This 30-minute salmon pasta with a creamy garlic sauce is quick and makes an easy and impressive meal! It has restaurant flair that you can duplicate in your own kitchen.
You could also try this Creamy Garlic Salmon or Boursin Salmon next.
Why you'll love it
This is one of those dishes that tastes like a lot of effort was put in, but it's actually simple enough to make without a lot of fuss when you're starving after a long day at work. Quickly pan searing salmon makes it extra tasty! And the best part is that you can finish off the bottle of wine while you're cooking this. Just kidding. Sort of.
You'll savor every single bite of this irresistible restaurant-quality salmon pasta. The delicious creamy sauce is loaded with garlic, and this easy pasta is going to be your new favorite date night meal.
What you'll need
- Pasta - You can use any kind of pasta for this dish. I'd recommend a longer one like fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti, but any kind you have in your pantry will work.
- Salmon - I prefer skinless, but if you can't find it, you can easily remove it during the cooking process
- Onion powder - to infuse more flavor directly onto the fish
- Olive oil and butter - for pan searing
- Flour - to thicken the sauce
- Garlic - we're generous, but add more if you're a garlic afficionado
- White wine - for an elegant touch. Use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.
- Heavy cream - for a touch of richness
- Lemon juice - it brightens up the sauce and is a signature pairing with salmon
- Parmesan - grating your own parmesan cheese is key for texture of the sauce since it melts better than the bagged kind
- Parsley - a pop of freshness
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha's favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Mince the garlic with one squeeze of a garlic press. You don't even have to peel the cloves first.
- Parmesan is so much better when grated from a block with a zester like this Microplane.
- I like to toss the pasta easily with a pair of cooking tongs.
- A simple wire whisk is useful for making the quick roux.
- Store uncooked pasta in an airtight spaghetti keeper.
How to make creamy salmon pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
While the pasta is boiling, pan sear the seasoned salmon in olive oil and butter. Transfer the salmon to a plate. Add flour to the skillet to make a quick roux, followed by the garlic and white wine. Whisk in the cream and lemon juice.
Stir in the parmesan, and then add the salmon back to the skillet, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet along with the fresh parsley. Enjoy immediately!
Pro tips
- The sauce is fairly lemony, so if you're on the fence about how much to add, halve the amount of lemon. You can then always squeeze more in when you've given it a taste if you think it needs more. I love the stuff, so I usually add even more than I suggest in recipes when I'm cooking for myself, but it's totally up to you.
- This pasta serves 2-4 people, but you can make it with less pasta to make it even richer for two people. Or up the salmon to 3/4 pounds.
- You can easily double (or triple) this recipe for when you have guests over!
Substitutions and variations
- I don't recommend substituting the heavy cream for anything else. The sauce may break because of the acidity from the lemon juice.
- If you're unable to use the wine, simply swap it out for chicken broth and a touch of Dijon mustard.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers of this salmon pasta will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. However, it's best eaten right away.
- Reheat on your stove over low heat slowly so the sauce doesn't separate, and you can add a splash of cream if necessary.
- Recipes with cream generally don't freeze well, so I don't recommend doing that.
If you made this lemon salmon pasta with a creamy garlic sauce, leave a star rating and review. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!
Salmon Pasta with a Creamy Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti or other pasta uncooked
- 1/2 pound fresh salmon see note
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Juice from 1/2 medium lemon (about 1 tbsp)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Boil a large salted pot of water for your pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, season the salmon with the onion powder and some salt & pepper.
- Add the olive oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, cook the salmon for a couple of minutes on each side. Transfer the salmon to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the flour to the skillet and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring nearly constantly.
- Whisk in the garlic and wine (let it bubble for 20 seconds or so), followed by the cream and lemon juice.
- Once the sauce is smooth, whisk in the parmesan.
- Add the salmon back in the pan and break it up with your spoon so it's in bite-size pieces. Gently mix it in with the sauce. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or so until the sauce is thickened and salmon is cooked through.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet, along with about 1 tablespoon of the water you cooked the pasta in (or more if you want to thin the sauce) as well as the parsley. Gently toss the sauce and pasta. Serve immediately with extra parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- If you can't buy skinless salmon, you can easily peel off the salmon skin just before you add the salmon back into the pan (step 4). Or keep it on if you don't mind it.
- The sauce is fairly lemony, so if you're not into that, halve the amount of lemon, then add more in once you've tasted it if it's not lemony enough for you.
- Serves 2-4. If you want a really decadent meal for two people, make less pasta (then each person gets more sauce and salmon). For 4 people, I recommend serving this with a side salad or some garlic bread and/or increase the salmon to 3/4 pounds or so.
- 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
This recipe was originally published on June 13, 2016. It's been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
David L Pipkins says
great combination of flavors and textures. I added Shitake mushrooms and cooked the along with the salmon. Next time I will double the sauce, it was good as is but for left overs I think it would be nice to have.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you liked it, David! Thanks for your review.
karinlynchmeyer says
Loved this recipe and will make it again often! Delicious! Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 🙂
Evan says
This was really amazing. I added a bit more to it - oysters, cherry tomatoes and spinach when I added the fish back in.
Natasha says
Thank you so much!
Nur says
Thank you for this amazing recipes..🥰♥️
Natasha says
You're very welcome!
Jenny S says
Love love love this delicious dish!! Thank you for a quick meal!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
You're very welcome! So happy it was a hit, Jenny.
Fahrenn says
Yum, made it this evening. Just finished so immediately came back to make sure to save this recipe. Really really good. Now to look into other recipes you’ve shared. Found this randomly in my Google search for Salmon pasta. Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 😀
Jane says
Flavor was amazing!!! Will definitely make again.
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear!! 🙂
Fran Marofsky says
Made this tonight ~ So easy! So Delicious! Your recipes are always the absolute BEST! Thank you!!!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! Thank you so much!! 😀
K says
Can I sub Pecorino Romano for the Parmesan? I have leftover in my fridge.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Should be fine 🙂
Karen M Pollard says
I made homemade fettuccine pasta. I also added prawns and scallops. Also fresh dill from the garden. Tomatoe & basil pesto bruschetta before. Strawberry and white chocolate Pannacotta in brandy snap baskets for dessert. The fettuccine was the star. Thankyou for the recipe.
Natasha says
Now that sounds amazing!! Glad you liked this recipe and love the prawns and scallops addition! 🙂
Lynne Flanagan says
When I added the garlic, it made the roux lumpy. It would be better to sauté it first. I made it with increased flour and 2 % milk. We loved it. A great way to use up left over salmon.
Natasha says
Glad you liked it! I didn't have that issue myself... I do that all the time and I use a garlic press so it basically makes it a paste.
Josephine says
Followed this recipe exactly as it came and it is perfect. The whole family loved it including the little ones. I will be adding it to my recipe book. Wish I could post a picture of how delicious it looks!
Natasha says
Yay!! That's so nice to hear!! 😀
Eric Gibbons says
Absolutely a keeper, I used finely chopped shallots and added a spoonful of capers with fusiilli pasta, it was delicious
Natasha says
Thank you so much!
Janna Doherty says
Great recipe, both of my kids love it! Easy and flavorful
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Awesome to hear, Janna! Glad the kiddos like it too!
Sonia says
Hi. We had this the other day and it did taste lovely however my sauce was quick thick and I'm wondering if it would have helped if I added half a cup of stock along with the cream? What do you think xx
Natasha says
Hi Sonia! Yes, that would certainly thin the sauce. I would say that could be a bit too much liquid, but if you're someone who prefers a much thinner sauce, you could definitely give it a try. Or perhaps cook it a little less/on a slightly lower heat if possible. Glad you liked the recipe!
April says
Great recipe. I ended up adding some butter to the drained pasta and just serving the salmon/sauce over top.
I added dill to the sauce, and used shallots instead of onion powder. I also used half & half since that's what I had on hand. Delicious! Will definitely make again.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Awesome to hear, April! Love the dill addition.
august says
so yummy! we had some extra salmon that no one was eating and this was a perfect way to spice it up! so simple and elegant, will definitely be making again!
Natasha says
Wonderful! 🙂 Glad it worked out!
Teresa V says
This recipe is AMAZING! So delicious, quick and easy! Will definitely make again.
Natasha says
So happy you enjoyed it, Teresa! 😀
Peter Elsaesser says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! This was the first time I used white wine in a dish, and also first time I pan seared salmon, I impressed myself. The meal is so tasty, I used extra parmezan and extra cream and wine and wish I had used more garlic as 3 cloves wasn't quite enough as I could barely taste it. Overall I would say 10/10 for an exceptionally tasty and easy meal to prepare (even though it took me 2 hours to make!). Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe. I have saved 2 portions for my mom & dad and can't wait to hear their response after tasting it. ❤️
Natasha says
Oh that's so nice to hear!! I'm really glad you enjoyed it, Peter!! I'm a garlic lover myself and typically add more than recipes call for too lol. Hope your parents love it! Thanks for your kind review!
Marie George says
Absolutely delicious & so easy to make
Natasha says
Thanks so much! Glad you liked it!
Jessica says
So good. Made this with trout tonight (shhh - and told the kids it was salmon!). Everyone enjoyed it. Will make extra sauce next time. The whole family is excited for this to be on the regular meal plan rotation. 👍 Thank you!!!
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear!! I need to try it with trout haha. 🙂 Glad everyone enjoyed it!
Maria says
Perfect weeknight or anytime dish. Delicious!! Thank you again 🙂
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Maria! 🙂
Christiana says
Hi, I was hoping you could tell me what the measurements are equivalent to in grams and ml please
me says
just google it ........
Bridget says
Absolutely delicious and will now be a firm favourite 💕on our menu
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Fantastic!! 🙂 Appreciate your review!
Ash from FromDillToDracula.com says
Delish! Didn't have heavy cream (we don't tend to keep it on hand), but had a lot of cashews, so I did sub the heavy cream for a vegan alternative.
1 cup cashews + 1 cup boiling water, let sit for 30 min then blended until smooth. Was probably a little thicker than the heavy cream, but worked really well!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
So glad it worked out, Ash!! 🙂
Angela says
Another great recipe and so easy . Made this tonight and it was a big hit with my hubby . I added prawns just towards the end . I’m no chef but your recipes are so easy to follow. Thank you Natasha for your wonderful recipes 😋
Natasha says
Yay!! I'm so happy to hear that... especially that you find my recipes easy to follow, since that is my goal always! 🙂
Donna says
Can I use canned salmon?
Natasha says
Yes... it will basically just need to be warmed through, though, so I'd add it in towards the end. Be sure to drain it well.
Dora says
I made it tonight for dinner. It was really easy and simple to make. I do think it very lemony I would recommend using less than the provided amount. I added small shrimp and used Linguini. I also didn't have freshly grated Parmesean so I used the shaker Parmesean, mine had a little Romano cheese mixed in. I'll definitely make it again with a few minor changes.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Happy you enjoyed the pasta, Dora!
Vicki Wilson says
Yum! I made this today and will definitely make again. It was a breeze to make and didn't take long because I had a partially cooked piece of salmon left over from Sunday.
I used veggie broth instead of dry white wine and at the end added capers and dried dill. Because I had an open box I used farfalle for the pasta - it perfectly held on to the creamy sauce and capers
Natasha says
Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it, Vicki!