Salmon Alfredo
Make restaurant-quality Salmon Alfredo Pasta at home in 30 minutes! These creamy noodles tossed with tender salmon and perfectly roasted broccoli are perfect for a weeknight or to serve to company.
“This is another great recipe that we both really enjoyed. My husband doesn’t use the word delicious very often, but he did for this. I’m delighted to have another excellent way of preparing salmon.”
-Susan
“Wow! I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Every recipe I’ve made of yours has turned out soooo delicious and the Salmon Alfredo was no exception! It was so easy and delicious!!!!!”
—Cindy
Salmon Alfredo Is A Delicious Departure From Chicken
You might be a fellow millennial if you grew up thinking chicken fettuccine Alfredo was basically the best restaurant dish ever.
We think it’s time to give this comfort food classic a modern update. By swapping the chicken for tender baked salmon and adding perfectly roasted broccoli, this Salmon Alfredo combines indulgent flavor with a balanced mix of protein, pasta and vegetables.
Like our Creamy Salmon Pasta with over 3.8 million page views, this recipe is perfect for introducing even the most hesitant seafood eaters to the joys of salmon. The homemade Alfredo sauce made with butter, garlic, shallot, cream, Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of bright lemon will make a salmon lover out of almost anyone.
Why You Will Love Salmon Alfredo Pasta
- Despite its gourmet flavor, this recipe comes together in 30 minutes, so it’s ideal for weeknights.
- Swap the broccoli for your favorite veggies or change the pasta shape – it’s versatile!
- The creamy homemade Alfredo sauce mellows the flavor of the salmon, making it a great introduction to seafood for young eaters.
Alfredo Salmon Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- salmon – you will need 3/4 pound of salmon for this recipe. More on this below!
- fettuccine – this is our noodle of choice for this salmon with Alfredo sauce, but linguine, spaghetti or tagliatelle work just as well.
- broccoli – adds texture, color and a nutrient-rich vegetable component. Asparagus is also great here!
- 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.
- olive oil – for roasting the salmon and broccoli.
- garlic – 3 minced garlic cloves add lots of flavor to the sauce. Want to add more? Measure with your heart.
- shallot – adds a mild sweetness and depth of flavor to the Alfredo sauce.
- heavy cream – it’s not Alfredo sauce without cream! Heavy cream results in the best sauce texture, and if you substitute something else, your sauce may curdle and not turn out properly.
- Parmesan cheese – provides the signature savory, nutty flavor that creamy Alfredo sauce is known for.
- lemon juice – adds bright acidity to the Alfredo salmon cream sauce!
- salt and pepper – for seasoning every step of the salmon and Alfredo perfectly.
- chopped fresh parsley, lemon wedges, shaved Parmesan cheese – for garnishing the finished plates. Other fresh herbs, like basil, are also good if you don’t have parsley!
How To Buy The Best Fish For Salmon and Alfredo
While for recipes like Crab Stuffed Salmon, we purchase thick, individual fillets of salmon (so, 4 separate fillets for 4 servings), we love the ease of roasting a larger fillet of salmon for things like this salmon and broccoli Alfredo pasta, since we’re 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.
How To Make Salmon Fettuccine Alfredo
1. BAKE. Place the broccoli and salmon on a large baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray, and season everything with salt and pepper. Bake until the broccoli is tender and the salmon is opaque throughout.
2. BOIL. Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine in a pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
3. SAUCE. Cook the garlic and shallot in butter in a large skillet. Stir in the cream and salt and pepper and cook until thickened. Reduce the heat and stir in the cheese and lemon juice.
4. CHUNK. Take the broccoli and salmon out of the oven. Slip the spatula between the salmon skin and flesh and discard the skin. Break the salmon into large chunks.
5. TOSS. Add the cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, broccoli and salmon to the skillet with the sauce and toss until everything is well combined.
6. SERVE. Divide the pasta between the plates and serve garnished with parsley, lemon wedges and Parmesan.
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Salmon Alfredo Recipe Home Chef Tips
- You can use any variety of salmon you like best for this salmon pasta Alfredo, 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.
- Feel free to sprinkle the salmon with some our Salmon Seasoning Recipe, Italian seasoning or your favorite spices if you’d like even more flavor in this Alfredo salmon.
- Alfredo sauce thickens as it cools, so serve the dish as soon as it’s done for the best texture and flavor.
- Try this with shrimp or scallops in place of salmon for a different type of seafood Alfredo!
What To Serve With Salmon Alfredo Pasta
Since we’ve already packed a bunch of broccoli into this Alfredo salmon with creamy pasta, this dish is hearty enough to stand on its own, but you can round out the meal with:
- Another veggie, like Balsamic Green Beans or Balsamic Asparagus.
- A fresh green salad tossed with Citrus Salad Dressing.
- Garlic Bread or Focaccia for soaking up extra sauce.
Alfredo Salmon Storage
While we love recipes where leftovers can be put in the microwave for lunch the next day, this salmon and Alfredo is one that is best eaten immediately. Does “reheated fish pasta” sound good to anybody?
We also don’t recommend freezing this salmon fettuccine Alfredo.
So, while this recipe as written below would serve a family of four (or a double date at home!), if you’re serving just two people, we’d recommend cutting the recipe in half.
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Salmon Alfredo Pasta
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Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 head broccoli cut into small florets
- 1 large boneless salmon fillet about 3/4 to 1 pound
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided, plus more for pasta water
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- 12 ounces uncooked fettuccine noodles
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons (8 tablespoons)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- Lemon wedges for garnish
- Shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and heat large pot of water to boiling on stove.
- Spray large rimmed baking pan with nonstick spray. Place broccoli on one half of prepared pan. Place salmon, skin side down, on other half of pan. Drizzle broccoli with olive oil. Sprinkle salmon and broccoli with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until broccoli is tender and salmon is opaque throughout and internal temperature of thickest part of fillet reaches 145 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, salt pot of boiling water and cook fettuccine according to package instructions.
- Melt butter in large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in cream and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese and lemon juice.
- Remove broccoli and salmon from oven. Slip spatula between salmon skin and flesh to remove skin. Discard skin and break salmon into large chunks.
- Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain fettuccine. Add pasta and reserved cooking water to skillet with sauce. Add broccoli and salmon chunks; toss until everything is well combined.
- Divide pasta between plates and serve garnished with parsley, lemon wedges and shaved Parmesan cheese.
Wow! I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Every recipe I’ve made of yours has turned out soooo delicious and the Salmon Alfredo was no exception! I have an abundance of sockeye salmon in my freezer and I find myself eating it less often because I’ve tired of all my typical uses of salmon. I have no idea why it never occurred to me to try it Alfredo style. It was so easy and delicious!!!!! We’ve smoked quite a bit of it, too, so I’m tempted to try making it with smoked salmon, too! Thanks, Lori!
This makes my day, Cindy! I’m so glad the Salmon Alfredo gave you a fresh way to enjoy all that beautiful sockeye. I love the idea of trying it with smoked salmon, too – I bet that would be incredible!
I love just about anything Alfredo, and I’m trying to eat more fish, so this is an excellent choice. I would have to make half the recipe since there are only two of us, and I would have to change out the pasta for zucchini noodles to keep my carb levels in check. Definitely want to try this.
I’m always down for zucchini noodles! Sounds like a great idea, Susan. Enjoy!
This is another great recipe that we both really enjoyed. My husband doesn’t use the word delicious very often, but he did for this. I made half the recipe, and actually skipped the zucchini noodles. Having the noodles would have made it too much food for us (us old folks just don’t want to eat as much). I’m delighted to have another excellent way of preparing salmon.
I’m so glad you both liked this, Susan! Love the zucchini noodle swap!