The Best Creamy Salmon Pasta
This Creamy Salmon Pasta recipe is a simple yet impressive dish for date night at home. Roasted salmon, spinach and capers are tossed with pasta and a creamy white wine sauce.
“This was relatively simple and easy while delicious. My family ate every bite.” – Kimberly
Blast from the past that I was recently thinking about: whenever my parents would take me out to dinner when I was in college, my order was always either a steak (is there anything better than a perfect grilled flat iron steak?), or some sort of seafood pasta (which seemed to be an popular menu item at the time).
Because, I was living in the dorms, and it’s not like the cafeterias were known for their stellar crab stuffed salmon or seared Chilean sea bass. And let’s face it: the pasta was ALWAYS overcooked.
So when I had a chance to go out to a restaurant, I was sure to order one of these things.
Even now, seafood pasta like salmon alfredo is one of my top “luxury” meals, whether it’s at a restaurant or eaten at home.
This creamy salmon pasta always seems like a decadent indulgence, even when I’m sneaking a whole box of spinach into it.
About this creamy salmon pasta:
This creamy salmon pasta recipe is perfect for a “date night” at home (we’ll often make some version of this, or pesto salmon, for Valentine’s Day).
Big chunks of roasted salmon, spinach and capers are tossed with pasta and a creamy sauce flavored with white wine and lemons.
This pasta with salmon seems pretty fancy, but trust me, it’s just cooking pasta + making a simple cream sauce + roasting a piece of salmon (you could even make instant pot salmon or grilled sockeye salmon if you prefer not to turn on the oven).
I’ll walk you through how to do it below!
“This recipe worked so well, and I say this as a timing challenged person. I would make this again and again, not just with salmon, but with shrimp, scallops or even shredded chicken.” – Holly
The ingredients for this salmon pasta recipe are easy to find:
- salmon – you will need 3/4 pound of salmon for this salmon pasta recipe (two 6 ounce fillets will work).
- linguine – this is my noodle of choice for this pasta with salmon (and also for lemon caper pasta), but fettuccine or spaghetti work just as well.
- butter – unsalted butter forms the base of the sauce. If you only have salted butter on hand, just cut back on the added salt later in the recipe.
- garlic – 3 minced garlic cloves add lots of flavor to the sauce.
- heavy cream – it’s not creamy salmon pasta without, well, cream (also the star of lemon creme brulee)! You can use half and half instead, but your sauce will be much thinner. Heavy cream results in the best sauce texture! If you truly want to lighten this dish up, you can make it with my Greek yogurt pasta sauce.
- white wine – something like Pinot Grigio will add a bright acidity to the cream sauce. If you’d prefer not to use wine, feel free to substitute a bit of chicken broth here.
- lemon – adds more bright acidity to the cream sauce! Buy extra lemons for a round of lemon margaritas while you cook.
- spinach – since spinach wilts down to practically nothing when it’s cooked, I used an entire 5 ounce box of baby spinach in this this salmon linguine! I also pack a surprising amount of spinach into my vegetarian quiche.
- capers – the salty, briny flavor of capers can’t be beat, specially when paired with seafood.
How to make this pasta with salmon recipe:
So, you’re going to be cooking three things at once (fish, pasta, sauce) in this salmon pasta recipe, but trust me: you can do this. I promise.
First, get your oven preheated and a big pot of water boiling on the stove.
Once both of those things are ready, get your salmon into the oven. All you’re doing here is putting the fish on a pan, seasoning it, and popping it into the oven (you can also start with my baked sockeye salmon recipe that includes lemon and herbs, or even bourbon glazed salmon for extra flavor). Set a timer and forget about it for awhile.
Next, get your pasta going: salt the pot of boiling water, and then dump the linguine into the pot. Again: set it and forget it (well, maybe give it a stir or two if you remember).
The “home chef” part of this salmon linguine comes in with your sauce (just like the sauce is the star of my rigatoni bolognese).
You’ll start the creamy salmon pasta sauce by cooking some garlic in butter, and then adding cream, white wine, lemon zest, salt and pepper. You’ll cook this mixture about 5 minutes or until it thickens into a, well, sauce
By now, your pasta should be done cooking. Drain it well, pour it into the skillet with the sauce, add some capers and spinach, and give everything a good stir until the spinach is wilted.
By now, your salmon should be done cooking, too! Take that out of the oven, break it into big chunks and put it on top of your pasta.
Grab a fork, and it’s time to eat this pasta with salmon!
“This was so easy, fast and delicious! My toddler and myself devoured it. My toddler was able to help me make dinner and we were able to cook everything in under 20 minutes. Winner winner! Thank you for such a great weeknight recipe!” – Rachel
Can salmon pasta be reheated or frozen?
While I love recipes where leftovers can be reheated for lunch the next day or are even freezer friendly (like my lasagna with cottage cheese and pastitsio), this salmon pasta recipe is one that is best eaten immediately.
Seafood never reheats well, and cream sauce tends to break when reheating. I also don’t recommend freezing this pasta with salmon.
So, while this creamy salmon pasta recipe as written below would serve a family of four (or a double date at home!), if you’re serving just two people for date night, I’d recommend cutting the recipe in half.
What to serve with this salmon linguine:
Since I’ve already packed an entire box of spinach into this salmon pasta recipe, you may decide you don’t need a side dish at all. I totally understand!
But, if you’d like another helping of fiber-rich veggies on your plate with your salmon linguine, I suggest either my beet salad or balsamic asparagus (also perfect side dishes for a salmon sandwich).
And depending on what time of year it is, my Easter salad is a great option throughout the spring and summer seasons, and my Christmas salad is perfect in fall and winter to serve with salmon recipes.
Or, if you’re the type that can’t have pasta night without a side of garlic bread, pop a batch of homemade garlic bread into the oven to serve alongside your pasta with salmon.
More great pasta recipes:
Sometimes you just need a big bowl of carb-y goodness. The recipes below are some of my favorites for when the noodle craving strikes!
The Best Creamy Salmon Pasta
This Creamy Salmon Pasta recipe is a simple yet impressive dish for date night at home. Roasted salmon, spinach and capers are tossed with pasta and a creamy white wine sauce.
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 salmon fillets (about 3/4 pound)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more for pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 12 ounces linguine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 box (5 ounces) baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons capers
- Lemon wedges, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and heat large pot of water to boiling on stove. Spray small rimmed baking pan with nonstick spray. Place salmon, skin side down, on prepared pan and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake 12 minutes or until salmon is almost opaque throughout and internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, salt pot of boiling water and cook linguine according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, heat butter in large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add cream, wine, lemon zest and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until mixture is thickened to a thin sauce consistency, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low.
- Drain linguine and add to skillet. Stir in spinach and capers and cook over low heat 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach is just wilted.
- Remove salmon from oven. Slip spatula between salmon skin and flesh to remove skin; break into large chunks over linguine. Serve garnished with lemon wedges, if desired.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 651Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 519mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 27g
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
I usually don’t comment on recipes, however this recipe is now on my top ten favourites. Thank you.
I am so happy to hear that, Kerry. Thank you for stopping by. Have a great weekend!
I used half and half because I didn’t have heavy cream- the combination with lemon zest curdled the half and half so it was a cheesy consistency rather than creamy. Did this happen to anyone else?
Hi Patty – when acid like lemon juice is added to dairy, it changes the pH of the dairy’s proteins and causes them to bond together (curdle). But the more fat there is in the dairy, the harder it is for the proteins to bond. Which is why lemon juice doesn’t curdle heavy cream, but will often curdle half and half (which is lower fat). I hope you get a chance to try this recipe again next time you have cream on hand!
All our favorite things! Quick and delicious! We will definitely make it again! The timing you laid out made it super easy to follow without guess work on when to do what. Thanks!
I’m so glad to hear that you liked this recipe, and it was easy to follow, Lynn!
Delicious! We grow lemon thyme, so I added a tablespoon of fresh lemon thyme and another of fresh basil to the mixture. The flavor was fantastic! Thanks so much!
Love these additions, Elizabeth. I have regular thyme in my garden, but don’t think I’ve ever tried lemon thyme.
Quite delicious! Added baby portobellos when sautéing the garlic and used artichokes instead of capers for something different. Added a bit more lemon (the pasts really soaks this up) which gave a the pasta a lemony flavor. Garnished with fresh Italian parsley and a dash of parmigiana and left a whole sliver of seasoned salmon on top. Great recipe. Will make this a staple.
Love the addition of mushrooms and artichokes! So glad you liked it, Jerry.
Had this for dinner tonight…yummy
So glad to hear you liked it, Maureen!
What a delicious recipe. Recommended to friends already. I loved it with the salmon!! Followed your tips to a T.
I’m so glad you liked it, Olivia! Thank you for posting about it on IG <3
I absolutely loved this dish and so did my lunch guests. I did leave out the capers because I dont like them. It was so luxuriously creamy. Guests said it was the best pasta dish ever tasted!
It does need to be eaten straight away, and definitely not good to reheat.
I’m so glad you and your guests loved this, Jackie!
Delicious recipe, I made it with the lemon herb sockeye recipe & added fresh diced tomatoes to the sauce rather than the capers. Will be making this a staple recipe in my house from now on!
Love the addition of the tomatoes. Very smart idea! Adds acid the same way capers too, but not that same bite. So glad you liked this, Christi!
What about if we dont have wine or cream
Wine can be omitted. Half and half can be used in place of the cream, but you will have a thinner sauce.
I’m sorry. I didnt realize my original question was incomplete. I was wondering which wine you recommend for this dish. I don’t usually cook with wine.
Thank you for your quick response!
I’d recommend Pinot Grigio!
Hi. Am going try an make this on Saturday. I don’t know much about cooking. Is there a specific one you can recommend? Thank you in advance.
Hi Jenn – what are you looking for, specifically?
What a great recipe! It’s the sauce that really makes the dish (don’t leave out the capers!)
I used leftover cooked salmon and also added a few peas and soya beans for extra vegetables. You could also add mushrooms or sun dried tomatoes or green beans – probably lots of other things (prawns?) depending on what you have.
This was so delicious!!! I had a little salmon left from yesterday’s lunch so I just used that and halved the pasta portion of this recipe. It was so quick, easy and delicious!
I am so glad that you liked this recipe, Dani!
This turned out delicious! My only changes were to skip the capers (I simply don’t like them) and use low FODMAP garlic replacer (family digestive issues). Thank you for a great recipe that I hope to make again.
I’m so glad this was a hit for you, Airy!
Love this recipe! I have made it so many times. The recipe is great as it is. One thing to note about this recipe is to ensure the wine is boiled before adding the cream, otherwise you will end up having curdled cream. I also like to add lots of Parmigiano Reggiano and some basil in the end to give the flavor a kick.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Betty!
It’s so good and quick to make. Love every bit of my pasta.
I’m so glad you liked it!
I did it almost exactly the way you described, Except that I used some leftover poached salmon, and it was amazingly good.
I’m so glad to hear that, Fiona! This is the perfect way to use leftover salmon.
So easy and soooo good!
I’m so glad you liked it, Tim!
I just made this for dinner and it was easy and delicious!! I didn’t have a lemon do I put a little lemon juice on the filets and added a teaspoon or so to the sauce. I was also out of capers but it tasted amazing anyways so thank you. I will definitely be making it again.
I’m so glad you liked it, Jill!
Such a deliciously tasty, yet simple dish!! Just made it for the first time and my husband, adult son and I all loved it!! I will definitely make it again soon. Thank you.
Yay, I’m so glad the three of you loved it, Anne!
I used this recipe for the first time I ever cooked salmon a few months ago, and it worked so well. I returned to pin it because I want to make it again haha. Amazing recipe, thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that, Devina!
Delicious, But with no heavy cream. Good suggestion to put the past in the sauce and then add spinach…
Glad you liked it, Joan!
Yum, I love any recipe that uses salmon!
Made it last night by chance, had all the ingredients shockingly! We inhaled it! I didn’t care about the guilt of too much pasta and cream, I HAD to go back for a second bowl! (Would have gone for a third if the hubby wasn’t looking!)
I am so glad to hear that, Deborah! Not guilt necessary!
Yumm!!! This recipe is quick and delicious! I used chicken broth instead of the wine. I think this might be good with grilled shrimp too! It’s a keeper!
Hi Tara! So glad to hear you liked it! And yes, it would be awesome with shrimp, too!
Too late I realized I didn’t have any cream, so I used coconut milk and low-fat Greek yogurt (coconut and vanilla flavored). It worked fine. I tried to make half a recipe, but I think I had too much garlic, so be careful there. I would personally increase the lemon zest, but maybe mine was old and not as strong as if fresh. I like the capers, but my husband didn’t. It would be fine without them, I think. But it WAS easy and quick and delicious.
Hi Linda – so glad this recipe worked out for you, based on what you have on hand. Thank you for stopping by!
What an amazing and simple dish to make. I sauted some onion with the garlic and also added peas (I didn’t use capers). It was delicious and my dinner guest loved it.
I am so glad to hear that, Emma!
This was great! I sauteed an onion and sliced mushrooms with the garlic and ended up using less pasta (b/c it was getting crowded in there!) Everyone inhaled it! So good!
I’m so glad to hear that, Colleen!
This dish was delicious! It came together really quickly and was a great way to use leftover salmon (which made it even quicker). It was perfect paired with a glass of the white wine I used in the recipe!
Always a good choice to have a glass of white wine with this pasta. So glad you liked it, Lisa!
I did the same I used shallots instead of onions , lovely recipe thanks to the author .
So glad you liked it, Dave!
YUM!! I would have to use plain salmon, but even so, it should be awesome. It’s not easy getting my husband to eat fish, but I can try…
All we can do is keep trying, right? 🙂
Thank you for the tips! I will try it! Maybe a little bit more sauce!
Thanks for stopping by, Vonda!
Hi from Northern UK in Lockdown again
That was such a special Pasta dish, must try it on the family when we can meet up.
I only had salted capers but soaked them a bit and they were a perfect shot of salt.
Thanks
I’m so glad it turned out great, Carol!