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    Home » Mains

    Salmon Pasta with a Creamy Garlic Sauce

    Published: Jan 1, 2022 / Updated: Mar 7, 2022 / 135 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This 30 minute salmon pasta with a creamy garlic sauce is quick and delicious and makes an easy and impressive meal! It has restaurant flair that you can duplicate in your own kitchen.

    extreme close-up of serving tongs twirling creamy salmon spaghetti

    Quick and easy creamy salmon pasta

    You'll savor every single bite of this irresistible restaurant-quality salmon pasta! The creamy sauce is loaded with garlic, and this pasta is going to be your new favorite date night meal.

    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 could also try this Creamy Garlic Salmon!

    process shot of ingredient quantities in dishes for making creamy salmon pasta with a garlic sauce

    What goes into this salmon pasta recipe

    • Garlic - a classic flavorful base for the creamy sauce
    • Butter and olive oil - essential ingredients for perfectly pan seared fish
    • Heavy cream - its richness makes this meal truly decadent
    • Lemon juice - brightens up the sauce and is a signature pairing with salmon
    • Salmon fillets - one of the best proteins to use with creamy pasta dishes. I prefer skinless, but if you can't find it, you can easily remove it during the cooking process
    • Spaghetti - I love the way this kind of pasta works with flaked salmon, having an ideal mix of flavors and textures in every bite!
    • Parmesan - grating your own parmesan cheese is key for texture of the sauce since it melts better than the bagged kind

    Pro tip

    • 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!

    How to make creamy salmon pasta

    This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

    pan searing salmon fillet in a cast iron skillet and making the sauce for creamy salmon pasta in a skillet

    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.

    adding salmon back into the sauce for creamy garlic salmon pasta and then mixing in spaghetti with tongs

    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!

    Helpful tips

    • 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.
    • I don't recommend substituting the heavy cream for anything else. The sauce may break because of the lemon juice.
    • Use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, or simply swap it out for chicken broth.
    • This pasta serves 2-4 people, but you can make it with less pasta to make it even richer for two people, or serve a side salad with it for four people. Or up the salmon to 3/4 pound.
    • You can easily double (or triple) this recipe for when you have guests over!

    Leftovers and storage

    • Recipes with cream generally don't freeze well, but 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, and you can add a splash of cream if necessary.

    More salmon pasta recipes you may like

    • Easy Smoked Salmon Pasta
    • Lemon Dill Salmon Pasta
    • Garlic Butter Salmon Pasta
    • Cajun Salmon Pasta
    • Creamy Lemon and Fresh Tomato Salmon Pasta
    • Salmon Pesto Pasta
    close-up of a bowl of creamy garlic salmon pasta

    Will you try making this lemon salmon pasta with a creamy garlic sauce? Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!

    extreme close-up of serving tongs twirling creamy salmon spaghetti

    Salmon Pasta with a Creamy Garlic Sauce

    This 30 minute salmon pasta with a creamy garlic sauce is quick and delicious and makes an easy and impressive meal! It has restaurant flair that you can duplicate in your own kitchen.
    4.7 from 39 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 591 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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 pound 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

    Calories: 591kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 25gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 264mgPotassium: 497mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 959IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 196mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword creamy salmon pasta, salmon pasta
    Author Natasha Bull

    This recipe was originally published on June 13, 2016. It's been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!

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    1. Marie George says

      April 23, 2022 at 12:21 AM

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious & so easy to make

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 23, 2022 at 10:49 AM

        Thanks so much! Glad you liked it!

        Reply
    2. Jessica says

      April 10, 2022 at 4:48 PM

      5 stars
      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!!!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 10, 2022 at 5:55 PM

        That's so nice to hear!! I need to try it with trout haha. 🙂 Glad everyone enjoyed it!

        Reply
    3. Maria says

      March 3, 2022 at 5:25 PM

      5 stars
      Perfect weeknight or anytime dish. Delicious!! Thank you again 🙂

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        March 3, 2022 at 5:46 PM

        You're very welcome, Maria! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Christiana says

      February 26, 2022 at 6:17 AM

      Hi, I was hoping you could tell me what the measurements are equivalent to in grams and ml please

      Reply
      • me says

        March 2, 2022 at 10:21 AM

        just google it ........

        Reply
    5. Bridget says

      February 19, 2022 at 1:40 PM

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious and will now be a firm favourite 💕on our menu

      Reply
      • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

        February 19, 2022 at 3:09 PM

        Fantastic!! 🙂 Appreciate your review!

        Reply
    6. Ash from FromDillToDracula.com says

      January 23, 2022 at 4:15 PM

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

        January 23, 2022 at 4:25 PM

        So glad it worked out, Ash!! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Angela says

      November 10, 2021 at 11:18 AM

      5 stars
      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 😋

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        November 10, 2021 at 11:25 AM

        Yay!! I'm so happy to hear that... especially that you find my recipes easy to follow, since that is my goal always! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Donna says

      September 24, 2021 at 7:08 PM

      Can I use canned salmon?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        September 25, 2021 at 9:23 AM

        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.

        Reply
        • Dora says

          January 28, 2022 at 5:22 PM

          4 stars
          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.

          Reply
          • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

            January 28, 2022 at 5:55 PM

            Happy you enjoyed the pasta, Dora!

            Reply
    9. Vicki Wilson says

      March 2, 2021 at 3:52 PM

      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

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        March 2, 2021 at 5:31 PM

        Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it, Vicki!

        Reply
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    Natasha Bull, founder and author of Salt & Lavender, in the kitchen

    Hi! I'm Natasha. Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!  Read more...

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