Simple, Creamy Salmon Pasta

It recently occurred to me that the “Marry Me Pasta” is really just a heavy cream sauce – meaning that in this lifetime, we can win most people over with a heavy cream sauce. I’m thrilled to say this Simple Creamy Salmon Pasta also proves that true.

i’m not going to lie to you and say this is a marriage material pasta, it’s maybe the opposite, actually. There’s so little effort involved that I would call it single-and-lazy-at-home level, although it does make a ton of food. So maybe it’s date-night-and-lazy-at-home level, who am I to say.

I will say the first thing Eric and I really started cooking together was this pasta, probably because we were young novice cooks in an unequipped kitchen, and a pasta with tons of cream sauce, but also the protein and vegetables we needed as young 20-somethings (see! Health) made this pasta an easy meal to keep in our back pocked.

We had since forgotten about it since it fell out of our rotation, but when we renovated our kitchen, it was like this weird craving I had during all the months of renovation. I think in a way it tastes like home.

BUT ENOUGH ABOUT ME. Please, enjoy this pasta, and if you make it please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

Simple, Creamy Salmon Pasta

4 | 2 reviews

This pasta is rich in flavor but quick and simple. You make a garlicky, lemony cream sauce that quickly simmers on the stove, and then there are big flakes of salmon that make this pasta both filling and a full meal. It's a 20-minute dinner, and we love to dress it up for a weekend or use it as a quick weeknight staple.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

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Equipment

• ▢
  1 baking sheets
• ▢
  1 7-quart Dutch oven or large pot
• ▢
  1 large pot
• ▢
  1 microplane or rasp-style grater

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound salmon
• ▢ Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ Freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 6 garlic cloves
• ▢ 1 lemon, for zest and juice
• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 57 grams
• ▢ 1 cup white wine
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• ▢ 1 pound pasta of choice, I like spaghetti, linguine of bucatini
• ▢ 1 cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for topping
• ▢ 1/2 pound spinach leaves, optional

Instructions 

1. Set a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.
2. Season both sides of your salmon with salt and pepper. Place on a lined baking dish and when the oven is ready, slow roast for 16-20 minutes or until it has an internal temperature of 135°F.
3. While the salmon is cooking, grate or mince the 6 garlic cloves, zest all of the lemon, squeeze all of the lemon juice into a small bowl.
4. Set a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Prepare a large pot of water to the burner next to it.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pot and let it melt. Once it is melted, add the lemon zest and swirl it in with the butter. Add another tablespoon of butter, then the garlic. Mix and let it softly sizzle to cook, but not take on any color. Gradually mix in the remaining two tablespoons of butter until you have a smooth, garlicky butter sauce. Season with salt.
6. Add the cup of white wine and bring to a soft simmer and let it reduce by half. Stir in the lemon juice. Add the 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream and let this come to a soft simmer, then reduce to low heat to let the sauce thicken. Keep this warm over low heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
7. Mix in the basil leaves and spinach, letting them wilt into the sauce.
8. By now the salmon should be out of the oven. Gently flake it away from its skin and add it to the cream sauce.
9. Bring the pot of water on the other burner to a boil. Salt the water liberally and cook your pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
10. Scoop the pasta directly from the pot into the sauce. Mix, adding a splash of pasta water to help the cream sauce cling to the pasta.
11. Serve warm, top with more basil if you’d like!