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This 20-minute garlic butter salmon pasta recipe is super easy to make and uses only a handful of ingredients. It’s perfect for dinner on a busy weeknight!
Try my Garlic Butter Chicken Bites or Easy Canned Tuna Pasta next.
Why you’ll love it
Butter, garlic, a little chicken broth, and lemon juice are really all you need to make a fabulous sauce for this easy salmon pasta recipe. It’s basic yet bright, and each bite has perfectly flaky pan seared salmon that’s tossed in that buttery, velvety sauce!
Regular readers know I’m a big fan of salmon, and it doesn’t need a whole lot of dressing up to shine in this easy salmon pasta. There’s lots of savory flavor, and I bet you have most of the ingredients in stock in your kitchen on the regular for this quick and simple meal.
What you’ll need
- Pasta – use your preferred shape. I like penne or spaghetti!
- Salmon – you can buy either skin-on or skin-off fresh salmon
- Flour – for dredging and getting an irresistible crust on the fish
- Olive oil and butter – for pan frying and the base of the sauce
- Chicken broth – another layer of flavor
- Lemon juice – a pop of freshness and acidity for balance
- Garlic – savory goodness
Pro tip
Salmon 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 in the step when you’ve taken the salmon out of the pan — it should peel off easily.
How to make garlic butter salmon pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cook the pasta until al dente. Season the salmon with salt & pepper, then dredge in the flour. Heat up the oil and butter in a skillet, then add in the salmon. Cook it for a couple of minutes on both sides, then transfer it to a plate. Add in the broth, garlic, and lemon.
Reduce the heat, and let it simmer for a bit. Return the salmon, and break it apart with a spoon. Let it cook through. Toss with the drained pasta. Garnish with the optional toppings of fresh parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, parmesan, etc. if desired.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Two great cast iron skillet options are my Le Creuset and this budget-friendly Lodge one.
- I love my garlic press! No sticky garlic fingers here.
- This is my butter dish. It has convenient measurement markings right on it.
Substitutions and variations
- 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.
- Throw in some additional herbs from the garden for extra fresh flavor.
- I highly recommend reading through the comments section below to see readers’ creative twists for inspiration — there’s some good stuff there!
Leftovers and storage
- I’m one to eat seafood sooner rather than later, but this pasta will keep in the fridge for a couple of days in a tightly covered container.
- Warm it up on the stove in a saucepan over a low heat, adding a bit of broth/lemon juice for moisture if needed.
- Freezing leftover salmon pasta isn’t recommended because the texture of the fish is liable to change.
If you made this simple salmon pasta recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! I’d love to see your photos on Instagram as well.
Garlic Butter Salmon Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 ounces uncooked pasta
- 1/2 pound fresh salmon
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or veg broth
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- Optional garnish: fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on May 8, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
I made this recipe this morning. It was quick, easy and delicious.
Fantastic!! 😀 Thanks for your review, Charmaine!
We loved it! I doubled the recipe, added mushrooms, onions & spinich. It was fantabulas!!! 😋
Excellent! Love those additions, Wendy!
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!
You’re welcome, Julie! We’re thrilled it worked with tilapia as well 🙂
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
So pleased you enjoyed it!!
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
Fantastic! Glad you and your husband enjoyed it, Leeda 🙂
Can you replace the chicken broth for something vegetarian?
Sure!
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.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it, Mary! 🙂 You’re welcome!
Quick to do and absolutely delicious.
Thank you!! So glad you liked it, Pat!
Thanks I enjoyed the dish and it was quite easy to make.
Fantastic!! 🙂
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 !
Wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Emily! 🙂