Creamy Salmon Pasta Recipe (easy and delicious)

5 from 20 votes

This creamy salmon pasta recipe is unbelievably easy and guaranteed to become a new favorite. Perfectly cooked salmon gets folded into a light, lemony cream sauce with garlic and plenty of Parmesan for the dreamiest bite. It’s quick enough for a weeknight dinner, special enough for a date night, and truly the best salmon pasta you’ll ever make.

White plate with fettuccine pasta in a creamy salmon sauce. Chunks of salmon and fresh chopped chives and capers on top.

Cooking the salmon for this pasta is incredibly simple, and it’s one of my favorite ways to add protein to a creamy sauce. The rich, tender salmon flakes melt into the lemon garlic cream sauce and make this salmon pasta feel restaurant quality without much effort. Like my Creamy Pepper Pasta Sauce, this one uses crème fraîche for a lighter, tangier base that balances the richness perfectly.

This tender, flaky salmon works beautifully with any lemony or creamy sauce, and you can easily use it in other dishes. Try adding it to my White Wine and Butter Sauce or my Lemon Ricotta Pasta for two lighter options. And if you’re after another seafood pasta, my Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta is always a hit.

Main ingredients

Ingredients on a bench top. From top, a salmon fillet, fresh chives, a bowl of grated parmesan, creme fraiche, garlic cloves, a bowl of capers, dried fettuccine and a lemon.

Fresh Salmon - One salmon fillet between two people is plenty, but feel free to use more if you like. I have a great method for baking salmon, but cook it however you prefer, pan-fried salmon works beautifully too.

Crème fraîche - A thicker, richer cream with a lovely tang. You need less than you would with regular cream, and the slight sour note gives the sauce a perfect zing. You can substitute heavy or whipping cream, just add a splash of white wine or extra lemon juice to balance the acidity.

Capers - A classic pairing with salmon. They add a salty, briny pop, but feel free to leave them out if you’re not a fan.

Parmesan cheese - Make sure it’s very finely grated, either with a microplane or the star side of a box grater, so it melts smoothly into the sauce.

Fresh lemon juice - I use both the zest and juice in this recipe, the bright citrus flavor suits the salmon perfectly and lifts the whole sauce.

Fresh herbs - Use a sprinkling of freshly chopped chives, fresh dill, Italian parsley or any other herb you love.

How to bake a perfect salmon fillet

I’ve settled on a really simple, reliable method for baking salmon so it comes out perfectly flaky every time. All you need is a tape measure. Measure the thickest part of the fillet, and for every 1.5 cm, bake it for 5 minutes.

The fillet I used for this recipe was about 2.5 cm thick, so it needed just 8 minutes in the oven. Thicker pieces (around 3–3.5 cm) will take 11–12 minutes. To check doneness, use a fork to gently pull apart the flesh at the thickest point, it should flake cleanly. If you prefer using a thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 145°F.

An uncooked salmon fillet on a baking tray drizzled with olive oil.

Place the salmon on a lined baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

Cooked salmon fillet being pulled apart with two forks.

Bake in the oven until opaque then leave it to rest while you make the sauce. Use two forks to gently flake it into chunks.

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How to make creamy salmon pasta

The full ingredient list, method and tutorial video for this salmon pasta recipe are in the card below the post. Start by boiling your pasta in well-salted water. Before draining, be sure to reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water, you’ll use it to bring the sauce together.

Butter sizzling in a stainless steel fry pan.

ONE: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When it begins to sizzle, add the black pepper and garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.

A dollop of creme fraiche added to the butter in pan.

TWO: Lower to a medium-low heat then add the pasta water, whisk well then add the creme fraiche.

A whisk resting into a smooth scream sauce in the pan.

THREE: Whisk in well, it shouldn't be boiling, just the most gentle simmer.

Grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of the cream sauce.

FOUR: Add the grated Parmesan in two batches, whisking and letting the first addition melt fully before adding the rest. Whisk in the lemon juice.

Fettuccine mixed into cream sauce with capers scattered over top.

FIVE: Add the cooked pasta, stir through the capers. Add more pasta water if you need to loosen.

Flaked cooked salmon on top of the pasta.

SIX: Top with the flaked salmon pieces and serve with lemon zest and fresh herbs on top.

Expert tips

Season your pasta water properly. It makes a HUGE difference. Check out my very useful Guide on How to Cook Pasta for all the tips and tricks.
Undercook your pasta by a minute from package instructions. This lets it finish cooking in the sauce so it absorbs flavor and stays perfectly al dente.
Keep the heat gentle. Creamy sauces don’t like high heat. Bring the crème fraîche mixture to a very gentle simmer, then lower the heat before adding the Parmesan so it melts smoothly without splitting.
Make it saucier than you think. A parmesan cream sauce will continue to thicken once you take it off the heat. Aim for a slightly looser texture in the pan so it’s perfect by the time you serve.

White plate with rigatoni pasta in a creamy sauce with mushrooms and chicken pieces. Fork resting in and parsley scattered on top.

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta

If you want another great recipe for a week night then try this one next!

Get the recipe

Recipe FAQs

Could I use pre-cooked smoked salmon?

Yes! Hot-smoked salmon works beautifully here. Simply flake it over the top at the end, no extra cooking needed.

How do I store salmon pasta leftovers?

This sauce is best eaten fresh, but leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. It’s not suitable for freezing, as the cream sauce tends to split.

Could I substitute the creme fraiche for regular cream?

Definitely. Heavy or whipping cream works well, just add an extra squeeze of lemon juice to recreate the tanginess that the crème fraîche brings.

Could I double the recipe?

Yes. Double all the ingredients to serve four. You can also add extra salmon if you prefer a more protein-heavy pasta.

Plate with pasta dish on a bench top with fry pan above with remaining pasta and tongs resting in.

Some other pasta recipes to try

If you loved this easy salmon pasta, there are plenty of other creamy, cozy pasta recipes on my site you might enjoy. Here are a few suggestions.

This salmon pasta recipe is one of my go-to weeknight dishes, and I hope you love it as much as I do.

Did you make this recipe?

I would LOVE it if you could leave a review and star rating down below. Also please tag me on Instagram if you share a photo of the dish!

Recipe

White plate with fettuccine pasta in a creamy salmon sauce. Chunks of salmon and fresh chopped chives on top.

Creamy Salmon Pasta Recipe (easy and delicious)

5 from 20 votes

Prep time:15

Cook Time:25

Servings: 2 people

Print Recipe Pin Rate

An insanely delicious salmon pasta with capers and lemon nestled into a light and zingy parmesan cream sauce.

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Ingredients

200 grams dried pasta (or 300 grams fresh)
1 salmon fillet (anywhere between 160 - 200 grams)
½ tablespoon olive oil
40 grams butter
½ - 1 teaspoon black pepper
2 - 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
⅔ cup pasta water
½ cup creme fraiche
60 grams parmesan cheese, finely grated
1.5 tablespoons lemon juice (plus zest to finish)
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons fresh herbs, roughly chopped (chives, dill or anything else you like)
salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 390f (200c)
Place the salmon fillet skin side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with ½ tablespoon olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Squeeze a little lemon juice over too if you have extra.
I find the perfect timing for a salmon fillet is to measure how thick it is in the fattest part. It needs 5 minutes for every 1.5cm. So if your fillet is 3cm thick then 10 minutes. My piece was actually quite small at 2.5cm so I did 8 minutes and it was perfect. If you don't have a way to measure then do 10 - 12 minutes if it is an average piece.
Let it sit loosely covered with foil while you make the sauce then use two forks to break it up into bite size chunks.
Boil your pasta in well salted boiling water, undercooking by a minute from package instructions and reserving a good cup of the pasta water before draining.
In a large skillet melt the butter over a medium heat and when it starts to sizzle add the pepper and garlic and cook for a further minute.
Lower the heat slightly and add ⅔ cup of pasta water and whisk together.
Add the creme fraiche and whisk until it is well emulsified, let it gently bubble for a minute or so (it should never be boiling, just a VERY gentle simmer).
Add the finely grated parmesan in two separate lots, mixing in and letting it melt before adding the next.
Add the lemon juice and whisk in quickly.
Add the cooked pasta straight into the sauce, toss well and let it gently bubble away to thicken for 1 - 2 minutes. Add more pasta water if you need. Remember it will continue to thicken up off the heat.
Toss through the capers and then serve with the flaked salmon on top and some lemon zest too. I like to also add some chopped chives, dill or other herb you like.

Video

Notes

Salmon - Use more (a bigger fillet) if you like and feel free to cook it another way such as pan-frying. It should be opaque in the middle and have an internal temp of 145f if you have a meat thermometer.

Lemon - Use more or less, I love a big hit of lemon. It won't curdle the cream if you have your heat low and whisk it in quickly.

Timing - I like to bake the salmon first then get the pasta on to boil and start the sauce when pasta has about 5 mins left.

Heat - A cream sauce should never be boiling, a VERY gentle simmer.

Sauce factor - Cream sauces continue to thicken off the heat considerably. You want it on the saucy side when you take it off the heat for this reason. Reserve some extra pasta water if you need to thin it down.

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 25

Course: Meat Sauces

Cuisine: Italian Inspired

Keyword: creamy salmon pasta, salmon, salmon pasta

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