Creamy Salmon Pasta (Printable)

Quick weeknight pasta featuring hot-smoked salmon in a rich, creamy lemon sauce with fresh herbs.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried fettuccine or spaghetti
02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
06 - 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon
09 - Scant 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
10 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
11 - 5 oz hot-smoked salmon, flaked
12 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley

# How To Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve scant 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot, sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
03 - Stir in the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, and juice. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Add the flaked hot-smoked salmon and half of the chopped dill or parsley. Stir gently to warm through.
05 - Toss the drained pasta into the skillet. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Sprinkle in the Parmesan and toss until the pasta is coated and the sauce is silky.
06 - Season with black pepper and adjust salt if needed. Serve immediately, topped with remaining herbs and extra lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely elegant enough for guests but simple enough that you won't stress about timing.
  • The hot-smoked salmon means no raw fish anxiety, just flakes of ready-to-eat goodness.
  • Lemon and cream sound like they'd clash, but they create this perfect balance that makes you want another bite.
02 -
  • The pasta water is not an afterthought, it's the secret ingredient that makes a creamy sauce silky instead of heavy and gloopy.
  • Adding the lemon juice at the end instead of cooking it long means you actually taste the brightness instead of losing it to heat.
03 -
  • Reserve your pasta water before you drain anything, because once it's gone you're stuck and the sauce won't have that silky finish.
  • Grate the Parmesan fresh with a microplane instead of using the pre-grated kind, because the anti-caking powder makes the sauce feel gritty instead of smooth.
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