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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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I’ve tried this recipe and we loved it. I want to make it again and could I substitute the salmon for shrimp?
So happy you enjoyed it Athena. Sure! That would be delicious. Just take care to not overcook them.
Delicious! I’m not used to making fish and wanted to try it. This recipe looked approachable. I made it as instructed and it was delicious! My kiddos (7, 5, and 3) all loved it as well!
That’s awesome!
This is one of those dishes that gets better and better as one progresses in eating it. There are not too many such dishes!
Aww thanks so much, Robert! I’m thrilled to hear it!
Really good! I didn’t have enough asparagus so I added some frozen peas. Will make this again!
So good to hear it’s a new favorite, Gerri! Thanks for your review.
Amazing ! So good and so easy to make , thank you for sharing this 🤗😋🤩🤩🤩🤩
Thanks, Cassandra!! 😀
Delicious a family favorite.
Thanks, Heather! 😀
This is seriously so good. Easy to make and cooks up quickly. I made it with spinach because that’s what I had on hand, adding it into the sauce when the salmon goes back in. Turned out so good I made it again the same week!
Thank you so much, Sarah!! 😀 Glad to hear it!
Oh.My.Gosh. So good! Even my teenager liked it and got seconds lol. Thank you for the recipe!
Love that! You’re very welcome, Jordan!
Outstanding recipe! The taste is so delicate, I can’t even count how many times I have made it and everyone loves it. Also, soooo simple to make! Thank you!
You are very welcome!! I’m thrilled it’s a favorite, Shelly!!
Wow! I didnt read the recipe properly by adding only lemon zest and it turned out perfect. And i also used smoked salmon. My son said in his own words “i dont know what im eating but its amazing” haha. Definantly a new family favourite.
Well I’m glad it worked out hehehe.