Smoked Salmon Pasta

This creamy smoked salmon pasta recipe is ready in less than 25 minutes and is the perfect marriage of impressive yet easy to make. Tender flakes of smoked salmon add something special to tendrils of pasta, fresh herbs, and a silky pan sauce. The result: a great dinner for date night, guests, or any weeknight that deserves to feel elevated.

Like many favorite recipes, this evolved from a fridge situation. I’d shelled out for a package of smoked salmon, imagining a luxurious breakfast piling it onto bagels while on vacation. That never happened; the salmon lingered in the fridge. It may have been fated, though, because this pasta alternative was the happiest of accidents.

Why You’ll Love This Smoked Salmon Pasta

• Feels like something you’d enjoy at a restaurant, yet easy to make at home
• The sauce is light, bright, and infused with the zing of fresh herbs and lemon juice
• Everyday ingredients and pantry staples mingle to punch above their weight
• Extremely quick—about 25 minutes start to serving
• Flexible—deconstruct for choosy kids, double the sauce if you like, swap the herbs, etc.

The finished smoked salmon pasta pairs beautifully with pesto green beans, lemon pepper asparagus, or a 5-minute arugula salad. Garlic bread never hurts, either!

Ingredient Notes

Easy Yet Elegant Does It

This is a delicious, company-worthy dish, but the real secret is how ultra-fast and simple it is to make.

Cook pasta. The first step, unsurprisingly, is to boil pasta in well-salted water just to al dente.

Start the sauce. Meanwhile, set a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil and butter. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds (photo 1).

Concentrate flavors. Next, add broth to the skillet along with white wine and a squeeze of lemon juice (photo 2). Let this bubble for 3-4 minutes (photo 3).

Add cream. Stir in the cream and cook for one or two minutes more (photo 4). The cream should warm through and fuse with the other liquids into a smooth mixture, but if it simmers too long after that, it will separate back out in an odd way.

Put it together. When the sauce is smooth, take the pan off the heat and stir in the salmon, chopped or torn into small pieces (photo 5). Season with salt and pepper and stir in the pasta (photo 6).

Garnish and serve. Fresh herbs, more lemon juice if you like, and dinner is done!

Variations and Add-Ins

We adore this pasta as-is, but if you want to mix in a little something extra, a sprinkle of briny capers or tangy sun-dried tomatoes is a way to dial up the color and flavor.

You can also stir in some sautéed peas, zucchini, bell peppers, or other quick-cooking veggie to make it a one-pot situation.

More Quick Skillet Pastas

• Skillet Baked Ziti
• Easy Ditalini with Peas
• Super Quick Corkscrew Pasta
• Chicken Marinara Pasta

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

4.87 from 15 votes

Smoked Salmon Pasta

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4

This creamy smoked salmon pasta recipe is ready in less than 25 minutes and the perfect marriage of impressive yet easy to make. Tender flakes of smoked salmon add something special to tendrils of pasta, fresh herbs, and a silky pan sauce.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 8 ounces pasta any shape
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or veggie broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine can substitute more broth
• juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 4-6 ounces smoked salmon torn or chopped into small pieces
• kosher salt and black pepper
• fresh dill and/or parsley for serving

Instructions

• Boil a large pot of water and add a generous pinch of salt. Cook pasta just to al dente, according to package directions.
  8 ounces pasta
• While the pasta cooks, start the sauce by adding butter and oil to a large skillet set over medium-high heat.
  3 Tablespoons butter, 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• When butter is melted, add garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant.
  2-3 cloves garlic
• Add broth, wine, and lemon juice to the pan. Cook until the sauce is visibly reduced, about 4 minutes.
  1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or veggie broth, 1/2 cup dry white wine, juice from 1/2 a lemon
• Stir in the cream and let the sauce cook for 1-2 minute mores, until the cream is warmed through and bubbled into a smooth sauce together with the other liquids.
  1/4 cup heavy cream
• Remove pan from the heat, stir in the salmon pieces, and season to taste with salt and pepper. (The amount you like can vary considerably, but I usually start with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.)
  4-6 ounces smoked salmon , kosher salt and black pepper
• Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet, stirring gently to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with fresh dill and/or parsley, chopped, if you like. Serve right away and enjoy.
  fresh dill and/or parsley

Last step!Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked the recipe. This helps my small business thrive and continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.

Notes

1. Smoked Salmon vs. Lox: The terms are often used interchangeably but the method is different. Choose smoked salmon for this recipe: it’s smoked as well as cured (lox is exclusively salt cured) resulting in a firmer texture and less salty finish. Products labeled “Nova Lox” are a hybrid and work well here. Confusing, I know.
2. Optional Add-Ins: For an extra touch, try adding 1-2 tablespoons of capers, drained. They add a salty, briny flavor that really stands out. You can usually find capers in a small jar in the condiment aisle of the grocery store, near jarred olives and pickles and things. Sun-dried tomatoes are also fun.
3. Storage: This pasta is best right away, but leftovers will keep in the fridge in any airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove using medium-low heat. Do not freeze.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 449 kcal, Carbohydrates: 44 g, Protein: 16 g, Fat: 20 g, Saturated Fat: 10 g, Cholesterol: 53 mg, Sodium: 428 mg, Potassium: 259 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 518 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg, Calcium: 34 mg, Iron: 1 mg

Author: Monica

Course: Main, Pasta

Cuisine: American

Keyword: smoked salmon pasta

This post was originally published on August 14, 2019. It’s been updated with streamlined post text and extra photos showing the dish with linguine as an alternative to rotini; the recipe itself is unchanged.