The Best Creamy Salmon Pasta
With over 2.8 million page views since 2018, this simple yet impressive Creamy Salmon Pasta is the most popular recipe on my website. Roasted salmon, spinach and capers are tossed with pasta and a creamy white wine sauce for a dish special enough for date night at home.
This is it! The most popular recipe in the history of Foxes Love Lemons. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re here after Googling “salmon pasta” or “pasta with salmon” or some combination of those words.
Welcome! I hope that this recipe is everything you’re looking for and more. And I hope you’ll stick around for some of my other popular recipes, including my Mexican street corn salad recipe, potato cakes and crockpot beef stroganoff.
But, are you ready to see what all the fuss about this creamy salmon pasta recipe is about? I’ll let some of the 1300+ reviews (averaging 4.5 stars) speak for themselves:
“This recipe was delicious! It’s something you would be impressed with if you ordered it at a nice restaurant and it’s quick and easy to make at home. This is now in my favorite recipe collection.”
—Jeri Lynn
“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
“I totally underestimated how delicious and delicate these flavors would be! Yum! It made me feel so chef-y.”
—Sherie
“This was relatively simple and easy while delicious. My family ate every bite.”
—Kimberly
“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
This creamy salmon pasta is perfect for a special meal or date night at home, but fast and easy enough for a weeknight, too!
This creamy salmon pasta recipe is perfect for a “date night” or a special dinner at home (my husband and I will often make this for Valentine’s Day).
In fact, 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, or some sort of seafood (usually seafood pasta, which seemed to be a 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 seafood. And let’s face it: whatever they attempted, the pasta was ALWAYS overcooked.
So when I had a chance to go out to a restaurant for a special meal, I was sure to order either a steak or seafood. 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. Big chunks of roasted salmon 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 can do this, and on a weeknight, even!
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, or one large fillet is fine, too. More on this below!
- 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. Want to add more? Measure with your heart.
- heavy cream – it’s not creamy salmon pasta without, well, cream! Heavy cream results in the best sauce texture, and if you substitute something else, your sauce may curdle and not turn out properly.
- 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 and a squeeze of lemon juice here.
- lemon zest – adds more bright acidity to the cream sauce!
- spinach – since spinach wilts down to practically nothing when it’s cooked, I used an entire 5 ounce box of baby spinach in this salmon linguine! Want to use kale instead? Go for it, baby.
- capers – the salty, briny flavor of capers can’t be beat, specially when paired with seafood. But if you’re not a fan of capers, it’s fine to leave them out.
How to buy the best fish for creamy salmon pasta
While for recipes like salmon sandwiches, I purchase thick, individual fillets of salmon (so, 4 separate (usually center cut) fillets for 4 servings), I love the ease of roasting a larger fillet of salmon for things like salmon and spinach pasta, since I’m just going to break it into chunks anyway.
At the grocery store, butcher, or seafood market, ask them for a fillet of salmon with the skin on, about 3/4 of a pound to a pound (or 2 fillets that equal about that weight).
You can use any variety of salmon you like best for this creamy salmon pasta, whether that’s Atlantic salmon, sockeye salmon, or something else.
Food & Wine’s Guide to Every Type of Salmon You Can Buy will help you learn the differences before you’re ready to make this recipe.
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 and seasoning it with salt and pepper, and popping it into the oven. 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.
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. That’s it!
Home Chef Tips for Pasta with Salmon
- If it’s a warm day, and you don’t want to turn on the oven, you can use my instant pot salmon (skip the potatoes) or grilled sockeye salmon recipe to cook the salmon instead of roasting.
- I kept the salmon simple for this recipe, with just salt and pepper, but if you have lemons, and rosemary or thyme, feel free to cook it in the style of my sockeye salmon recipe for even more flavor.
Can this be reheated or frozen?
While I love recipes where leftovers can be reheated for lunch the next day or are even freezer friendly, this salmon pasta recipe is one that is best eaten immediately.
Seafood never reheats that 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.
But, if you have a bit of leftovers and you MUST reheat them, the easiest way to reheat is to microwave at 50% power (this will help prevent the creamy sauce from breaking). I recommend this method for any creamy pasta.
What to serve with salmon with pasta in cream sauce
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 pasta, I suggest either my balsamic green beans or roasted asparagus.
If you’d like a fresh green salad with your pasta, I recommends some simple mixed greens tossed with citrus vinaigrette.
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 Foxes Love Lemons Favorites
The Best Creamy Salmon Pasta
With over 2.8 million page views since 2018, this simple yet impressive Creamy Salmon Pasta is the most popular recipe on my website. Roasted salmon, spinach and capers are tossed with pasta and a creamy white wine sauce for a dish special enough for date night at home.
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 salmon fillets (about 3/4 pound) (1 large fillet is also fine)
- 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 350 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. Transfer to oven and bake 14 to 16 minutes or until salmon is almost opaque throughout and internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, add large pinch of salt to pot of boiling water and cook linguine according to package instructions.
- While pasta is cooking, 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.
- Add spinach and capers to skillet. Drain pasta and add to skillet on top of spinach. Cook over low heat 1 to 2 minutes, tossing frequently, or until spinach is just wilted.
- Remove salmon from oven. Slip spatula between salmon skin and flesh to remove skin; discard skin and break salmon into large chunks over pasta. Serve garnished with lemon wedges for squeezing over pasta, 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.
Very nice recipe.  I always get great comments  when I make this.  Thank you so much for the recipe
I’m so glad you like it, MJ!
I usually don’t comment on recipes, however this recipe is now on my top ten favourites. Thank you.Â
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!
I wish you had mentioned this in the body of the recip. I used your yogurt and milk recipe which curdled, and started over with half and half and wine which also curdled. Removed the pasta, salmon and spinach and drained. Then, tried to rescue it with red sauce. My bad. Lots of waste here. Â My lovely salmon.Â
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.Â
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.Â
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!Â
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.
Hi there! Could I prepare this and put it into the oven as a salmon bake? Will it still turn out Juicy from the cream.
Hi Anne Marie – I haven’t tried it this way, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I might recommend a short shape noodle, like penne, if you go this route. Please let me know how it turns out!
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.Â
I’m so glad this was a hit for you, Airy!