The Best Creamy Salmon Pasta (Print version)

Silky pasta with hot-smoked salmon, rich cream sauce, lemon, and fresh herbs.

# What you’ll 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 - 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

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
02 - Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped shallot, sautéing for 2 to 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
03 - Stir in the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Add the flaked hot-smoked salmon and half of the chopped fresh herbs to the skillet. Stir gently to warm through without breaking apart the salmon.
05 - Toss the drained pasta into the skillet. Add reserved pasta water gradually as needed to achieve a silky sauce consistency. Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese and toss until the pasta is evenly coated.
06 - Season with black pepper and adjust salt to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with remaining fresh herbs and additional lemon zest if desired.

# Cooking tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under thirty minutes, which means you can actually enjoy eating instead of spending your evening at the stove.
  • The salmon does most of the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so the sauce stays elegant and simple without demanding your constant attention.
  • It tastes like you made something impressive, but honestly, you barely tried.
02 -
  • Don't drain your pasta water before you finish the sauce; that starchy liquid is what transforms a heavy cream mixture into something that actually clings to the pasta instead of sitting at the bottom of the bowl.
  • The moment you combine everything, you're done—overshooting the timing even by a couple of minutes means the sauce breaks and the salmon falls apart, so have everything ready and work confidently.
03 -
  • Keep your pasta water—seriously, don't throw it away until you've finished tossing everything together, because it's your emergency insurance against a sauce that's too thick or too broken.
  • Buy your salmon from a good fishmonger or a fish counter you trust; since it's the star ingredient and it's not cooked again, quality genuinely shows in every bite.
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