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Salmon pesto pasta is a great, elevated dinner that is ready in under 30 minutes and offers restaurant quality flavor. The herbaceous, beautiful green pesto lights up the salmon and the pasta. My husband loved this recipe and has since requested it a few times. If you want something with a little more creamy texture, Baked Salmon Pasta is a must. This meal makes for a great meal prep as well, the salmon can easily be reheated if you have leftovers. Also try my Tuna Pesto Pasta.
Ingredient Notes
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
- Basil. Fresh basil.
- Pine Nuts OR Walnuts. Both will work great.
- Parmesan. Fresh grated Parmesan to add a nutty saltiness to the pesto.
- Lemon. Fresh lemon juice is the best for this recipe.
- Garlic. This add aroma and a little bite to the pesto
- Olive Oil. A high quality oil with neutral flavor will be best.
- Seasoning. Red pepper flakes and salt for flavor and heat in the peso.
- Pasta. Any pasta shape will work for this!
- Salmon. I opt for boneless and skinless salmon but you can use any salmon of choice. Try myPistachio Salmon for another nutty wonderful concoction. Chicken Breast will also work great for this recipe! Full instructions below in the recipe card.
Steps To Make Pesto Pasta and Salmon
Ready to cook Salmon Pesto Pasta? Let me walk you through the recipe. For your convenience, there is a full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card below.
- Step One. Start water to boil pasta in. Add all the pesto ingredients to a food processor and blitz until blended well and the nuts are broken down. Feel free to add more olive oil if you’d like to thin it out or it the pesto is not blending. Set aside.
- Step Two. Using a fresh paper towel, dab the filets to soak up any excess moisture. Season them with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat with olive oil. Add the salmon, skin side down (or flat side down first). Cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side or until desired texture is acquired.
- Step Three. While pasta is boiling, be sure to collect 1 cup of pasta water before draining!
- Step Four. Once the pasta is al dente, grab pasta water, drain the rest of the water and put pasta back into the pot. Add in 3/4ths of the pesto and ¼ cup of pasta water at a time until pesto is evenly spread, it may not need all the water so add in increments. Plate the pasta and add the salmon on top, I like to crumble the salmon a bit. Sprinkle with extra parmesan and pesto if desired and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook your protein! Be sure to check on it throughout the cooking process.
- Don’t forget to save some pasta water. This is the perfect add in to help get that pesto to coat the pasta all around.
- I prefer my pesto to have a little more chunky texture, you can blend it to your liking. Feel free to add some extra olive oil to thin it out.
- If you are using chicken breast, start with browning the chicken in an oven safe skillet. Season it with salt and pepper, brown for about 6 minutes on each side. Brush the chicken with pesto and then bake on 350º for about 12-14 minutes or until it reaches 165º internally.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Make Ahead & Storage Tips
Make the pesto ahead of time to cut down on time. The pesto will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you have leftovers, store everything in an airtight container. It will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pesto itself can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Other Salmon Recipes To Enjoy
Dinner
Blackened Salmon Tacos
Dinner
Miso Salmon Bowl
Dinner
Easy Firecracker Salmon
Dinner
Teriyaki Salmon Noodles
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Salmon Pesto Pasta
Salmon pesto pasta is a great, elevated dinner that is ready in under 30 minutes and offers restaurant quality flavor. The herbaceous, beautiful green pesto lights up the salmon and the pasta.
Equipment
- food processor or high speed blender
- sauce pan to cook pasta
Ingredients
Pesto
- ½ cup pine nuts or walnuts
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2½ Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup parmesan , *see notes
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes, *see notes
- ½ tsp each salt & pepper
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
Salmon Pesto Noodles
- 5 cups pasta
- 1-1½ cup pasta water
- .75 lb salmon, Or 4 filets
- ½ tsp each salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp oil , to cook salmon in
- 4 Tbsp parmesan , optional for topping
Instructions
- Start water to boil pasta in & Make Pesto. Salt the pasta water well. Add all the pesto ingredients to a food processor and blitz until blended well and the nuts are broken down. Feel free to add more olive oil if you'd like to thin it out or if the pesto is not blending thoroughly. Set aside.
- Prepare Salmon. Using a fresh paper towel, dab the filets to soak up any excess moisture. Season them with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat with olive oil. Add the salmon, skin side down (or flat side down first). Cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side or until desired texture is acquired.
- While pasta is boiling, be sure to collect 1 cup of pasta water before draining!
- Once the pasta is al dente, grab pasta water, drain the rest of the water and put pasta back into the pot. Add in 3/4ths of the pesto and ¼ cup of pasta water at a time until pesto is evenly spread, it may not need all the water so add in increments. Plate the pasta and add the salmon on top, I like to crumble the salmon a bit. Sprinkle with extra parmesan and pesto if desired and enjoy.
- If you are using chicken breast, start with browning the chicken in an oven safe skillet. Season it with salt and pepper, brown for about 6 minutes on each side. Brush the chicken with pesto and then bake on 350º for about 12-14 minutes or until it reaches 165º internally.
Notes
- Don’t overcook your protein! Be sure to check on it throughout the cooking process.
- Don’t forget to save some pasta water. This is the perfect add in to help get that pesto to coat the pasta all around.
- I prefer my pesto to have a little more chunky texture, you can blend it to your liking. Feel free to add some extra olive oil to thin it out.
- If you are using chicken breast, start with browning the chicken in an oven safe skillet. Season it with salt and pepper, brown for about 6 minutes on each side. Brush the chicken with pesto and then bake on 350º for about 12-14 minutes or until it reaches 165º internally.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1918mg | Potassium: 1494mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2161IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
So delicious! Love this recipe for the spring!
Love this recipe, love the combo with salmon. Highly recommend.