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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!
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.
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.
Questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments below.
More salmon pasta recipes to try:
Cajun Salmon Pasta
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Just made this!!!! Holy grail! Delicious 😊 thank you!!
Yay! So glad you liked it, Ray!
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
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Julian!
So flavorful and fast. Thank you 😊
So glad you liked it, Tina! Thanks for leaving me a comment. 😀
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!!
I am so pleased you like it, Melissa!!
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.
Hope you liked it ❤️
Mouthwatering!!
Thanks, Nicole! 🙂
I made this twice already and it tastes phenomenal! So flavourful and takes only 20-30 mins max.
Thank you for this recipe!
You’re very welcome!! So glad you like it 🙂
I just had a Crab pasta yesterday and now I want a Cajun Salmon Pasta!!! Looks super creamy and succulent 😍😍
– Natalie
Thanks so much! Hope you like it! 🙂
Looks amazing!
Thanks!!
Looks incredible!!
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.
I’m so happy to hear this, Juno! Happy holidays!
You make the best pasta dishes Natasha! I’ll need to add this one to our weekly menu. It looks delish!
Awww thank you!! Merry Christmas, Mary Ann! 🙂
I SO need this cajun salmon pasta!!!!!
I’ll send a bowl over! 😉 Thanks, Alice!