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Garlic Butter Salmon Pasta

Published: / Updated: / 102 Comments

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This garlic butter salmon pasta is quick, easy, and uses only a handful of ingredients. Perfect for dinner on a busy weeknight!

Garlic butter salmon pasta in a white bowl

I've made this pasta a couple of times now, and I love how fast it comes together. If you're looking for a simple sauce for salmon, butter and garlic make a fabulous combo. I will always stand by that. 😛 Add in the pasta and you've got yourself one tasty meal.

The sauce is easily made while the pasta is cooking. I suggest waiting until the water's boiling before starting the sauce because it doesn't take much time at all.

If you're looking for another super quick weeknight pasta, try my popular tuna garlic pasta.

Garlic butter salmon penne bowls

The chicken broth reduces a lot and adds a delicious savory flavor to this dish. This isn't really a super "saucy" pasta per se, but it's perfectly buttery, and the lemon juice adds a bit of freshness. The olive oil stops the butter from burning while you're searing the salmon.

A couple notes on the salmon:

  • I used a piece of fresh sockeye salmon that weighed around half a pound. Anything around that quantity will work. You can buy either skin-on or skin-off salmon. The skin is fine to eat, but some people don’t like it. 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 peel off easily.
  • You could use leftover salmon (like from grilling or if you happen to have cooked salmon on hand), but I suggest cooking it for even less time. Just let it warm through.

Salmon and pasta in a bowl

You can use any kind of pasta in this recipe. I've made it with penne and spaghetti, and it's good either way. 

More salmon pasta recipes to try:

Easy salmon pasta in a bowl

I hope you'll give this easy salmon recipe a try!

Questions? Let me know in the comments below.

Garlic butter salmon pasta in a white bowl

Garlic Butter Salmon Pasta

This garlic butter salmon pasta is quick, easy, and uses only a handful of ingredients. Perfect for dinner on a busy weeknight!
4.84 from 31 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2
Calories 559 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1/2 pound fresh salmon
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Flour for dredging
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • Optional garnish: fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese
  • 4 ounces uncooked pasta

Instructions
 

  • Boil a salted pot of water for your pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions. I suggest starting the sauce once the water's boiling.
  • Sprinkle the salmon with salt & pepper and coat it in the flour.
  • Add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the salmon and cook it for 2 minutes/side, then take the fish out of the pan and set it aside (if you bought salmon with skin and don't want to eat it, you can easily peel the skin off at this point if you wish).
  • Add the chicken broth, garlic, and lemon juice to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for about a minute.
  • Add the salmon back into the pan and break it up with your spoon into bite-size pieces. Cook it for a few more minutes until it's cooked through and the sauce has reduced a fair bit.
  • Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet (you can add a little pasta water if you wish). Toss it & serve immediately with parsley, red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

  • 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: 559kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 31gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 369mgPotassium: 747mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 395IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 2mg
Keyword garlic butter salmon pasta
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. Keith says

    5 stars
    This was simple and outstanding. One of the secrets is to use a reasonably thick portion of salmon and do NOT overcook it. TOO may restaurants do that, where it's a hard flake with that white stuff around the edges. Give it a good crust but the inside should be tender. Even if it is not yet ready, the final cooking will get it to the perfect point.

    I finished this off with some super high quality EVOO. A nice finish to an excellent dish!

    Reply

  2. Zandy says

    5 stars
    This was a big hit tonight! I added peas for some vegetables. Everyone liked it and it was really quick. We're a bit lactose intolerant, so it was nice to find a salmon pasta recipe without the heavy cream.

    Reply

  3. Abs says

    Hey! So keen to try! Looks gorgeous! Might swop out some of the dairy and gluten options! But looks divine.

    Just wondering can I freeze this meal?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I hope you enjoy it, Abs! In general, I don't like freezing cooked fish as it can really dry out once you've thawed it. I also am not sure you'd be left with much sauce since it's just a buttery sauce.

      Reply

  4. Karla says

    5 stars
    I have to say that I’ve never left a review on a recipe before but wow this one truly deserves it. I didn’t have a lot of faith in it at first because usually this type of sauce tends to leave you with a dry pasta but it’s definitely not the case with this one. My whole family absolutely loved it (even my 19-month old!). I followed the recipe as best as I could. I only added baby spinach at the end right before adding the cooked pasta. I topped it with Parmesan - and omg, just delicious, light, and healthy!! Loved it. Will probably make every other week.

    Also thank you for the website’s feature that lets you add more servings and the recipe automatically alters the ingredients quantity.

    Reply

  5. Brenda says

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe! I had linguine, so I used that. I may add a few capers next time. I squeezed a half a lemon into the sauce which worked out wonderfully!

    Reply

  6. Susanne Romo says

    5 stars
    This was divine! I added dried dill
    To it with the Parmesan cheese. It’s going into the dinner rotation! So simple but flavorful

    Reply

  10. Felicity says

    5 stars
    I'll admit, I questioned this recipe all the way through, but wow, was I wrong to do that! It was so freakin' tasty. I added onions and mushrooms to it and also cooked up some shrimp with the salmon. And I only used oil to cook the shrimp and salmon and reserved the butter to mix in with the chicken broth. Lastly, I omitted the flour just 'cause I didn't have any on-hand. Will definitely be making this again.

    Reply

  13. Julie says

    5 stars
    I’ve made this many times without any changes and it’s absolutely delicious! Last night I didn’t have any salmon, but I did have tilapia, so I used that instead, and it was still absolutely delicious!! Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

  14. Josslyen Zimmer says

    4 stars
    I added more lemon juice as I like the tang and I added mixed veggies for more food groups but I loved it and it was so fast so easy and no mess to cook, also perfect for someone who lives alone or in my case is making a meal for me, and a different meal for the family

    Reply

  15. Leeda says

    5 stars
    I just made this dish for my husband and me. Quick easy and delicious. I did add a few extras: mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and spinach. Yum! We are both full and happy! Thanks

    Reply

  17. Mary Jacobs says

    5 stars
    This recipe is delicious! I served it with homemade pasta. I used a little more garlic and fresh basil- because I didn't have parsley. I will make this again sometime! My husband loved it too. Thanks for tips about starting the sauce and fish after the pasta sauce is boiling.

    Reply

  20. Emily Thompson says

    5 stars
    Made this from an ingredient search- penne and salmon- and it was terrific ! I used frozen salmon ( cooked from frozen so 4 minutes each side) but other than that followed the recipe (doubled) to a t and it was lovely !

    Reply

  21. Vicki Oedy says

    I tried this recipe for my first time today. I didn't change anything and it is delicious. Your suggestion to not start the sauce until the water boils is very helpful. I especially like that I had all of the ingredients which are in most kitchens. Highly recommend .

    Reply

  22. Amy says

    5 stars
    This recipe is a refreshing and yummy change to the typical cream sauce recipes-delightful! We used up some salmon that was less than perfect (i.e. dark, fishy-tasting bloodlines). The flavor of the sauce nicely covered and complemented our fish. My husband loves it, too, and we can't wait to have it again with some better quality salmon. (I followed the recipe exactly.)

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!! 🙂 That's great... I hope you enjoy it with a better piece of fish next time. 🙂

      Reply

  23. Jackie Bell says

    Loved this! I have issues with milk but the Parmesan was just enough. Skipped the read crumbs and used olive oil instead of butter cause I was starving! It was delicious! Thank you for sharing ❤️
    Jackie

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! It's not ideal to be reheated (salmon can dry out and the sauce may reduce too much), but if you do try, I'd do it slowly on a low heat.

      Reply

  26. Jo C says

    5 stars
    Loved this tonight! The butter/oil after cooking the salmon was a little brown so I cooked/melted some fresh butter and oil (around half) in another pan before adding the rest of the sauce ingredients. I liked keeping the salmon separate as didn't want to overcook it and it gave me a chance to cook the sauce down a bit. Stirred through a little black pepper and pecorino cheese before serving. Can't believe there's no cream in it. Tasted far nicer than our usual creamy salmon pasta recipe!

    Delicious! Thanks!

    Reply

  27. Nda says

    I made this using Alaskan salmon fillet and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Awesome to the chicken broth because I am celebrating lent and cannot eat any type of meat. But God damn is the best recipe I've had in a long time. And normally I hate it with a passion, but because it's meant I had to eat some sort of protein and this recipe did not disappoint. Folks definitely try this out for yourself. And I still used day old cooked penne pasta. I can only imagine how much better it would taste with fresh pasta. And definitely add the pepper flakes because it gives it a bit of a spicy zest.

    Reply

  30. John Cullen says

    Just made it, added piccolo tomatoes to pan when I seared the salmon, it was delicious.
    Best salmon and pasta recipe I've had in a while and the beauty is in its simplicity.

    Reply

  31. Simon Welch says

    5 stars
    Really lovely! Not sure what chicken broth really is (presumably more of an Americanism?) so substituted with vegetable bouillon. Finished with roasted courgettes and added chilli flakes/Italian herbs, really delicious meal, thank you.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I've never cooked with that ingredient before, but you could definitely give it a try! Or skip it for the dredging but add a bit to the sauce if it's got strong thickening power like cornstarch.

      Reply

  33. Erin Fourier says

    Have you ever used smoked salmon in this recipe? My husband smoked some last night and I thought I'd put it in a pasta dish. I found yours and I have everything but not sure if the smoke flavor would go with it or not.
    Thanks

    Reply

  35. Rose Carrasquillo says

    5 stars
    My husband and I liked this recipe. It was fast and easy. I tweaked it a little by adding some Italian herbs.
    I was really tired from working all day. It was awesome to make a home cooked meals in under 30 minutes.
    Thank you

    Reply

  36. @dianyfm says

    5 stars
    Adoro sus recetas, esta es mi segunda con salmón y fue otro éxito! Deliciosa y fácil de seguir.
    Muchas gracias, saludos desde Cuenca, Ecuador.
    /
    I adore your recipes, this is my second with salmon and it was another success! Delicious and easy to follow.
    Thank you very much, greetings from Cuenca, Ecuador.

    Reply

  37. Mark S says

    3 stars
    Decent, but the butter in the sauce started to burn after a few minutes of medium-high heat. I suggest reducing heat to medium.

    I don't understand why removing the salmon is necessary in the end of step 3, as the salmon is returned to the pain immediately in step 5 after the broth, lemon juice, and garlic are added to the pan. Perhaps there's missing guidance like, "Wait for the sauce to summer, then return the salmon to the pan."

    I can see making this as a quick evening meal with leftover salmon bits or canned salmon, but dividing up a salmon fillet seems like a waste of money.

    Sorry, just not my cup of tea.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hmmm sorry it didn't work out, and good point about step 3. I am going to give it some thought and see about updating the wording.

      Reply

  38. Jess says

    5 stars
    Made this last night to use the up the last of the salmon I had. It was amazing and I didn’t know how well salmon and pasta go together. Thanks for introducing me to this recipe!

    Reply

  40. Cynthia says

    5 stars
    Added the red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese as suggested. I also added fresh broccoli, which melded with the flavors wonderfully.

    Reply

  41. Renee from Miami says

    Hi - just made this - YUMMY !!!
    I subbed Panko bread cumbs and lime juice (it's all I had) and I added 4 scallions...

    perfect.

    thank you

    Reply

  43. JJ says

    5 stars
    Fabulous! I stumbled upon this today and had everything in the house. I added a little Lawny's salt to my personal taste. The parmesan and fresh parsley really sets it off. I added a crack of Himalayan salt to finish. Mmmmmm.

    Reply

  46. Nan says

    5 stars
    It was excellent and so easy. Using red peppe flakes and good parmesan cheese with fresh pepper made it very flavorful

    Reply

    • Jennifer Ann says

      Wondering if I could grill or used leftover grilled salmon in this recipe and how the process for the sauce changes!

      Reply

      • Natasha says

        I would cook the salmon as little as possible, basically, since it's already cooked. Just add it in towards the end. Let me know!

        Reply