This salmon and asparagus pasta is simple to make, and you will love the lemony garlic cream sauce. Ready in about 30 minutes!
This is a creamy pasta, but it's not too heavy. The sauce isn't too thick, and the lemon and asparagus really brighten it up. This is the perfect meal for warmer weather. Enjoy it with a glass of chardonnay!
This recipe is pretty straightforward to make. You cook the salmon for a few minutes on either side until it's got a nice sear (more flavor), and then take it out of the pan, cook the asparagus, and make the sauce. Add the salmon back in, break it up with your spoon, and let it finish cooking through. Toss it with your favorite pasta (I used spaghetti but whatever you've got on hand will work just fine) and voila!
If you love salmon and pasta, try my Salmon Pesto Pasta or this Creamy Lemon and Fresh Tomato Salmon Pasta.
Recipe notes & tips:
- If the salmon is sticking to the pan while you're searing it when you go to flip it or take it out of the pan, cook it for a little longer until it naturally releases.
- 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'll slide right off.
- I use my handy Microplane zester/grater to easily zest the lemon.
- I always keep a wedge of parmesan cheese in my fridge. It's easy to grate it as needed (it also melts better when you grate your own) and just tastes so much better and fresher than the pre-grated stuff.
- Asparagus cooking time can vary depending on its thickness, so keep that in mind and adjust accordingly.
- I don't recommend subbing the cream for milk or half-and-half - there's a good chance the citrus will curdle the sauce.
Other asparagus recipes to try:
- Creamy Lemon Asparagus Pasta
- Easy Cheesy Asparagus
- Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta
- Easy Asparagus Recipe (Pan Method)
Questions about this lemon garlic salmon asparagus pasta? Ask me in the comments below. As always, tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you've made one of my recipes so I can see it! 🙂
Creamy Salmon and Asparagus Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 1 bunch asparagus ends trimmed
- 1 pound fresh salmon
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice + zest from 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water for your pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, trim your asparagus (I cut about 1.5" of the ends off while the asparagus is still tied up in a bunch to make it easy). Cut it into smaller pieces. Prep your other ingredients and sprinkle the salmon with salt & pepper and the Italian seasoning.
- Add the butter and oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the salmon for 3 minutes/side and then take it out of the pan and set it aside.
- Add the asparagus to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes (3 minutes if it's on the thicker side or you like it softer).
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the lemon juice + zest, cream, and parmesan to the pan. Give it a good stir then add the salmon back. Break it up into smaller pieces with your spoon. Cook the sauce for another few minutes until the salmon is fully cooked through, the asparagus is tender, and the sauce has reduced a bit. The sauce is not meant to be very thick in this recipe. Toss the sauce with the drained pasta and serve immediately.
Notes
- I used a small to average bunch of asparagus (around 1 pound) that had standard thickness asparagus (not the super thin or super thick ones you sometimes see). If you asparagus is thinner or thicker, you may want to adjust cooking time.
- 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.
Allison June Harris says
This came together quickly and was very tasty. My 8 year old son said it was the "2nd best meal" he ever had. The store didn't have any heavy cream so they sent a plant based heavy whip alternative and that worked perfectly - no one noticed the difference. We will definitely be making this one again!
Natasha says
Haha I love that!!
Simone says
Very nice, but next time I’ll add a bit more lemonjuice
Natasha says
Glad you liked it!
Meisha says
I really wanted to recreate the taste of Nordstrom had going on in their salmon asparagus pasta and this was spot on! Taste like I remember when I would splurge for lunch sometimes when I worked there. Thank you! So yummy!!
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that!! I had no idea they made it, so that's awesome you were able to recreate it at home using my recipe haha. I'm going to have to try their version one day as I love shopping there but have never tried their cafe!
DAYSI ALDANA says
I added twice as much lime juice. Added sliced mushrooms and cream cheese. It was absolutely delish!!!
Natasha says
Yay!! Glad you liked it!
Daniel says
This was a very easy to make and great tasting dish. I followed the directions to a "T" other than adding more minced garlic and reserving some of the water from the pasta to stir into the sauce. The asparagus still had a little snap to them (not too soft or soggy) and the salmon was complemented rather than over powered. Will definitely make again.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you liked it!! 🙂
Petrone Carroll says
I don’t add garlic, but chopped spring onions, also a glass of white wine, instead of heavy cream, I use either crème frais or Greek yogurt
Natasha says
Delish!
Adrian (Victoria, BC, Canada) says
Crazy delicious and awesome recipe! My wife and 9-year-old daughter gobbled this up without hesitation. Followed the recipe exactly (with the addition of 1 cup fresh spinach near end of cooking process until slightly wilted) and then additional freshly grated parmesan atop each serving. (Hey, we like our parmesan!) For our choice of pasta we went with penne, which nicely captures a bit of the sauce on the inside. Five-star recipe indeed and definitely a keeper.
Natasha says
That's awesome! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for your review, Adrian! 🙂
Brigid says
Perfect followed recipe exactly so tasty
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Thanks for your review, Brigid!
Amanda G. says
This was so delicious. The sauce tastes perfectly creamy yet is light enough to feel like a fresh spring/summer pasta! I added onion as well just because I love it and add it to nearly everything 😄
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Amanda!! 🙂
Pat says
This was delicious, followed instructions exactly.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Thanks for your review!
Ann says
This was delicious! The lemon and fresh parmesan made it taste so light and fresh. I used konjac linguine to make the recipe keto. Thanks for a great recipe!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you liked it!
Elizabeth says
I made this tonight for dinner. It was a delightful combination of flavors. Thank you for a delicious meal that was simple & quick to make mid-week.
Natasha says
You're welcome!! I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, Elizabeth. Thanks for your review!
Ki says
Just tried this. Was wonderful with a glass of red wine (maybe I should have done white, but I am happy). Thank you!
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it!! It's all good. 😀
Nabeela Malik says
Thank you, I did end up thawing it!
Natasha says
You're welcome!
Nebz says
I’m looking forward to trying this! I have frozen salmon so when I put that in the pan do I put any seasoning on it or just cook the salmon and all the seasoning will come later when putting the other ingredients in?
Natasha says
Hi! I would thaw the salmon first.
Norman Scott Trimble says
what about substituting sour cream in for whipping cream?
Natasha says
You can try. There's a chance it'll curdle, so just make sure the pan isn't super hot.
Diana - Cue.Ecuador says
Delicious! I did the pasta process because I had already devised the baked salmon with sesame seeds before, but the cream, lemon and garlic, excellent combination! thanks.
Natasha says
So glad you liked it!
Kyle Alexander says
OMG I just made this,& it is divine, very simple but fantastic I also went over board with seasoning because I love an abundance of flavors .
Natasha says
I am so happy you enjoyed it!! Lol I tend to go overboard on salt myself... it's all good! 😉
Tracy says
I made grilled salmon and asparagus last night. This is perfect dinner for the left overs! Can’t wait to enjoy with a glass of wine 🙂
Natasha says
Ooh yes!! That sounds good to me! 🙂
Barbara says
I made this last night and it was so good and perfect for a very warm summer night. We were getting tired of the bbq and it was just perfect.
Natasha says
I am so happy to hear that, Barbara!! Thanks for leaving me a comment. 🙂
Julia Barker says
I am lactose intolerant. Could I use a lactose free half & half instead of the heavy whipping cream, and skip the parmesan cheese? Or do you think that would defeat the point? Thanks!
Natasha says
Hi! Hmmm.. this isn't a super thick sauce, so you could give it a try if you've used lactose free half-and-half before. I wouldn't suggest it for most of my recipes, but with this one it may work. I also heard that Silk makes a dairy-free whipping cream... I wonder if that would work?