Creamy Salmon Pasta Recipe

If you're looking for a way to eat salmon that doesn't involve simply cooking it and enjoying it as-is, then this creamy salmon pasta will be a welcome addition to your repertoire. This dish features plenty of flaky salmon, but it also features penne pasta, asparagus, and a quick and easy cream sauce. "The combination of succulent salmon, a rich creamy sauce, and zesty lemon is so tasty," recipe developer Catherine Brookes says. "This dish is really easy to make but feels a little fancy!"

Indeed, you might feel like you're enjoying a bowl of pasta from your favorite restaurant, but in actuality, this lovely dinner comes together quickly on even the busiest of weeknights. Best of all, it's a full meal all on its own, featuring carbs, protein, and a vegetable in one hearty bowl. If plain old grilled salmon just isn't doing it for you anymore, then this creamy salmon pasta may be just the pick-me-up that your dinner routine needs.

You'll need 2 salmon fillets and penne pasta to make up the bulk of this recipe. To build the sauce, you'll need olive oil, a diced onion, crushed garlic, asparagus tips, dry white wine (Brookes likes to use Sauvignon Blanc, but any dry white will work here), lemon zest and juice, heavy cream, salt, pepper, chopped fresh parsley, and Parmesan. "The Parmesan cheese gives the dish that extra bit of richness and indulgence," Brookes says.

Get your oven preheating to 400 F and focus on the salmon first. Place the fillets into a baking dish or on a sheet pan, skin side-down, and drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil over them. Add some salt and pepper to taste, and be sure to rub the seasonings into the flesh so they stick. Once your oven is preheated, go ahead and bake the salmon for about 12 minutes, or until it's fully cooked through. 

While the salmon bakes, get a large pot of salted water boiling on the stovetop. Cook the pasta first according to the package instructions, which should take about 10 minutes to reach al dente. Reserve 3 tablespoons of pasta water before draining the penne, but be sure to leave most of the water in the pot for the asparagus.

That boiled water is playing double duty in this step, because as soon as the pasta is out, the asparagus can go in. Boil the tips for about 3 minutes, just until they're bright green and tender. Now, you can drain them and discard the water.

Place a large pan on the stovetop over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened, then add the garlic and cook for another minute or so while stirring constantly. Turn the heat up to high, then add in the wine, allowing it to bubble away for about 3 minutes.

Next, add in the heavy cream and lemon zest, stirring thoroughly to combine with the other ingredients. Reduce the heat back down to medium and let the sauce cook for another 3 minutes. Finally, stir in the Parmesan, allowing it to melt into the sauce.

Once the salmon is out of the oven, roughly chop it up and be sure to discard the skin. Then, mix the salmon chunks into the sauce along with the pasta, lemon juice, chopped parsley, cooked asparagus tips, and reserved pasta water. Keep the pasta on the heat for a couple more minutes to make sure everything is nice and warm for serving, then add a little bit of salt and pepper to taste.

When it comes time for serving, this pasta is a full meal all on its own, but Brookes does have some pairing suggestions. "This pasta pairs well with a glass of white wine or a zesty cocktail," she says. "You could also add some extra steamed greens on the side if desired." If you aren't able to finish all of the pasta in one sitting, Brookes also has some advice on the leftover front: "Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days and can be reheated in the microwave."