Description
A speedy, elegant dinner: seared salmon folded into a creamy pesto sauce and tossed with pasta. Use a jar of pesto for convenience or your own homemade batch.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (about 225 g) dry pasta
- 1 lb (≈450 g) fresh salmon fillet
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- Plain flour, for dusting
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup (about 80 ml) chicken stock or a dry white wine
- 1/3 cup (about 80 ml) basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional — see note)
- Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just firm to the bite according to the package; drain and set aside, reserving a little pasta water if needed.
- Season the salmon on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Lightly coat the fillet with flour, shaking off any excess.
- Warm the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the salmon 3–4 minutes per side, until a golden crust forms. Transfer the fish to a plate and set aside. Pour off most of the fat from the pan but leave the browned bits stuck to the bottom.
- Return the pan to the heat and add the chicken stock (or wine), scraping the pan to loosen the fond. Stir in the pesto and let the mixture warm for about 30 seconds.
- Add the cream and lemon juice, bring to a gentle simmer for about a minute. Return the salmon to the skillet and use a spoon to flake it into large, chunky pieces. Reduce the heat and simmer a few minutes more until the salmon is cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Toss the drained pasta with the sauce, combining gently so the salmon stays in chunks. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if you want a looser sauce.
- Serve immediately, topped with grated Parmesan if you like.
Notes
- Heavy cream gives the sauce its silky texture; milk or half-and-half can separate and aren’t recommended. If you must skip cream, omit it and add a little extra pesto and pasta water to bind the sauce.
- Some jarred pestos already contain lemon — taste before you add more citrus.
- If your salmon has skin you don’t want to eat, it’s easy to peel it away after searing and moving the fillet to a plate.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 1–2 days; reheat gently over low heat with a splash of broth or cream.
Nutrition
- Calories: 567kcal
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 349mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 92mg