Salmon Spaghetti with Lemon Garlic Sauce
Published Jul 31, 2024
Updated Nov 21, 2024
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This quick and easy Salmon Spaghetti is utterly delicious and takes less than 30 minutes from prep to dinner table. With its rich, garlicky, creamy lemon garlic sauce, this spaghetti with salmon recipe is one of the best pasta dishes that's effortless to prepare!
Salmon Spaghetti
Salmon spaghetti is one of those dishes that’s both super satisfying and surprisingly easy to make. Imagine tender pieces of pan seared salmon, cooked just right so they’re flaky and flavorful, tossed with easy spaghetti and a tasty sauce.
For this recipe, I chose lemon garlic sauce, combining the rich flavors of garlic, citrus, and roasted walnut to create a dish that’s both satisfying and easy to make.
Start by preparing the zesty lemon and garlic sauce, blending lemon juice, zest, garlic, toasted walnuts, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese until smooth. Then, toss the sauce with al dente spaghetti and pan seared salmon for a quick and delicious meal that’s ready in under 30 minutes. It’s one of the best pasta recipes to cook at home with minimal effort and maximum flavor.
Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe is effortless to prepare with a few basic ingredients that can be easily found in local grocery stores. It’s a perfect recipe for busy weekday night dinners with minimal preparation, and short cooking time, delivering a wholesome meal in under 30 minutes.
- Packed with flavor, this spaghetti with salmon dish is a true delight. The harmonious blend of garlic, lemon, toasted walnuts, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese creates a symphony of flavors that perfectly complement the salmon. The lemon’s acidity cuts through the sauce’s richness, while the garlic adds depth and the toasted walnuts impart a delightful nuttiness. Together, they create an irresistible pasta dish that’s sure to please.
- This recipe is incredibly versatile. While salmon is the star here, you can easily swap it out for other firm fish or protein substitutes like shrimp, chicken, or various seafood options such as scallop or even lobster, allowing you to customize the dish to suit your preferences or whatever ingredients you have on hand.
Salmon Spaghetti Ingredients
The salmon and spaghetti with Lemon Garlic Sauce recipe brings you a restaurant-quality pasta dish that’s absolutely delicious and irresistible. With just a handful of simple ingredients, you can create the best pasta right in your own kitchen.
For the flavorful lemon and garlic sauce, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Lemon – Incorporate freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest to infuse the sauce with a delightful brightness that cuts through the richness of the dish.
- Garlic – Enhance the sauce with an extra clove or two of garlic for depth of flavor and aroma.
- Toasted walnuts- The sauce is infused with a nutty aroma and provides a creamy texture.
- Olive oil – Smooth and blend the sauce to perfection, ensuring a silky consistency that coats every strand of pasta.
- Grated parmesan – Use freshly grated parmesan cheese to impart the finest flavor to the sauce, enriching it with its savory notes.
To complete the dish you will need the following ingredients:
- Spaghetti – You may use fettuccine or linguine as substitutes. Be careful not to overcook the spaghetti, as it will continue cooking when combined with the sauce and salmon in the skillet.
- Baby capers – They offer a subtle blend of brininess and tanginess. Sprinkle the pan-fried baby capers over the finished dish to elevate its flavor.
- Sourdough bread – These pan-fried sourdough cubes are delightfully crunchy and aromatic. They make for the perfect, most satisfying topping for salmon spaghetti with lemon garlic sauce.
- Unsalted butter – Butter adds richness and a subtle nutty flavor to the salmon, enhancing its natural taste. Cooking salmon with butter also ensures that the meat remains moist and tender.
- Salmon fillets – Whether skin-on or skinless, both varieties of salmon fillets work well for this recipe.
- Watercress leaves – With their refreshing taste, watercress leaves help to balance the dish’s richness. Alternatively, you can substitute arugula or baby spinach for a similar result.
How To Make Salmon Spaghetti
Whipping up this mouthwatering salmon spaghetti recipe is a breeze.
Step 1: Blend together lemon juice, zest, garlic, walnuts, olive oil, and grated parmesan cheese until velvety smooth. Set aside.
Step 2: Cook the pasta in a saucepan with boiling salted water until perfectly al dente. Drain and set aside. Reserve one cup of pasta water.
Step 3: Create a crispy, fragrant topping by sautéing baby capers and sourdough bread in a skillet until golden brown.
Step 4: Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper, then cook them in melted butter until they’re firm and cooked through. Carefully transfer the salmon to a plate.
Step 5: Once the pasta and sauce are back in the skillet, add a cup of reserved pasta water to achieve the desired consistency. Toss in the salmon and watercress leaves, and serve immediately, garnished with baby capers, crunchy sourdough, and extra watercress leaves for an added touch of freshness. Enjoy!
Helpful Cooking Tips
For the best Salmon Spaghetti with Lemon Garlic Sauce, please follow my tips below:
- Use fresh wild caught salmon for the best taste. You may also use the frozen salmon fillets, and defrost them properly before cooking.
- Do not overcook the salmon. You may cook the salmon fillet in one piece or cut it into smaller pieces to shorten the cooking time. Cook the salmon until the color changes from translucent to opaque pink, and when the meat becomes fork tender, please remove it from the heat immediately.
- When making the lemon and garlic sauce, you may certainly adjust the sourness by adding less lemon juice to the blender to suit your taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use smoked salmon for a different flavor profile. Just add it at the end of cooking since it’s already cooked.
Yes, you can make the lemon and garlic sauce ahead of time and store it in an airtight container. Keep the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. And cook it directly with the pasta when you’re ready to serve.
Cook the salmon just until it flakes easily with a fork.
Store the leftover salmon pasta in an airtight container, and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 days.
To reheat, microwave the pasta for 1 minute and 30 seconds. If the pasta becomes too thick, add a tablespoon of water to the pasta while reheating it. You may also reheat the pasta over the stove for 2 to 3 minutes or until it warms.
This recipe is 1032 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Salmon Spaghetti
For a great meal with salmon spaghetti, you can keep things simple and tasty with the side dishes below:
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Salmon Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lemons, squeeze out lemon juice and zest
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 ounces (60g) toasted walnuts
- 1/3 cup (80g) grated parmesan cheese
- 13 ounces (400g) spaghetti
- 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons baby capers
- 2 slices sourdough bread, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 pound (500g) skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch thick bite-sized pieces, season with salt and ground black pepper
- 2 3/4 tablespoons (40g) unsalted butter
- 2 ounces (60g) watercress leaves
Instructions
- To make the lemon and garlic sauce, add the lemon juice and zest, garlic, and walnuts to a blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds until smooth. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and blend again until well combined. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Heat a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the capers and cook for 3 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer the capers to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Add the remaining oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add the bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Transfer the bread to the same plate as the capers.
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season with salt and ground black pepper. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon and cook until fork-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the sauce, pasta, and 1 cup of reserved pasta water to the skillet. Continue to cook, using tongs to coat the pasta evenly with the sauce. Stir in the salmon and watercress leaves, and toss well. To serve, transfer the pasta to a plate and top with crispy capers, bread crumbs, and extra watercress leaves.
Video
Notes
- Use fresh wild caught salmon for the best taste. You may also use the frozen salmon fillets, and defrost them properly before cooking.
- Do not overcook the salmon. You may cook the salmon fillet in one piece or cut it into smaller pieces to reduce cooking time. Cook the salmon until the color changes from translucent to opaque pink, and when the meat becomes fork tender, please remove it from the heat immediately.
- When making the lemon and garlic sauce, you may certainly adjust the sourness by adding less lemon juice to the blender to suit your taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
