• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Salt & Lavender logo
  • Recipes
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Fish & Seafood

    Cajun Salmon Pasta

    Published: Dec 20, 2018 / Updated: Sep 11, 2021 / 60 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

    Jump to Recipe

    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:

    • Easy Smoked Salmon Pasta
    • Garlic Butter Salmon Pasta
    • Lemon Dill Salmon Pasta
    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 Saved!
    Prep Time 7 mins
    Cook Time 13 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2
    Calories 801 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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
    « Christmas Puppy Chow Recipe
    Peppermint Chocolate Brownie Cookies »

    Loved this recipe? Share it:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Angela Fatigati says

      March 7, 2023 at 2:21 PM

      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

        March 7, 2023 at 6:22 PM

        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
      • Natasha says

        March 7, 2023 at 7:01 PM

        I'm thrilled to hear that!! 😀

        Reply
    2. Perry says

      June 26, 2022 at 5:04 PM

      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

        June 27, 2022 at 12:28 AM

        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

          July 5, 2022 at 6:33 PM

          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
          • Natasha says

            July 5, 2022 at 6:50 PM

            I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, Dave! 😀

            Reply
          • Travis says

            January 28, 2023 at 6:34 PM

            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

              January 28, 2023 at 9:42 PM

              Wonderful!!

    3. Holly says

      January 7, 2022 at 11:15 AM

      5 stars
      This was a huge hit with my family. I will be making this for years to come.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        January 7, 2022 at 11:23 AM

        That makes me so happy, Holly!

        Reply
    4. CINDY GORLEWSKI says

      October 29, 2021 at 2:22 PM

      My hubby won't eat heavy cream. Can we use half and half?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        October 29, 2021 at 3:26 PM

        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
    5. Gina Hoffman says

      September 10, 2021 at 12:01 PM

      Do you have nutrition information for this. Would appreciate it.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        September 11, 2021 at 8:14 AM

        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

      September 9, 2021 at 12:50 PM

      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
      • Natasha says

        September 9, 2021 at 2:39 PM

        So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Di says

      July 28, 2021 at 1:16 PM

      5 stars
      Made this! OMG! We loved it!! Thanks for sharing!!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        July 28, 2021 at 1:20 PM

        You're very welcome. 😀

        Reply
    8. Ajuste Toussante says

      March 30, 2021 at 7:43 AM

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

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        March 30, 2021 at 9:16 AM

        I don't see why not 🙂

        Reply
    9. Larry Stempler says

      January 17, 2021 at 9:22 AM

      5 stars
      Had last night and loved it.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        January 17, 2021 at 11:10 AM

        Fantastic! 🙂

        Reply
    10. Chad says

      October 20, 2020 at 7:25 PM

      5 stars
      Good recipe just added shirmp and crab omg t HG tanks for the recipe

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        October 20, 2020 at 9:13 PM

        You're welcome! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Sharon Elsen says

      September 27, 2020 at 8:45 AM

      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
      • Natasha says

        September 27, 2020 at 8:51 AM

        I can relate... I am always tweaking too haha. So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

        Reply
    12. Abigail Del Vecchio says

      July 11, 2020 at 9:17 PM

      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
      • Natasha says

        July 12, 2020 at 4:39 PM

        I'm so happy to hear that! 🙂

        Reply
    13. Amara says

      April 6, 2020 at 10:22 AM

      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

        April 6, 2020 at 10:48 AM

        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
    14. Joan says

      October 9, 2019 at 5:40 PM

      Hi sds delicious!
      I bought sundried tomato pesto that i may try with this dish! What do you think??

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        October 9, 2019 at 5:42 PM

        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

      September 11, 2019 at 12:27 AM

      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

        September 11, 2019 at 7:55 AM

        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
    16. Ray says

      July 21, 2019 at 4:43 PM

      Just made this!!!! Holy grail! Delicious 😊 thank you!!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        July 21, 2019 at 5:02 PM

        Yay! So glad you liked it, Ray!

        Reply
        • Julian Lebray says

          May 17, 2020 at 2:53 PM

          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
          • Natasha says

            May 18, 2020 at 10:15 AM

            I'm so happy that you enjoyed it, Julian!

            Reply
    17. Tina M says

      April 19, 2019 at 8:39 PM

      5 stars
      So flavorful and fast. Thank you 😊

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 19, 2019 at 11:06 PM

        So glad you liked it, Tina! Thanks for leaving me a comment. 😀

        Reply
    18. Melissa LeHardy says

      February 13, 2019 at 9:47 AM

      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
      • Natasha says

        February 17, 2019 at 4:02 PM

        I am so pleased you like it, Melissa!!

        Reply
    19. Lorie Hoekstra says

      February 8, 2019 at 10:13 AM

      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
      • Natasha says

        February 9, 2019 at 8:28 PM

        Hope you liked it ❤️

        Reply
    20. nicole (thespicetrain.com) says

      December 26, 2018 at 6:08 PM

      Mouthwatering!!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        December 27, 2018 at 12:52 PM

        Thanks, Nicole! 🙂

        Reply
        • Sruthi says

          February 14, 2020 at 4:46 AM

          5 stars
          I made this twice already and it tastes phenomenal! So flavourful and takes only 20-30 mins max.
          Thank you for this recipe!

          Reply
          • Natasha says

            February 14, 2020 at 9:15 AM

            You're very welcome!! So glad you like it 🙂

            Reply
    21. Healthy Kitchen 101 says

      December 26, 2018 at 1:28 AM

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

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        December 26, 2018 at 10:30 AM

        Thanks so much! Hope you like it! 🙂

        Reply
    22. Karly says

      December 24, 2018 at 9:20 AM

      Looks amazing!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        December 25, 2018 at 2:27 PM

        Thanks!!

        Reply
    23. Leigh Ann says

      December 21, 2018 at 10:01 AM

      Looks incredible!!

      Reply
      • Juno says

        December 24, 2018 at 6:33 PM

        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
        • Natasha says

          December 25, 2018 at 2:26 PM

          I'm so happy to hear this, Juno! Happy holidays!

          Reply
    24. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

      December 20, 2018 at 9:30 PM

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

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        December 21, 2018 at 8:30 AM

        Awww thank you!! Merry Christmas, Mary Ann! 🙂

        Reply
    25. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says

      December 20, 2018 at 1:40 PM

      I SO need this cajun salmon pasta!!!!!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        December 21, 2018 at 8:31 AM

        I'll send a bowl over! 😉 Thanks, Alice!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Natasha Bull, founder and author of Salt & Lavender, in the kitchen

    Hi! I'm Natasha. Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!  Read more...

    FREE 10 Easy Chicken Recipes E-book

    ​

      ​

      BROWSE RECIPES:

      Footer

      • Contact
      • FAQ
      • Site Policies
      • For Bloggers
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter

      · Copyright © 2023 Salt & Lavender Inc ·