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Creamy Lemon and Fresh Tomato Salmon Pasta

Updated / Originally published / 105 Comments

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My creamy lemon and fresh tomato salmon pasta is an easy and fresh (yet decadent!) pasta dish that's ready in only 20 minutes.

close-up of white bowl with creamy lemon and fresh tomato salmon pasta
Photos updated 5/2020

My creamy garlic salmon pasta has done really well (I hope I didn't just jinx it!), and I wanted to do something similar in this tomato salmon pasta.

Although salmon is versatile and I like to prepare it several different ways, enjoying it with pasta and a creamy sauce is probably my all-time favorite way of cooking it.

Salmon pasta is so quick and easy and typically tastes like it's more complicated to make than it is!

I love seafood pasta. When I'm anywhere near a coast, I order copious amounts of it since normally I'm landlocked and don't usually have access to the best seafood. It's not like you can't get seafood here, but it's just not the same as being right there. You can find pretty good salmon here, so that's my go-to when I'm craving something from the ocean. Something about seafood pasta hits the spot for me.

piece of fresh salmon searing in a skillet

The lemon and tomato make this a comforting yet light and fresh meal. A little bit of Dijon mustard is my not-so-secret ingredient (you'll see it a lot if you read this blog often) for adding more depth of flavor.

Aaaand of course garlic is in here because it's basically my lifeblood. 😉

Love creamy salmon recipes? You'll probably like my creamy Tuscan salmon or my creamy salmon piccata.

close-up of salmon and tomato pasta (spaghetti) with lemon garlic cream sauce

Recipe notes & tips:

  • 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's really easy to do that. 
  • I love my Microplane zester/grater to zest the lemon and grate parmesan cheese.
  • I used spaghetti for this creamy salmon pasta recipe, but feel free to sub with any pasta you choose.

I hope you enjoy this easy salmon pasta recipe as much as I did! I really need to make it again soon.

That lemon-tomato-cream sauce is the best, really.

More salmon pasta recipes you may like:

two white bowls of fresh tomato salmon pasta

Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions about this fresh salmon pasta recipe!

close-up of white bowl with creamy lemon and fresh tomato salmon pasta
4.89 from 35 votes
Print

Creamy Lemon and Fresh Tomato Salmon Pasta

My creamy lemon and fresh tomato salmon pasta is an easy and fresh (yet decadent!) pasta dish that's ready in only 20 minutes. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword salmon pasta with tomato, tomato salmon pasta
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 2
Author Natasha Bull

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces uncooked spaghetti (or other pasta)
  • 1/2 pound fresh salmon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning or to taste
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 medium tomatoes chopped
  • 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • Juice and zest of 1/2 medium lemon (about 1 tbsp juice)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions

  1. Boil a salted pot of water and cook pasta al dente according to package directions.

  2. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with Italian seasoning and salt & pepper, to taste.

  3. Add oil and butter to a skillet on medium heat. Sear salmon for 3 minutes/side. Remove salmon from pan and set aside.
  4. Add the tomato, cream, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and Dijon mustard. Stir until smooth and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the parmesan.

  5. Add the salmon back into the pan, and use a spoon to break it up into smaller pieces. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

  6. Once the pasta is cooked, toss it with the sauce. Serve with parsley and some extra grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Recipe Notes

  • I don't recommend subbing the cream with half-and-half or milk because the sauce is likely to curdle due to the amount of citrus in this recipe. 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Reagan says

    Fantastic recipe! I used fusilli pasta and didn’t have cream, so substituted 2% Skyr/Greek yoghurt, and mixed the lemon and yoghurt prior to adding to the pan. No curdling and turned out great. Plus some extra hidden protein 😉 Very delicious and easy to make, will definitely be having this again! Thanks 🙂

    Reply

  2. Blake K says

    5 stars
    Ive cooked this recipe about 10 times since finding it some 6 months ago. family and friends LOVE it and it is easy to make. I've added Portabella mushrooms and some sundried tomatoes to it. I'm just here printing the recipe as we have guests over tonight and I cant let them see my laptop out following the EASY recipe (I'm a 56 year old man just really trying to start to learn cooking and am always worried about messing up the ingredients or ???? LOL )
    thank you for this recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Haha I’m so glad the recipe is a hit with you!! Thank you so much for taking the time to write me a comment. ☺️

      Reply

  3. Corey Williams says

    I made this last night and LOVED it. My daughter and son were negotiating for the leftovers today. I did add three spiralized yellow squash noodles to my pasta so I had extra hidden veggies.

    Reply

  5. Ros K says

    5 stars
    Made this tonight to use up some leftover cedar planked salmon. I usually avoid dishes with cream but was well worth it. Plus a little glass of rose.

    Reply

      • Ivana says

        5 stars
        I have made this a bunch of time since discovering. I like to add a bit more Dijon and lemon as I like to have a kick to it. My seven year old son loves it, although usually picks out the bigger salmon pieces.
        I have used a variety of substitute ingredients, always tasty but never as much as the real ones!
        Some options if you’re missing ingredients
        -I didn’t have tomatoes, rinsed out canned plum tomato and chucked that in instead.
        - I used limes instead of lemon
        - I used grated mature cheddar cheese instead of Parmesan

        Reply

  6. Charlotte Callaghan says

    I've made this recipe a couple of times and we love it! Nice to have tomatoes in a creamy pasta recipe - surprising how few recipes do! Easy and tasty 🙂

    Reply

  9. Gavin says

    You know what happens if you find that -
    You have no tomatoes, but you do have peas. Sweet, tiny little frozen peas;
    You have no parsley, but you do have basil;
    You decide to throw in a capful of white vermouth per serving when blending the sauce;
    You have no Parmesan, but you do have Pecorino Romano?

    Lovely things happen, that's what. Love from Manchester, UK.

    Reply

  10. Diane says

    5 stars
    My daughter has cooked this for us twice and I cooked it tonight. It’s delicious and so easy to make. It will definitely be a regular favourite for me and my husband. Thanks!

    Reply

  12. Roni says

    This is a gorgeous recipe, have now made it a few times and it is always fantastic. Have now passed it on to my daughter to make.

    Reply

  13. Tracy says

    5 stars
    Cooked this one last night, and my husband was very impressed with it, just the right amount of lemon and the creaminess was just great! I was very surprised cus i don't like lemony pasta and there's not enough to pack for lunch today.. thanks for the recipe! will try your other recipes in the future!! 🙂

    Reply

  15. Michelle says

    We enjoyed this delicious dish on a fine Spring evening. I added more lemon juice and capers to my dish to suit our tastebuds. It was great to use up our Wild Sock-eye Salmon and Fettucini pasta we had just bought. Excellent recipe! Thank you very much! 😊

    Reply

  16. Anony says

    5 stars
    Yum! Made this tonight. No changes except I doubled the recipe! EXCELLENT! Yum! Thanks for this Lovely Recipe

    Reply

  17. Kris Kjeldsen says

    5 stars
    I substitute sun dried tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes (it's what I had on hand) and it was delicious. The entire family enjoyed it. Thank you!

    Reply

  18. Isaac says

    5 stars
    Just made this for dinner (added a little red pepper flakes), enjoyed a white wine while cooking, and the family loved it. The kids aren’t into seafood so much, the wife hates seafood, but I love it and since I’m cooking it’s my choice and it was a hit. The wife ate a whole serving. The kids had seconds and raved about it, it reminded them of the beach. Served with toasted fresh baguette slices and olive oil for dipping blended with Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes on the side. Enjoying the rest of that white wine now.

    Reply

  19. Tenika Burman says

    5 stars
    Just made this with penne pasta and it tasted really good considering I'm not the biggest fish or seafood lover. Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes. Think I will try the Cajun salmon pasta next!

    Reply

  22. Veronica says

    5 stars
    Very easy recipe to make. I was surprised at how good it tasted! I added asparagus, spinach, diced red pepper and sliced mushrooms to the sauce and added more tomatoes and lemon. I sprinkled the Parmesan and parsley on top of dish and voila! This version came out great! With your base recipe, one can experiment adding different ingredients and it will still come out good! Thanks for the recipe. Will try it with shrimp next time.

    Reply

  24. Sandra Amos says

    5 stars
    Just made this for the first time. Wanted a quick meal this evening and this certainly didn't disappoint. Very tasty indeed. Forgot to add the parmesan, have only just realised but it was very good even without. I had some baby plum tomatoes so halved these and also added some sugar snaps to the spaghetti once it was almost finished cooking. Will definitely be making it again.

    Reply

  25. Nadine says

    5 stars
    This was delicious! I'm not the best cook so thankful it is a simple recipe to make but would impress if entertaining. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm so happy the recipe was easy to follow, Nadine... that is what I am for! Thanks for coming back and letting me know. 🙂

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Laurie! Italian seasoning is a mix of herbs, so I'd probably either leave it out or use whatever herb blend you have in your pantry. Changing it to just one herb will change the taste of the dish, and I haven't tested it with anything else. Herbs de Provence would work too if you have a jar of that.

      Reply

  27. Yevette Jones says

    THANKS for your salmon n pasta recipe, followed it to the T! But added some cherry tomatoes from my garden and used penne pasta!!! Used some baguette bread from yesterday n sprinkled cheese on it( put in oven) my Son loved it!
    Fed up cooking same old, same old n stumbled on you’re recipe on internet.
    Will certainly log on to you for lovely, refreshing ideas!x

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      That's wonderful to hear, Dan! Hope you guys are staying cool.. heard the weather has been crazy hot over there!

      Reply

  30. Muk says

    4 stars
    I made a few small changes to this dish last night, and my wife was very impressed with the meal. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  32. Andre says

    5 stars
    I swapped the fresh tomatoes for tinned chopped tomatoes, which i dranned first. I them swapped the fresh salmon for frozen salmon, cooked in the oven for 25 min. The cream i swapped for oat cream (my gf is lactose intolerant) and the parmesan for a lacto free one. It tasted absolutrly delicous. Well done for the recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I am so glad you were able to modify the recipe for your lactose-intolerant gf! Thanks for the tips (may help other readers) and so happy you guys enjoyed it.

      Reply

  33. Dave S says

    So I made the Keto version using Zoodles instead of pasta. It turned out really great. I sauted the zoodles after the salmon came out of the pan for about five minutes.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Did the cream curdle for you? I avoid using half-and-half or milk for recipes like this because of that issue. I have never had a problem with heavy cream curdling in a sauce (even with acidic ingredients like lemon and tomatoes). Cooking at a lower temperature can help with curdling as well.

      Reply

  38. Pat says

    5 stars
    I used my leftover salmon that was a bit over cooked. So I sautéed the garlic first, threw in the listed ingredients into the pan. Then, I added my salmon that I chopped up and cooked penne pasta. Stirred and served. Delicious recipe for leftover salmon.

    Reply

  40. Christelle says

    4 stars
    Very good recipe but did not have enough lemon juice for the taste so I had to add more. As we say, we all have different taste.
    Overall, great, easy and fast recipe to cook on a week night and very delicious ... with more lemon juice squeezed on top with shredded parmesan and fresh ground pepper. Thanks! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      So glad you liked it! Yes, definitely adjust to taste. I had one person complain on a similar recipe that there was way too much lemon juice... I can't please everyone haha. Personally I am like you and prefer more.

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Reena! I usually buy ones that total about 1/2 lb. I’ll update the recipe. They tend to vary a lot and I just eyeball what seems like a good serving size. Enjoy!

      Reply

  43. Martin Joseph says

    5 stars
    I just made this recipe from some salmon fillets I had left from yesterday and it was absolutely delicious!
    I followed the recipe to the letter and it turned out - my daughter is a real foodie and she really loved it!
    Thank you Natasha - I will definitely make it again.
    Martin
    x

    Reply

  46. tom martella says

    5 stars
    Wow- what a dish! Now I don't have to take my wife out for a really nice dinner! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply

  47. Sara says

    5 stars
    I just made this for dinner this evening and it’s SO good! I didn’t have the Dijon mustard but it still turned out fine. Thanks for the great recipe, was super quick and easy!

    Reply

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