Salmon Alfredo Pasta
Salmon Alfredo Pasta is a restaurant-quality indulgence that comes together at home in 30 minutes or less. This easy recipe is perfect for a weeknight or to serve to company.
Salmon Alfredo Is A Delicious Departure From Chicken
Sometimes the best recipes are inspired by the past. When my husband and I were first dating in college, he would often order classic chicken fettuccine Alfredo when we would go out to eat.
I thought it was time to give this comfort food dish a modern update. By swapping the chicken for tender, flaky salmon and adding vibrant broccoli, this Salmon Alfredo combines indulgent flavor with a boost of nutrients.
Like my Creamy Salmon Pasta with over 2.8 million page views, this recipe is perfect for introducing even the most hesitant seafood eaters to the joys of salmon. My daughter gobbled this down when she was 2, and still loves it.
Why You Will Love Salmon With Alfredo Sauce
- Despite its gourmet flavor, this salmon Alfredo pasta 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 Alfredo sauce mellows the flavor of the salmon, making it a great introduction to seafood for young eaters.
Salmon Alfredo Ingredients
- salmon – you will need 3/4 pound of salmon for this salmon Alfredo recipe. More on this below!
- fettuccine – this is my 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 Alfredo sauce is known for.
- lemon juice – adds bright acidity to the 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.
How To Buy The Best Fish For Salmon and Alfredo
While for recipes like salmon stuffed with crab, I purchase thick, individual fillets of salmon (so, 4 separate fillets for 4 servings), I love the ease of roasting a larger fillet of salmon for things like this salmon and broccoli Alfredo 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.
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How To Make Salmon Pasta Alfredo
1. BAKE. Place broccoli and salmon on a large sheet pan sprayed with nonstick spray, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the broccoli is tender and salmon is opaque throughout.
2. BOIL. Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine in a pot of salted boiling water according to package directons. Reserve 1/2 pasta cooking water before draining.
3. SAUCE. Cook 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. REMOVE. 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 skillet with 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.
Home Chef Tips for Salmon Fettuccine
- 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 Cajun seasoning or Italian seasoning if you’d like even more flavor.
- Alfredo sauce thickens as it cools, so serve the dish as soon as it’s done for the best texture and flavor.
Alfredo Salmon Storage
While I 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?
I 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, I’d recommend cutting the recipe in half.
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Salmon Alfredo Pasta
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.
