Creamy Salmon Pasta with Lemon (Print Version)

Silky fettuccine with flaked hot-smoked salmon in a creamy lemon sauce, finished with fresh dill and Parmesan.

# 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

# How to Make It:

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.
02 - Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot, sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
03 - Stir in the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, and juice. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes.
04 - Add the flaked hot-smoked salmon and half of the chopped dill or parsley. Stir gently to warm through.
05 - Toss the drained pasta into the skillet. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Sprinkle in the Parmesan and toss until the pasta is coated and the sauce is silky.
06 - Season with black pepper and adjust salt if needed. Serve immediately, topped with remaining herbs and extra lemon zest if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It tastes like something from a fancy bistro but takes less time than ordering delivery.
  • The smoky richness of the salmon means you dont need to fuss with browning or marinating anything.
  • Leftovers actually taste better the next day when the flavors meld together in the fridge.
  • You can pull this off even on a Tuesday when your brain is too tired for complicated cooking.
02 -
  • Dont skip reserving the pasta water, I forgot once and the sauce turned thick and clumpy instead of silky.
  • Add the salmon at the end and warm it gently, overcooking it makes the delicate fish dry and crumbly.
  • If your sauce looks too thick, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time, it transforms the texture like nothing else.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the skillet so the fragrant oils fall right into the sauce.
  • Taste your smoked salmon before adding salt, some brands are saltier than others and you might not need any extra.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet off the heat for the last minute so the sauce clings without breaking from too much heat.
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