Lemon Garlic Salmon Pasta (without Cream)

Flaked salmon pasta without cream in a dish along with roasted cherry tomatoes.

5 from 2 votes

Lemon Garlic Salmon Pasta (without Cream)

This recipe for salmon pasta (without cream) is one of my favorite quick pasta dinners for spring and summer. Flaked salmon, roasted cherry tomatoes, and penne pasta are tossed in a simple lemon-garlic butter sauce that tastes rich without relying on heavy cream. It's simple, comes together in about 30 minutes, and works perfectly for an easy weeknight dinner.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Servings:

Author: Katie Youngs

Ingredients

12 ounces dry penne pasta
16 ounces frozen salmon filets
2 pints cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons salted butter
½ cup yellow onion diced
3 large garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup reserved pasta water
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
Kosher salt and extra black pepper to taste
Optional ingredients: Fresh parsley, fresh basil, freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450°F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the penne pasta according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water. Then drain the remaining water and set the pasta aside.
Place the frozen salmon and fresh cherry tomatoes on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and season generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
Roast at 450°F for 20-25 minutes. If the tomatoes cook faster than the salmon, carefully remove them from the pan and set them aside. I like to start checking on the tomatoes around the 15-minute mark. Continue roasting the salmon until it flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of at least 145°F. The salmon should be opaque and cooked through.
While the pasta, salmon, and cherry tomatoes cook, prepare the butter garlic sauce. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, then sauté for about 3 minutes, until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant.
Add the white wine and continue cooking the sauce at a strong simmer for about 1 minute.
Add the Dijon mustard, reserved pasta water, and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Stir and cook for another minute.
Stir in the fresh lemon juice and remove the sauce from the heat.
Once the salmon is fully cooked (and has reached an internal temperature of at least 145°F), use a fork to gently flake it into bite-sized pieces. Add the flaked salmon to the butter-garlic sauce and stir to coat so it can soak up some of the rich, buttery flavors.
Pour the sauce and salmon mixture over the cooked pasta and toss until well combined. Finally, gently fold in the roasted cherry tomatoes.
I like to finish the pasta with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh parsley or fresh basil. Serve right away while the pasta is warm.

Notes

Salt your pasta water: It infuses your pasta with flavor, and the reserved water adds a bit of saltiness to the sauce.
Add salt to taste: I don't add extra salt to the lemon butter sauce because we're using salted butter, salt-and-pepper-seasoned salmon, and salty pasta water. You can taste the sauce once it's finished and add a pinch more salt if desired.
Prevent blue garlic: Fresh garlic can sometimes turn blue when it reacts with lemon juice. To help prevent this, make sure the garlic is fully cooked before adding the lemon juice, and wait to add the lemon juice until the very end of the sauce-making step.
Salmon cooking times may vary: Thicker salmon filets can take longer to cook, especially when starting from frozen. Continue cooking them until they reach an internal temperature of at least 145°F and flake easily with a fork
The nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.

Nutrition

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