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 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 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 more of the 1300+ reviews (averaging 4.5 stars) speak for themselves:
“This dish is quick and delicious, only 30 minutes and you are serving. It is also just a little fancy. I have made it many times and have never been disappointed.”
—Judith
“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 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.
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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 (or salmon rub if you want even more flavor), 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.
The Best Creamy Salmon Pasta
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
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- 12 ounces linguine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 box baby spinach 5 ounces
- 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.
Video
Notes
- 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 salmonrecipe 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.
Oh. My, Goddess. Wow. I will definitely be saving this recipe! I made it and had your Basalmic Asparagus as a side.
I am so glad to hear that you liked this so much, Anna!
Yup, this was awesome. So easy and quick to make and my family (esp. my kids!) said this was the best dish. I used asparagus instead of spinach because that’s what I had and it was so awesome. We will be doing this again!
So glad to hear that, Natalie! I love the idea of putting asparagus in there!
WONDERFUL! This is the first time I ever leave a review on a blog. I felt I had to because I was blown away by how much everyone loved this Salmon and Linguine pasta. I do not eat any seafood whatsoever so I made it exactly as written with one exception- I left out the capers because my family does not like them.. I can’t even try anything made with fish or seafood so I just relied on your measurements and they were perfect. No leftovers at all. It all got gobbled up. 10 Stars from me if I could!
I’m so flattered that this was so good you had to leave a comment, Connie. I’m so glad this was such a hit for your family.
Made it! It was delish! I added cheese! Family raved!
Yay! I’m all about adding cheese. Glad it was delish!
So good! We also seasoned our salmon with blackening mix for a bit more flavor. The zest was just the perfect amount of lemon flavor.
Love the blackening mix addition. So glad you liked this, Harmony!
Very good! The pasta bowl was cleaned out tonight. Was a hit with the picky kid even. Had left over smoked salmon to use.
Gotta love when it’s a hit with a picky kid, too. So glad the whole family loved it, Ron!
This was delicious! And so easy – one of the very few recipes I’ve made whose various parts actually come together at the times indicated. This will definitely be part of the regular rotation from now on.
I’m so glad to hear that, Maharani! My goal is always to make recipes that work exactly like they say they will.
Easy, delicious as described. Add red pepper flakes for a kick. Everybody loves this dish
I’m so glad to hear that, Bryan! I add red pepper flakes quite a bit, too.
So so so good! I didn’t have heavy cream so used 3% milk + about 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt to fill up a scant cup, and 1/3-1/2 cup of creamed cheese for the sauce:) I’ll def be making this again! Thank you for a delicious recipe!
Yum! So glad it turned out well, Candice.
I made this recipe for my girlfriend and me. It was great. I did modify the recipe a bit – I added 227 grams of mushrooms with the cream and it added more body and volume to the sauce. We enjoyed it and will certainly make it again.
So glad you liked this, Gary! I’m regretting not adding mushrooms to it the first time around. haha.
I made this for my boyfriend and I tonight. It’s one of the most dimensional dishes I’ve made so far.. I’m not the best cook but it inspired me to get more in touch with flavour combinations. The acidity. The smells were beautiful it was a pleasure to make🥰!!! The wine. The lemon and the garlic just wonderful. I also added a little parsley in the end because I like the herb so much.
I love this review, Olivia! It’s exactly what I was going for! I’m so glad you liked it.
Made this fabulous creamy linguini again but this time, instead of salmon I served it with chicken and mushrooms stirred in , as well as the spinach. So fabulously delicious!
Hi Jackie! I LOVE your chicken and mushrooms idea. That made my mouth water just thinking about it. Definitely trying that myself next week 🙂
I made this tonight and it was a hit. We didn’t have heavy cream so I used full cream milk instead but reduced the amount to about half and added olive oil so it became kind of a cross between a cream based pasta and an oil based pasta. It had just the right amount of creaminess in the end and was well-balanced. I also added some chili flakes towards the end which added a bit of heat. Thanks for a great recipe, we enjoyed our dinner!
Hi KS! I’m so glad this turned out great for you, and you liked it. I also always add chili flakes to my serving 🙂
Lori,
AOC made a spinach/lemon/salmon creamy pasta on Instagram. You may have inspired her with this amazing recipe. We love it too.
https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1337229631930380291
OMG, this is great! Looks like her video is a few years old, but I had never heard about it until you told me. It certainly does look like a very similar recipe. I’m flattered that she (appears to have) made it, and that you love it, Colleen!
I’d be over the moon if she made one of my recipes – as in I could die happy. Here’s the video where she starts her prep and gets distracted LOL: https://twitter.com/i/status/1337511922011414528
Haha yes, this has totally made my day! Thank you so much for telling me about this, Colleen!
Bit of a late comment but imo lay came across this today. I swapped the cream for vegan cream and cheese, delicious. Lovely recipe with the spinach and wine. Will be using again
I’m so glad you were able to make this recipe work with the right substitutions for you, Amit!
I want to try this, but can’t have dairy. Can I substitute oat milk for the heavy cream? Thanks!
Hi Julia – I haven’t tested it with a non-dairy milk. It might lead to a thinner sauce. But please let me know how it turns out if you do try it!