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My creamy lemon and fresh tomato salmon pasta is an easy and fresh (yet decadent!) pasta dish that’s ready in only 20 minutes.
My creamy garlic salmon pasta has done really well (I hope I didn’t just jinx it!), and I wanted to do something similar in this tomato salmon pasta.
Although salmon is versatile and I like to prepare it several different ways, enjoying it with pasta and a creamy sauce is probably my all-time favorite way of cooking it.
Salmon pasta is so quick and easy and typically tastes like it’s more complicated to make than it is!
I love seafood pasta. When I’m anywhere near a coast, I order copious amounts of it since normally I’m landlocked and don’t usually have access to the best seafood. It’s not like you can’t get seafood here, but it’s just not the same as being right there. You can find pretty good salmon here, so that’s my go-to when I’m craving something from the ocean. Something about seafood pasta hits the spot for me.
The lemon and tomato make this a comforting yet light and fresh meal. A little bit of Dijon mustard is my not-so-secret ingredient (you’ll see it a lot if you read this blog often) for adding more depth of flavor.
Aaaand of course garlic is in here because it’s basically my lifeblood. 😉
Love creamy salmon recipes? You’ll probably like my creamy Tuscan salmon or my creamy salmon piccata.
Recipe notes & tips:
- You can buy salmon with the skin on or already taken off. If you bought salmon with the skin on and don’t want to eat it, you can simply peel it off after you’ve done the searing step… it’s really easy to do that.
- I love my Microplane zester/grater to zest the lemon and grate parmesan cheese.
- I used spaghetti for this creamy salmon pasta recipe, but feel free to sub with any pasta you choose.
I hope you enjoy this easy salmon pasta recipe as much as I did! I really need to make it again soon.
That lemon-tomato-cream sauce is the best, really.
More salmon pasta recipes you may like:
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions about this fresh salmon pasta recipe!
Creamy Lemon and Fresh Tomato Salmon Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 ounces uncooked spaghetti (or other pasta)
- 1/2 pound fresh salmon
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning or to taste
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Juice and zest of 1/2 medium lemon (about 1 tbsp juice)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water and cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of the salmon with Italian seasoning and salt & pepper, to taste.
- Add oil and butter to a skillet on medium heat. Sear salmon for 3 minutes/side. Remove the salmon from the pan and set aside.
- Add the tomato, cream, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and Dijon mustard. Stir until smooth and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the parmesan.
- Add the salmon back into the pan, and use a spoon to break it up into smaller pieces. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Once the pasta is cooked, toss it with the sauce. Serve with parsley and some extra grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- I don't recommend subbing the cream with half-and-half or milk because the sauce is likely to curdle due to the amount of citrus in this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I felt I should comment since we’ve been enjoying this for a few years now and serve it to guests as well. 5 Stars!!!!!
Thank you so much, Tony!! I appreciate it!!
My rating is a 0/10 this is because wrong instructions for cooking pasta to early this meant that when I put the pasta in the sauce it was not fresh and I was clumped together so I had to pull it apart
Hi Daisy! You are supposed to start cooking the sauce while the pasta water heats up and the pasta is cooked so it’s ready at the same time. I have updated the instructions to add the word “meanwhile” to ensure that’s more clear. It’s a good idea to read through the whole recipe before starting. The last step indicates “…once the pasta is cooked…”, so that would have been a clue if you were unsure.
This is a family favourite in our house. My 6 year old LOVES it and asks for it all the time. I’ve sometimes substituted the cooking cream for coconut cream and it’s just as delicious. Or we use sour cream sometimes too. And extra Dijon haha.
It’s such a simple and delicious meal. If we ever cook it for guests, they ALWAYS ask for the recipe. 💛💛💛
I’m thrilled it’s a favorite!! 😀 Thanks so much for your review, Melissa!
Made this yesterday for my family of four + dog, but used 750g of salmon. Dog had some salmon pre mixing it into the sauce. I subbed the cream for Greek yoghurt which I stirred in as the last thing to avoid it separating and I used whole wheat penne. There’s only a handful of penne left, which dog will have with his lunch – the rest of it went! So quick and easy to make, love it ❤️
I love that!! 😀
I started to follow this recipe and then I realized I didn’t have full fat cream 1/2 way thru cooking. So I had to omit the lemon and the tomatoes which made me sad but I was able to sub other veggies I had in the fridge. I sautéd sliced mushrooms and a rosemary sprig with garlic and butter then added peaches and cream corn, and spinach. Once that was cooked down I added 1 cup of pasta water and the cream with more garlic and the Dijon mustard. I simmered that and then added the salmon and spaghettini back in. It was SO GOOD!!! I wish I would have been able to the make the OG recipe but my improvising saved the day. It was seriously so taste. I used lemon wedge squeezed over it at the end and it was perfect. I can’t wait to make again!!! Will definitely try it with the full fat cream next time and tomatoes and lemon!
Well I am so glad you were able to salvage it! 😀 Thanks for letting us know your tweaks – I am sure it’ll give other readers some fun ideas. Let me know if you end up trying the original version haha.
I absolutely loved this recipe! And it was ready in under 30 minutes. I imagined myself sitting somewhere on the Amalfi coast, having this delicious creamy lemony seafood pasta. Will definitely add this to my repertoire!
Aww I love that description, Rosana! Thanks for your review!
Made this dish this evening! Added in sun dried tomatoes and spinach!! Great flavor!!
Glad you liked it!
Definitely a new family favorite! Very quick and easy, yet tastes gourmet. Love this recipe!!!
I’m thrilled to hear that, Kathy!