aspect of this salmon pasta is perfectly balanced and fragrant, sure to make your mouth water just thinking about it.

Try my Pasta Slaw!

What is in Salmon Pasta

For this show stopping dish you will need the following ingredients.

• salmon filet
• extra-virgin olive oil
• lemon juice
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• Penne pasta
• unsalted butter
• shallot
• garlic
• red pepper flakes
• white wine
• Lemon zest
• sun-dried tomatoes
• fresh basil
• Parmesan cheese

Pasta Variations

There are a number of different ingredients you can add to this pasta to make it your own.

Try adding extra meat or using one of these proteins in place of the salmon. Make sure to cook it properly before adding it to the pasta.

• Chicken
• Shrimp
• Bacon
• Meatballs
• Sausage
• Scallops

Looking for a more nutritious pasta? Pack in some of these great vegetables.

• Red pepper
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Spinach
• Arugula

For an extra cheesy salmon pasta, add some of your favorite mild cheeses to the pasta along with the parmesan.

• Asiago
• Parmesan
• Gouda
• Romano
• Feta
• Mozzarella

Salmon Pasta Tips and Tricks

• Place the oven rack right in the center for even cooking.
• Make sure the salmon skin is removed and there are no bones anywhere in the salmon someone could choke on.
• Pull the salmon from the oven a little on the rare side. Carry-over cooking will finish cooking while it rests.
• Set aside a ½ cup of pasta water before draining in case the sauce gets too dry, you can add some of this starchy water instead of cream.

How to Store Leftover

Allow leftover pasta to cool completely before storage. Place in a sealed air tight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheat gently in a pan on the stove with some butter or in the microwave until warmed through.

Try my Creamy Mozzarella Shrimp Pasta!

FAQs

Salmon Pasta Recipe

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 servings

This salmon penne is a restaurant quality dinner that is sure to impress any guest or date you serve it to. A simple pan sauce with fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and wine, with meaty chunks of freshly cooked salmon. Topped with parmesan cheese it doesn't get much more elegant and refined than this!

No ratings yet

Review Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 pound salmon filet
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , divided
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons, freshly squeezed lemon juice divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt , divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper , divided
• 8 ounces penne
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 shallot , finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup white wine
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil plus additional for serving
• 1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving

Follow Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Want to save this recipe? Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe straight to your inbox!

Email(Required)

Comments

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Δ

NOTE: By saving this recipe, you agree to join our weekly recipes newsletter.

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Place the salmon in an oven safe baking dish and pat the outside dry with a paper towel. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, lemon juice, and black pepper.
  
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Remove the salmon to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil to rest.
  
• Once the salmon has rested, break it into bite sized pieces with 2 forks.
  
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and add the penne pasta. Cook for 8-10 minutes until perfectly al dente. Drain the water and set aside
  
• Add butter and olive oil to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and saute for 30-45 seconds until fragrant.
  
• Next add the wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the pan and bring it to a gentle simmer. Cook for around 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until it thickens.
  
• Add the cooked pasta noodles and toss to coat in the sauce along with the sun dried tomatoes, basil, and parmesan cheese.
  
• Fold in the chunks of salmon and serve with extra parmesan, basil, and chili flakes to garnish.
  
• Enjoy!
  

Nutrition

Calories: 2264kcal | Carbohydrates: 222g | Protein: 149g | Fat: 87g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Monounsaturated Fat: 41g | Cholesterol: 272mg | Sodium: 3157mg | Potassium: 5101mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 1715IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 640mg | Iron: 14mg