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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

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

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.

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Hi! I’m Natasha.

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189 Comments

  1. Theresa says:

    5 stars
    This dish is absolutely delicious !! We love it !! Its a favourite from now on !!

    1. Natasha says:

      Wonderful! 💕

  2. 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.

    1. Natasha says:

      Wonderful! ❤️

  3. 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!

    1. Natasha says:

      Excellent… I am very pleased to hear that, Diane! Thanks for letting me know. 😀

  4. Jessica says:

    If using fresh pasta, can you just add it to the cooking sauce?

    1. Natasha says:

      Hi! I think that could work.

  5. 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.

    1. Natasha says:

      I am so happy to hear that, Roni! Thank you for sharing it with your daughter! 🙂

  6. 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!! 🙂

    1. Natasha says:

      I am so happy it worked out so well, Tracy! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!

    2. Dani says:

      5 stars
      An instant family favorite. Initially made this for my husband and I, but my picky 7 and 4 year olds gobbled it up. My little one specially requests this once a week!

      1. Natasha says:

        So happy to hear it, Dani!

  7. Shelley says:

    5 stars
    Excellent!

    1. Natasha says:

      Thank you! 🙂

  8. 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! 😊

    1. Natasha says:

      I am so happy it worked out, Michelle! 🙂

  9. Anony says:

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

    1. Natasha says:

      Yay!! So glad you liked it!

  10. 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!

    1. Natasha says:

      Yay! so glad everyone liked it.