Salmon Pesto Pasta

This Salmon Pesto Pasta is a restaurant-quality dish that comes together very easily at home. So flavorful, elegant and quick enough to make on a weeknight!

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“We made it earlier this week and it was a hit! Great, easy recipe. Thanks!!”

—Rahul

If I had to name a dish that’s quick and easy enough for any home cook to whip up on a weeknight while ALSO feeling elevated enough for a restaurant-style date night, I’m going to name this Salmon Pesto Pasta every single time

Noodles are always versatile and approachable, which is why they’re a weeknight staple. But something abut making salmon at home turns an everyday meal into something truly special.

Let me walk you through this lighter and more refined take on pasta night.

How To Buy The Best Fish For Salmon Pasta With Pesto

While for recipes like salmon sandwiches, crab stuffed salmon recipe and my recipe for bourbon salmon, 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 salmon recipes like salmon pesto 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.

You can use any variety of salmon you like best for this pesto 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 Salmon Pesto Pasta Overview

• So, just like with my Cajun salmon pasta, you’re going to be cooking three things at once (fish, pasta, sauce) in this salmon pasta with pesto recipe, but I know that you can do it. Don’t worry.
• First, 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 our lemon herb sockeye salmon recipe or recipe for grilled salmon for extra flavor). Set a timer and forget about it for awhile.
• Next, get your pasta cooking: dump the noodles into a pot of boiling, salted water, and again: set it and forget it (well, maybe give it a stir or two if you remember).
• Then for the tasty sauce. You’ll start by cooking some garlic and flour in butter, and then adding chicken broth, pesto, lemon zest, salt and pepper. You’ll cook this mixture 3 to 4 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 along with a little bit of pasta cooking water. The starchy water will help the sauce stick to the noodles (I use this technique for fettuccine bolognese and lamb bolognese, too).
• At this point, 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 some Parmesan cheese for sprinkling– it’s dinner time!

How Much Pesto Do You Add?

3/4 cup of pesto, plus 1/4 cup pasta cooking water for every 12 ounces of dry pasta will yield a well-balanced salmon pasta with pesto.

Feel free to add a little bit more pesto to this salmon with pesto pasta if you REALLY love the flavor of basil, or a little bit more pasta cooking water if you like your sauces on the thinner side.

Salmon Pesto Pasta Recipe Variations

• CREAMY – Use heavy cream or half and half in place of the chicken broth for a luxuriously creamy pasta.
• SMOKED – Replace the roasted salmon with a package of pre-cooked smoked salmon. Flake it into the dish in Step 6.
• VEGGIE-PACKED – Amp up the nutrients by adding in fresh or roasted veggies like cherry tomatoes, zucchini, baby spinach or asparagus.

Can You Freeze Salmon Pesto Pasta?

While I love recipes where leftovers can be reheated for lunch the next day, this salmon pesto pasta is one that is best eaten immediately (just like my Greek yogurt pasta sauce and salmon piccata). Does “reheated fish pasta” sound good to anybody? I mean, it doesn’t to me.

I also don’t recommend freezing this salmon pasta with pesto, for the same reasons. Long story short, make this and eat it immediately for best results. My pastitsio is a much better pasta recipe for the freezer.