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Taming of the Spoon

Eat everything {in moderation}

April 4, 2014 (Last Updated January 25, 2021)

Lemon Pasta with Salmon

Jump to Recipe
  • Prep Time:
    10 mins
  • Cook Time:
    25 mins
  • Total Time:
    35 mins

This easy pasta with salmon in a light lemon cream sauce works great for a quick weeknight dinner. Use leftover salmon to make meal prep even easier.

Lemon pasta with salmon twirled on a fork above a plate.

Don’t you love it when you go out in search of something and then you discover you had it all along? That is what happened with this recipe.

A few weeks ago I had some leftover salmon in the fridge that really needed to be eaten before it spoiled. I had roasted a large fillet earlier in the week for dinner and we had only eaten half of it. The other half was taunting me – challenging me to do something good with it. We had already had several healthy meals that week (like these Black Bean Tostadas with Green Apple Salsa) so I was ready for something more indulgent. I wanted pasta!

Ingredients for lemon pasta with salmon - dried pappardelle, cream, parmesan cheese, lemon, garlic, olive oil, and roasted salmon.

I went on-line in search of recipes for pasta with salmon. However, everything I found called for at least 2 cups of cream and lots of butter. Now don’t get me wrong, I like a good cream sauce just as much as the next girl but swim suit season is coming soon and I was not feeling THAT indulgent.

I was about to give up on the endeavor when I remembered that I had a great recipe for shrimp and angel hair pasta in a light cream sauce. Why not replace the shrimp with the salmon and the angel hair with pappardelle to soak up the sauce? With only 1/4 cup cream, I knew I had a winner.

Indulgence without the guilt – gotta love it.

Lemon pasta with salmon garnished with chopped parsley on a white plate.

Tips for making lemon pasta with salmon

  • Use heavy cream. Although this is a heathly-ish pasta recipe, it is not without some cream. Using the full fat version (it’s only a 1/4 cup) will help the sauce thicken and prevent it from separating.
  • Reduce the heat before adding the cream. The sauce should not be at an active simmer when the cream is added. Otherwise, the sauce may separate. Once the cream has been added, use a whisk to stir it in. 
  • Drain but don’t rinse the pasta. The starch on the pasta will help to thicken the sauce.
  • Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. Pre-grated cheese is usually coated in something to prevent clumping (like cellulose powder) which will keep the cheese from melting smoothly.

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Lemon pasta with salmon garnished with chopped parsley on a white plate.

Lemon Pasta with Salmon

★★★★ 4 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Taming of the Spoon
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This easy pasta with salmon in a light lemon cream sauce works great for a quick weeknight dinner. Use leftover salmon to make meal prep even easier.


Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 pound salmon fillet
  • Salt and pepper
  • 8–9 ounces pappardelle pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Season salmon fillet with salt and pepper and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Roast salmon in oven for 15-20 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain (but do not rinse).
  4. Wipe out the cooking pot with a paper towel and add the olive oil. Heat oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Add lemon juice and broth; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, whisk in cream, stirring to combine. Add in cheese and lemon zest; cook about 3 minutes to heat through but do not boil; taste and season with salt.
  5. Add pasta to cream mixture and gently mix to evenly coat noodles. Continue to mix until the sauce thickens slightly and clings to pasta. Break the salmon into large chunks and gently stir into the pasta mixture.

Notes

  • You can use left over roasted salmon if you have it. Skip the roasting step (obviously). You can either warm the salmon chunks in the microwave before adding it to the pasta and cream mixture or you can gently warm the salmon chunks in the hot cream sauce before adding in the pasta. Either way, just be gentle with the cooked salmon.
  • Do not rinse the pasta when you drain it. The starch on the pasta helps to thicken the sauce.
  • Use freshly grated parmesan cheese rather than pre-grated. Pre-grated cheese is usually coated in something to prevent clumping (like cellulose powder) which will keep the cheese from melting smoothly.

Keywords: salmon pasta, salmon lemon pasta, salmon, pasta


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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes says

    April 5, 2014 at 10:34 pm

    You have a beautiful blog! This pasta looks divine, and I love the combination of salmon and lemon.

    Reply
    • Taming of the Spoon says

      April 6, 2014 at 2:40 pm

      Thank you so much. Even my kids like this dish.

      Reply
  2. Rachel L says

    October 23, 2014 at 10:35 pm

    I made a single serving of this today for dinner, only swapping out the cream for coconut cream, and I loved it! A beautifully simple yet scrumptious recipe, it’ll be one I’ll be sure to make again. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Taming of the Spoon says

      October 23, 2014 at 11:18 pm

      So glad to hear that! Great idea with the coconut cream.

      Reply
  3. Lorraine says

    January 25, 2015 at 2:39 am

    This was absolutely delicious – thank you! I had leftover cooked salmon fillets which I crumbled, heated and stirred through. The whole family loved it!

    Reply
    • Taming of the Spoon says

      January 25, 2015 at 10:24 am

      So glad your family loved it, Lorraine. Thank you for coming back to comment.

      Reply
  4. sarah says

    May 25, 2015 at 3:18 am

    You must be cooking this gorgeous salmon for the whole family OR you’re starving for salmon. 🙂 It looks great!.

    Reply
    • Taming of the Spoon says

      May 25, 2015 at 3:29 pm

      Thank you so much. I hope you get a chance to make it. It really is as tasty as it looks.

      Reply
  5. Evy K says

    May 25, 2015 at 2:35 pm

    Just made this dish for my fiance and I Saturday night. Such a light delicious and satisfying summer meal. Thanks for recipe!

    Reply
    • Taming of the Spoon says

      May 25, 2015 at 3:28 pm

      I am so glad you liked it! Thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment.

      Reply
  6. Benny says

    August 8, 2015 at 6:25 pm

    Help? I made this twice and it curdled.

    Reply
    • Taming of the Spoon says

      August 9, 2015 at 9:44 am

      There are a couple of things to look at that might be causing your sauce to curdle. First, be sure you are using full fat cream and not milk or half and half. Also, make sure the sauce is not too hot and the heat has been reduced to low when you add the cream. Once the cream has been added, don’t let the sauce come to a boil. Finally, use freshly grated parmesan cheese rather than cheese that was packaged pre-grated. I hope that helps.

      Reply
      • Benny says

        August 11, 2015 at 9:41 am

        Thanks a lot. I’ll try that the next time I make it.

        I did make it a third time without the lemon juice and it didn’t curdle fine so I could be adding too much. It tasted great curdled and all…just don’t like nice enough to post on Instagram..lol

        Thanks again. I love your page. So many great recipes for a novice chef like myself. Makes me look like a gourmet 🙂

        Reply
    • Barbara says

      February 26, 2020 at 3:10 pm

      I had the same problem so threw it away and started again adding the lemon juice just before adding to the pasta. I used single full fat cream as the recipe says just cream.

      ★★★

      Reply
      • Taming of the Spoon says

        February 26, 2020 at 5:32 pm

        Hi Barbara. I’m so sorry the sauce didn’t work for you. Did any of the tips I noted in my reply to Benny help?

        Reply
  7. Paula says

    November 10, 2015 at 8:52 am

    I tried it, it’s my masterpiece of the year <3 thank you very much!

    Reply
    • Taming of the Spoon says

      November 10, 2015 at 9:28 am

      Thank you so much for your sweet comment. It made my day! And thank you for coming back to comment – I really appreciate the feedback.

      Reply
  8. Darren says

    July 23, 2016 at 11:08 pm

    I don’t cook often but I love Salmon. I tried this dish for me and my wife and it tasted lovely! I was so happy I made it myself. Thank you. I will try your other recipes.

    Reply
    • Taming of the Spoon says

      July 24, 2016 at 2:15 pm

      I’m so glad to hear you and your wife enjoyed this, Darren! If you’re looking for other salmon recipes, my salmon guacamole bacon wraps are another tasty and easy recipe I think you might like.

      Reply
  9. Christi Babington says

    December 18, 2017 at 11:11 am

    I made this dish last night and the sauce was so delicious. I would like to recommend adding the parmesan a little at a time. I added the entire amount (I doubled the recipe) at once and the cheese didn’t melt properly. Otherwise, I will definitely make this again.

    Reply
    • Taming of the Spoon says

      December 18, 2017 at 4:26 pm

      That is a great recommendation! Thanks for the tip and coming back to comment. I’m really happy you liked the recipe.

      Reply
  10. URSULA THOMPSON says

    June 24, 2019 at 2:11 am

    Well, it used the remaining salmon and it tasted very nice, but sadly it was like soup!
    Too much fluid, I suggest altering the amount of broth to perhaps a half a cup, and adding a tablespoon at a time if needed.

    Reply
    • Bryan says

      September 16, 2020 at 8:27 am

      I also reduced the broth – to about 2/3 cup and let the pasta finish cooking in the cream/lemon-veg broth mix to thicken it up before adding the cheese and zest. I think your comment helped my dish turn out nicely. Best to you!

      Reply
  11. Jamie B says

    January 25, 2021 at 3:29 pm

    Love this recipe. We’re GF so I make my own papardelle for it, and since I smoke a salmon filet a couple times a month, this is perfect for using up the leftovers. I’ve made it several times, last time I added 2 Tbsp of rinsed capers and wow it was good that way too! I know this is an older post but I wanted to thank you for the inspiration!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Taming of the Spoon says

      January 25, 2021 at 5:02 pm

      I’m so happy this recipe inspired you!! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you coming back to leave a positive comment and review!

      Reply

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I’m Nguyet. Full time mom, part time everything else. Food blogger, food photographer, graphic designer, & WordPress/Genesis web developer.

I’m always wondering what to make for dinner.

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