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Cajun Salmon Pasta

Published: / Updated: / 60 Comments

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This Cajun salmon pasta recipe is fast and flavorful. Cajun spices, sun-dried tomatoes, cream, and garlic make this dish irresistible!

close-up of a bowl of creamy Cajun salmon pasta with grated parmesan cheese

It's no secret that I love salmon pasta. This one has a slightly spicy (but not too spicy) twist, and it's just as easy to make as my popular creamy garlic salmon pasta or my creamy tomato salmon pasta.

This is a quick recipe that takes about as long to cook the sauce as it takes to boil the water for the pasta.

This recipe is written for two people, but it's easily doubled if needed.

I used spaghetti in this recipe, but any pasta is fine.

white bowl of creamy Cajun salmon pasta

How to make Cajun salmon pasta

  • Coat salmon in salt & pepper and flour;
  • Sear the salmon on both sides in a hot skillet for 2 minutes/side;
  • Take the fish out of the pan and set aside;
  • Add the Dijon mustard, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan, followed by the cream, Cajun seasoning, and lemon juice;
  • Add the salmon back into the pan and cook for a few more minutes. I also like to add some fresh basil (not necessary but very tasty).

Recipe tip: I bought one piece of fresh salmon that weighed around 1/2 a pound. Anything around there works, really. You can buy either skin-on or skin-off salmon. The skin is fine to eat, but some people don't like to. If you buy a piece with the skin on but don't want to eat it, I suggest peeling the skin off on the step where you've taken the salmon out of the pan... it should come off easily.

Love Cajun flavors? You may also like my Cajun shrimp pasta, homemade remoulade sauce, my Cajun sausage pasta, or my one pot Cajun chicken pasta.

close-up of cream Cajun salmon pasta in a bowl with a fork

Questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments below.

More salmon pasta recipes to try:

This creamy Cajun salmon pasta is full of flavor with a touch of spice! The perfect easy weeknight dinner that's good enough for guests.

Cajun Salmon Pasta

This Cajun salmon pasta recipe is fast and flavorful. Cajun spices, sun-dried tomatoes, cream, and garlic make this dish irresistible! 
4.77 from 17 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2
Calories 801 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 4 ounces uncooked pasta
  • 1/2 pound fresh salmon
  • Flour for dredging
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
  • Fresh basil, torn to taste (optional)
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste (optional)
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Boil a large, salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions. When the pasta is about 10 minutes away from being done, start the sauce.
  • Lightly season the salmon with salt & pepper and then coat it in flour.
  • Add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the salmon for 2 minutes/side. 
  • Take the fish out of the pan and set it aside. Reduce the stove's heat to medium.
  • Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and Dijon mustard to the pan. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. 
  • Add the cream, lemon juice, and Cajun seasoning to the pan. Stir until the sauce is smooth.
  • Add the salmon back into the pan and break it up using your spoon. Let it cook for a few more minutes until it's cooked through and the sauce has thickened up a bit. Add some fresh basil in the last minute or two of cooking if using. 
  • Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmesan if desired. 

Notes

  • I used sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and drained the oil before adding them to the pan.
  • You can stretch this to 4 people if you double the pasta and serve the dish with a side.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. 

Nutrition

Calories: 801kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 34gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 26gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 200mgSodium: 180mgPotassium: 990mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2440IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Cajun salmon pasta
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. Angela Fatigati says

    5 stars
    Hi Natasha! I first had this dish at a friends house and went nuts over it! I asked for the recipe and made it myself. It was just as amazing. I shared some with my mom who about lost her mind it was so delicious! (We both love salmon and pasta).
    Thank you for sharing this. I will be making it often, doubling it and sharing it with many people, I’m sure.

    Reply

    • Angela says

      I wanted to add that I increased the recipe to make 4 servings. I also used 2 Tbs of Cajun Seasoning, about 6 huge garlic gloves and doubled if not tripled the amount of lemon. Boy did this pack a flavorful punch! Amazing baseline recipe to build off of.

      Reply

  2. Perry says

    1 star
    The people giving this a 5 star rating should not have access to the internet. Very bland. I think the concept is actually pretty good, but it definitely needs more acid and spice (i.e crushed red pepper sautéed at with garlic step and/or more cajun). Everyone has different tastes, and I appreciate the published author took the time to post this, but it's not for me as written.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      You're definitely free to tweak the spices as you like, Perry. I'd say the people giving a 1-star review to a small business because something they made in their own kitchen isn't quite to their taste is the type of person who shouldn't have access to the internet.

      Reply

      • Dave says

        5 stars
        Couldn't agree with you more, Natasha! And I made this dish . . . best dish I've ever made with salmon! Thank you!

        Reply

        • Travis says

          5 stars
          This was my best dish of 2023 to date. I didn’t follow it to a tee, used 16oz of half and half, a full tub of parmesan, and asparagus instead of spinach. I also added roasted tomatoes instead of bell peppers. Overall I was very happy with the results. Thanks for sharing!!

          Reply

    • Natasha says

      You could try, but be aware the sauce could curdle/separate since it's lower fat (half and half is 50% milk and 50% cream), so be careful not to cook it over too high of a heat. Also, the sauce may end up a bit thinner.

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! Just added it for you. Please keep in mind (especially if you need the info for health reasons) that with most online recipes it's simply an estimate and actual ingredients can vary (and whether you accurately weight them out) makes a big difference.

      Reply

  6. Tamara says

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner tonight and it was gorgeous! The only thing I would suggest is chopping or cutting up the tomatoes and read the notes about draining them before cooking as I missed it at first. Thanks for sharing a lovely recipe 🙂

    Reply

  8. Ajuste Toussante says

    I have some fresh crab meat in the refrigerator that I need to get rid of, can I add some to this recipe?

    Reply

  11. Sharon Elsen says

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe. I am not usually one to follow a "recipe" so of course I tweaked it a bit but for the most part this was a great recipe on it's own. I used Wild Alaska Cod for the fish because it's what I had in the freezer. I put the cajun seasoning directly on the fish, and cooked it to be like a blackened fish. In addition to the sun dried tomatoes, I added chopped artichokes, excellent! Thanks for sharing the receipe.

    Reply

  12. Abigail Del Vecchio says

    5 stars
    Made this for my fiancé and we both loved it! I doubled the recipe and we ended up eating the whole thing in one sitting after going back for seconds. Fantastic recipe. Only thing I’d do next time is add more sun dried tomatoes!

    Reply

  13. Amara says

    Have you tried this with canned salmon? Would that work? [...] has me getting creative with non-perishable staples! I have boneless, skinless wild Alaskan sockeye.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I think you could give it a try. It won't taste quite the same, but I don't think it'll be bad either. (I edited your comment because bloggers are being told not to use buzzwords associated with current events because it may impact search engine rankings).

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Joan! You could definitely add in a spoonful or two. Just watch how much salt you add since it could be quite salty, and Cajun seasoning often contains some salt.

      Reply

  15. JIll Naylor says

    Please can you advise me?. I want to try the Cajun Salmon Pasta, can I use Sun Dried Tomato Paste instead of Sun Dried Tomatoes, or can you suggest an alternative please.

    Thanking you in advance of your reply

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Jill! You could leave them out if you wanted. They just add a bit of flavor and texture. I haven't ever used sun dried tomato paste, so I'm not entirely sure how concentrated it is or how much to use. You'd probably end up with a more tomato-y sauce if you used it (I imagine it's like tomato paste and pretty concentrated).

      Reply

      • Julian Lebray says

        Cooked it this evening and I have to say it was delicious. I didn’t think such a simple recipe could taste so good.
        My view without at all disparaging the chef is that I oven baked the salmon in tin foil tent after seasoning and a knob of butter.
        The only other thing I did was add chilli flakes for a kick. This recipe is a keeper, thank you so much. Julian

        Reply

  18. Melissa LeHardy says

    5 stars
    have made this a couple of times now and this dish is amazing. it seriously is restaurant quality, and it's easy to make. really excellent. thank you!!

    Reply

  19. Lorie Hoekstra says

    Looking forward to trying this tonight. We had creamy Cajun salmon pasta at a restaurant in Sedona last month and it was the best meal we had there. (Went back to have it again!) This looks very similar to what we had except it also had spinach in it which I am going to add.

    Reply

  21. Healthy Kitchen 101 says

    5 stars
    I just had a Crab pasta yesterday and now I want a Cajun Salmon Pasta!!! Looks super creamy and succulent 😍😍
    - Natalie

    Reply

    • Juno says

      5 stars
      Made this tonight using gluten free spinach pasta and it was a huge hit! My hubby doesn’t normally like pasta dishes but he loved the flavor. And was very easy to make, didn’t take much time at all.

      Reply

  24. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

    5 stars
    You make the best pasta dishes Natasha! I'll need to add this one to our weekly menu. It looks delish!

    Reply