Salmon Pesto Pasta
Salmon pesto pasta is made with tender, flakey salmon filets served over a bed of al dente pasta noodles tossed with a luxurious homemade pesto sauce. Ready in minutes, it’s an easy dinner worthy of a five-star restaurant!
Welcome back to another installment in my unofficial series of elevated date night recipes. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with meals that feature elevated ingredients but come together quickly like this pesto salmon. As a result, they’re perfect for weeknight dinners and even better for a fancy date night for two. Serve it on its own or with a side of caramelized Brussels sprouts or honey roasted carrots and parsnips for a meal no one will forget!
For more salmon recipes, check out my glazed peach salmon and salmon with mango salsa, too!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Dairy free and gluten free-friendly
- High-protein and made with healthy fats
- Easy to prepare
- Ready in around 30 minutes
- Leftovers store well
Ingredients & Notes
Salmon
- Salmon - Use fresh or frozen salmon filets. Wild-caught varieties are best.
- Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed is best.
- Oil - Used to cook the salmon and create a crisp, flakey texture. I prefer the strong flavor of olive oil, but coconut oil or avocado oil can also be used.
Pasta
- Pasta - I recommend using short, rigid noodles, but any type of pasta will work for this salmon pesto pasta.
- Asparagus - Use fresh, bright spears.
Pesto
- Oil - I prefer to use a robust extra virgin olive oil for more flavor. You can use avocado oil if desired, but the taste will be a little more muted.
- Basil - Fresh basil leaves are best! Basil is in season around the summertime during the months of June through September. Check your local grocery store as most will have fresh basil plants for sale in the produce section.
- Pine nuts - These help give the pesto structure and a rich taste. Swap them out with cashews, if desired.
- Garlic - Use fresh, whole garlic. One large clove or two smaller ones should do the trick!
- Lemon juice - Once again, freshly squeezed is best.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This pesto salmon requires a little bit of multi-tasking, but the whole thing combines together quickly with a skillet, a pot, and a food processor!
Sep 1: Dry the salmon. Use clean paper towels to pat the salmon filets dry, and season them with salt and pepper. Then, drizzle the lemon juice on top.
Step 2: Cook the salmon. Heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once it is shimmering, add the salmon to the pan skin side down. Allow it to cook until it’s opaque pink roughly ⅔ of the way up the sides.
Then, flip the salmon over, and continue to cook until it is opaque all the way through. Transfer the filets to a plate, and set them aside to rest.
Step 3: Sauté the asparagus. Add the asparagus spears to the pan used to cook the salmon, and sauté until they’re soft and tender, adding more oil as needed.
Step 4: Boil the pasta. While the salmon cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions.
Step 5: Prepare the pesto. While everything else is cooking, add the pesto ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until no chunks remain, scraping down the sides as needed.
Step 6: Toss the pesto and pasta. Strain the water from the pasta, and add the noodles to a large mixing bowl along with the asparagus. Pour the pesto on top, and toss to coat while the pasta is still warm.
Step 7: Serve the salmon pesto pasta. Divide the pesto pasta into bowls or plates, place the salmon on top, and enjoy!
Variations
- Add some fresh Parmesan cheese on top if you don’t need this salmon pesto pasta to be dairy free.
- Throw in a few cooked shrimp to the pasta for a seafood medley.
- Swap the asparagus with tomatoes for a pop of color.
Expert Tips
- Cook the salmon until it’s 125 F over a medium temperature which is perfect for a pesto pasta dish.
- Timing is key with this recipe! You will have a few things going on at once. So, set timers as needed to make sure nothing burns.
- Cook the pasta al dente so it’s just barely done. It will soften up a bit once tossed with the pesto sauce.
What to serve with salmon pesto pasta?
Pair the pasta with a light salad like my mandarin orange salad or goat cheese salad. You can also add a side of bread or muffins to go along with it.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to serve, add the pasta to a microwave-safe container (heat the salmon up separately) with a splash of water, and heat it in increments of 15 seconds in the microwave. Stir in between to loosen up the sauce.
Heat the salmon on a separate plate with a damp towel over top in the microwave in 10-second intervals until warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, use gluten free noodles to make this pasta dish gluten free.
It’s naturally dairy free!
Salmon goes well with just about any pasta noodles. Instead, you want to pair the sauce with the type of noodle. Because this dish uses a light pesto sauce, a smaller rigid noodle is best as they hold the sauce well. I used cavatappi noodles, but rigatoni, rotini, or penne would work too.
For more easy salmon recipes, check out my:
PS : If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star review and comment below! Also be sure to follow along with me on Instagram and Pinterest to stay up to date on all tasty recipes here at The Fit Peach!
Recipe
Salmon Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet
Ingredients
For the salmon
- 2 6 oz filets salmon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Olive oil - for cooking the salmon
For the pasta
- 8 oz pasta
- 10 asparagus stalks
For the pesto sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup basil - packed, fresh
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Pat the salmon filets dry with a paper towel. Season with the sea salt and pepper and drizzle the lemon juice over top.2 6 oz filets salmon, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the salmon filets to the pan, skin side down. Allow the salmon to cook for 3 – 4 minutes until it’s opaque pink about ⅔ of the way up the sides. Flip the salmon over, skin side up, and allow it to cook for another 1 – 2 minutes until opaque pink all up the sides. Times will vary depending on thickness. Once done, transfer the filets to a plate to rest for a few minutes. In the same skillet, add the asparagus pieces and cook with a little extra olive oil, if needed, until soft.Olive oil, 10 asparagus stalks
- While the salmon is cooking, heat a large pot of water on high until boiling. Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.8 oz pasta
- Also while the salmon is cooking, prepare the pesto sauce by adding the olive oil, basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, and sea salt to a food processor and blend until well combined. Scrape down the sides a few times and continue to blend until no large chunks remain. Set aside.¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoon pine nuts, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 cup basil
- Once the pasta is done, strain and add the noodles and asparagus to a large mixing bowl. Pour the pesto sauce over the warm noodles and toss to coat.
- Serve the dish in a bowl or plate with pasta and a salmon filet.
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