Salmon Pasta Recipe So Good You'll Get a 'Tonne of Compliments'
Salmon Pasta Recipe: Get a Tonne of Compliments

Salmon Pasta Recipe So Good You'll Get a 'Tonne of Compliments'

Rustle up this easy salmon pasta dish that's packed full of flavour and is a total crowd pleaser. Salmon is a popular choice of protein for a quick and easy dinner, but if you do not want to pair it with boring vegetables, it can work wonderfully well with pasta. The fish makes a perfect spring alternative to liven up a pasta dish.

Food content creator The Sapor recently shared their fragrant salmon pasta on TikTok, flavoured with lots of lemon and garlic. It is a take on the classic Italian dish pennette panna e salmone (penne with cream and salmon); however, for this recipe, long pasta works best.

For the perfect sear on the salmon, it will only need three to four minutes in a large pan on each side. You can use the same pan to make the sauce, adding a salty tang to the dish.

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How to Make the Sauce Thick and Velvety

To help make the sauce thick and velvety, you want to add a quarter of a cup of reserved pasta water. Adding starchy pasta water to the sauce helps emulsify the fats, thicken the sauce, and ensure it clings to the pasta. This means the sauce will not slide off when you tuck in. Food writer Katy O'Hara swears by this method for any last-minute pasta dish you are throwing together for dinner.

She wrote for Simply Recipes: "The key here is that pasta contains starch that releases into the water when it is boiled. When you add the starchy water to your sauce, it loosens the sauce and creates an emulsion. Think of how you make a vinaigrette. You need some sort of emulsifier to bind the oil and vinegar together, such as mustard or mayonnaise. In the case of pasta water, starch helps the oil or butter in the sauce blend with the water."

The video has been viewed over 3.8 million times, receiving 256,400 likes and 339 comments at the time of writing. One person said: "Brb making this next week." Mariah commented: "I need a plate now." Another wrote: "Sooo I am not usually a salmon girlie, but this looks fire!! Might just have to give this a go! Thanks for sharing!" Goldnsilver222 said, "I have officially been influenced," while Audrey revealed, "I made it, and I got tons of compliments, thank you."

So if you are looking for a nourishing pasta dish that hits all the right spots, here is how you can recreate the recipe at home.

Lemon Garlic Salmon Pasta

Ingredients

For the salmon

  • Four salmon fillets
  • One tsp Kinder's lemon garlic butter seasoning
  • One tsp garlic powder
  • One tsp paprika
  • One tsp oregano
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • One tbsp butter
  • One tbsp avocado oil

For the cream sauce

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  • 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup pasta water
  • One lemon, zested
  • Three tbsp butter
  • Six garlic cloves, minced
  • Two shallots, finely chopped
  • One cup Parmesan cheese
  • One heaping tsp garlic powder
  • One heaping tsp Kinder's lemon garlic butter seasoning
  • One tsp basil
  • One tsp oregano
  • 1.5 tsp red chili flakes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
  2. Pat salmon fillets dry. Rub with avocado oil, then season with paprika, garlic powder, oregano, Kinder's lemon garlic butter seasoning, salt, and pepper.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add avocado oil and butter. Sear the salmon for three to four minutes per side, until golden and cooked through, basting with the pan drippings. Remove and set aside.
  4. In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium. Add butter and let it melt. Sauté shallots for about three minutes until softened, then add garlic and cook for one to two minutes until fragrant.
  5. Stir in lemon juice and heavy cream. Let simmer for two to three minutes until slightly thickened, then add lemon zest. Add seasonings and freshly grated Parmesan. Stir until smooth.
  6. Pour in reserved pasta water and mix until the sauce is well combined. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
  7. Add cooked pasta to the skillet and toss until evenly coated in the sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve alongside the salmon.