This extremely delicious Salmon and Spinach Pasta recipe is perfect for you if you are looking for a fantastic family weekday meal that is ready in 25 minutes. Creamy, cheesy, and scrumptious, this pasta dish will be a new family favorite in no time.
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Same as Smoked Salmon Pate, this Creamy Salmon Pasta dish is perfect if you have any leftover salmon that needs to be used up. Simply combine it with fresh baby spinach and stir in the delicious sauce.
Why This Recipe Works?
- This Salmon Pasta with Spinach is a quick&easy recipe that takes only 25 minutes, perfect as a weekday meal as well as a date night treat!
- It is a nutritious dish made with fresh ingredients such as fresh salmon and baby spinach.
- The leftovers are perfect for a packed lunch the day after. You can also freeze the leftovers if you want to keep them for longer.
- You can easily customize this Salmon and Spinach Pasta dish by substituting the spinach with peas or fresh salmon with smoked salmon or any other seafood you prefer.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Salmon - I prefer using fresh salmon but you can use frozen if that's what you have. If using frozen salmon, make sure to thaw it before adding it to the sauce. Also, don't freeze the leftovers if using frozen salmon, and consume the leftovers in 24 hours.
- Spinach - I use fresh baby spinach leaves as they are sweeter in taste. You can also use chopped spinach leaves instead. Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly and dry them before adding them to the sauce.
- Butter - It adds a nutty flavor and helps to create a creamy sauce. Substitute it with olive oil for a healthier option.
- Double cream - It is very similar to heavy cream. You can substitute it with whipping cream or milk and butter.
- Pasta - Dried or fresh, any pasta type works great with this creamy sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese - No pasta is complete without parmesan cheese. Use a good quality block cheese and try to avoid already grated versions. Some of the best substitutes for parmesan are Grana Padano, Pecorino, or Manchego cheeses.
- Wild garlic pesto - I prefer using homemade Wild Garlic Pesto as I always have some in my freezer and it tastes amazing. Any pesto would work with a bit of extra garlic addition!
- Flavorings - I use Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, chili flakes, freshly ground black pepper, and salt as flavorings but feel free to omit or adjust them to your taste.
- Parsley - Finely chopped flat-leaf or curly parsley brightens the flavor of the sauce. You can use half amount of dried parsley if you don't have fresh ones.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This is a very simple, straightforward recipe and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F). Place the salmon fillets in an ovenproof dish, lightly cover them with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt.
Bake the salmon fillets for 10 minutes, and remove them from the oven.
Flake the cooked salmon using a fork and knife. The salmon fillets won't be totally cooked as they will cook more when added to pasta.
Put some water in a large pot with plenty of salt for the pasta on high heat and bring it to a boil while the salmon is cooking. Start making the sauce when the fish is flaked and the water starts boiling.
Place a wok or a large pan on medium heat and melt some butter. Stir in the pesto and cook for a few minutes. Add the spinach in batches and cook it stirring, for a couple of minutes until wilted, and then add the salt, chili, and freshly ground pepper.
Stir in the double cream, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, and let it boil for a minute before adding the half-cooked pasta to the sauce. The pasta should be cooked for around 7-8 minutes.
Add two cups of pasta water, cover with a lid, and let the pasta cook for another 5 minutes, or until it is cooked to your liking.
To finish the pasta, add the cooked salmon, parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley, give them a good stir, and serve immediately when still warm.
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Top Tips From the Chef
- Cook your pasta in plenty of salted boiling water for the best results.
- Don't add any oil to pasta water as it prevents the sauce from sticking to the pasta and also delays boiling the pasta water.
- The salmon fillets shouldn't be totally cooked as they will cook more when added to pasta.
- If you have any leftover salmon fillets from Mediterranean Baked Salmon, that's the best recipe to use them up!
Recipe FAQs
If using fresh salmon and spinach for your pasta dish, you can keep the leftovers refrigerated for up to two days in an airtight container. If you want to keep the pasta longer, you can keep them in the freezer for up to two months.
The best way to reheat a leftover pasta dish is to microwave it. Place the pasta in a microwave-safe dish and reheat it for 1½ to 2 minutes, checking and stirring it gently every 30 seconds.
Penne, linguine, spaghetti, fusilli, and rigatoni are my favorite pasta types for creamy pasta dishes but you can use any pasta you love or have in hand.
Related Recipes
For more delicious easy and quick weekday meals why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this simple yet delicious Salmon and Spinach Pasta as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
Salmon Spinach Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients
- 400 g pasta
- 1 teaspoon salt (for pasta water)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 300 g salmon fillet
- 20 g butter
- ½ teaspoon flaked chilli (pul biber)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 300 g baby spinach
- 240 ml double cream
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon wild garlic pesto (or regular pesto)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 60 g parmesan (freshly grated)
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1-2 cups pasta cooking water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200° C (400 °F).
- Place the salmon fillets in an ovenproof dish, lightly cover them with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt.
- Bake the salmon fillets for 10 minutes, remove them from the oven, and flake them using a fork and knife.
- Put some water in a large pot with plenty of salt for the pasta on high heat and bring it to a boil while the salmon is cooking.
- Start making the sauce when the fish is flaked and the water starts boiling.
- Place a wok or a large pan on medium heat and melt some butter.
- Stir in the pesto and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the spinach in batches and cook it stirring, for a couple of minutes until wilted and then add the salt, chili, and freshly ground pepper.
- Stir in the double cream, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, and let it boil for a minute before adding the half-cooked pasta to the sauce. The pasta should be cooked for around 7-8 minutes.
- Add two cups of pasta water, cover with a lid and let the pasta cook for another 5 minutes, or until it is cooked to your taste.
- To finish the pasta, add the cooked salmon, parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley, give them a good stir and serve immediately when still warm.
Video
Notes
- Cook your pasta in plenty of salted boiling water for the best results.
- Don't add any oil to pasta water as it prevents the sauce from sticking to the pasta and also delays boiling the pasta water.
- The salmon fillets shouldn't be totally cooked as they will cook more when added to pasta.
- If using fresh salmon and spinach for your pasta dish, you can keep the leftovers refrigerated for up to two days in an airtight container.
- If you want to keep the pasta longer, you can keep them in the freezer for up to two months.
Nutrition
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Megan
Loads of yumminess! I tried it and we all do love it!