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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 68 votes

Creamy Lemon and Fresh Tomato Salmon Pasta

By Natasha Bull
My creamy lemon and fresh tomato salmon pasta is an easy and fresh (yet decadent!) pasta dish that's ready in only 20 minutes. 
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 2
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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 

  • Boil a salted pot of water and cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
  • Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of the salmon with Italian seasoning and salt & pepper, to taste.
  • Add oil and butter to a skillet on medium heat. Sear salmon for 3 minutes/side. Remove the salmon from the pan and set aside.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Once the pasta is cooked, toss it with the sauce. Serve with parsley and some extra grated parmesan cheese if desired.

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. 

Nutrition

Calories: 925kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 60g, Saturated Fat: 30g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 19g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 200mg, Sodium: 595mg, Potassium: 1139mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 2780IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 334mg, Iron: 2mg

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.

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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!

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189 Comments

  1. 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

  3. 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

    1. 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

    1. 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

  6. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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