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Make this easy creamy Smoked Salmon Pasta in less than 15 minutes. With hot smoked salmon and lots of lemon flavor it's a super easy yet elegant weeknight dinner with little prep and just a few simple steps.
I’m not sure when I first made this creamy smoked salmon pasta, but I seriously can’t remember a time when it wasn’t one of my go-to recipes. This is one of those dishes I make over and over again, and it's probably my favorite salmon recipe.
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Why you will love this recipe
- It's quick and all done in under 15 minutes
- It's easy to make with little prep and a few simple steps
- Delicious and loaded with flavor from lemon & hot smoked salmon
- Super creamy sauce - but a pretty light dish thanks to all that lemon
- A bit healthier thanks to a good dose of spinach
- A high sauce to pasta ratio so you get more sauce with less pasta
- Quick & easy enough for a weeknight - and a perfect recipe for a dinner party or date night!
What you need to make it
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Pasta - you can use fresh or dried pasta, but fresh pasta is quicker. I prefer tagliatelle or linguine as it goes well with the sauce. Cook in a large pot in heavily salted water.
- Hot smoked salmon can be swapped for cold smoked salmon or any leftover salmon (pan seared or oven baked). (If you're looking for a recipe with pan seared salmon I also recommend trying out this salmon pasta recipe).
- Cream and crème fraîche can be switched for each other
- Cream - you can use full fat or half and half, or half milk and half heavy cream. You can even use only milk if that's all you have, but then I really recommend using crème fraîche as well.
- Spinach - either large leaves or baby spinach
- White wine can be added for an even more elegant dish
- Add fresh dill or chives for a tasty twist
How to make Smoked Salmon Pasta
Aside from the steps below, you also need to cook pasta. If using dry pasta you should add it to the water just as you start making the salmon spinach sauce.
If using fresh pasta, add it to the water when adding the salmon to the sauce. Whiever type of pasta you're using, make sure to reserve some of the water.
- Add cream to a large skillet or frying pan
- Add crème fraîche
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stir often
- Add spinach
- Simmer until the spinach is wilted, stirring often
- Add half of the lemon juice, then simmer for 1 minute before adding the rest
- Add lemon zest
- Add black pepper, then mix well and taste test, and simmer for 2 minutes
- Add hot smoked salmon
- Mix well and simmer for 1 minute
- Drain and add cooked pasta and pasta water
- Mix well and cook for 2 minutes, then taste test and add a pinch of salt if needed. Serve immediately!
Tips & tricks
- Vary the amount of lemon juice to suit your taste - with the full amount stated in the recipe this dish tastes a lot of lemon and is high in acidity
- Add your lemon juice in portions to minimize the risk of the cream curdling
- Salt your pasta water a lot - it should taste like the sea
- Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes after adding the salmon before adding the pasta, to allow the salmon to break apart and melt into the sauce
- Cook the pasta 1 minute less than package instructions - it will finish cooking in the sauce and end up perfectly al dente
- Don't add any salt before mixing in your pasta & pasta water - you shouldn't need any, if your pasta water was salty enough
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container, and consume within 4 days
- Freeze leftovers to keep them for up to 3 months
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave in 1 minute increments, or add a bit of milk or cream and simmer for 2 minutes in a sauce pan on the stove
Recipe FAQ
Yes, you can make this dish without dairy. Just switch out the crème fraîche and cream for a non-dairy alternative of your choice.
Smoked salmon does not need to be cooked, but you can cook it. However, when cooking with it I recommend adding it late in the process, to avoid it overcooking.
Smoked salmon goes great with for example creamy sauces, lemon, dill, white wine, asparagus, eggs, avocado, cucumber, sour cream, potatoes and black pepper.
More 15-minute dinners
Love quick & easy recipes, like this Smoked Salmon Pasta? Then add these delicious options to your weekly menu as well!
- Tortellini Carbonara
- Spicy Sausage Pasta
- Lemon Ricotta Pasta
- Larb Gai (Spicy Thai Minced Chicken Salad)
- Spanish Chicken Stew with Lemon & Rosemary
- Thai Curry Fried Rice with Broccoli & Mushrooms
Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Recipe
Easy Smoked Salmon Pasta with Spinach & Lemon [15 minutes]
Print RateIngredients
- 1 cup cream half and half or full fat
- ½ cup crème fraîche
- 3 handfuls fresh spinach
- 1 lemon zest of
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅔ lb hot smoked salmon chopped
- ½ lb fresh tagliatelle cooked 1 minute less than package instruction in heavily salted water
- ½ cups pasta water
Instructions
- Heat cream and crème fraîche in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat.1 cup cream, ½ cup crème fraîche
- Add the spinach and cook until it has wilted down, stirring often.3 handfuls fresh spinach
- Add half the lemon juice, mix, and simmer for 1 minute. Then add the rest of the lemon juice, lemon zest and black pepper, taste test, and simmer for 2 minutes.1 lemon, ½ cup lemon juice, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the salmon to the sauce, mix, and simmer for 1 minute.⅔ lb hot smoked salmon
- Add the pasta and pasta water. Give it all a good mix and let it cook for 2 minutes. Ready to serve!½ lb fresh tagliatelle, ½ cups pasta water
Equipment needed for this recipe
- Measuring cups (metric or US)*
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Pasta - you can use fresh or dried pasta, but fresh pasta is quicker. I prefer tagliatelle or linguine as it goes well with the sauce. Cook in a large pot in heavily salted water.
- Hot smoked salmon can be swapped for cold smoked salmon or any leftover salmon (pan seared or oven baked). (If you're looking for a recipe with pan seared salmon I also recommend trying out this salmon pasta recipe).
- Cream and crème fraîche can be switched for each other
- Cream - you can use full fat or half and half, or half milk and half heavy cream. You can even use only milk if that's all you have, but then I really recommend using crème fraîche as well.
- Spinach - either large leaves or baby spinach
- White wine can be added for an even more elegant dish
- Add fresh dill or chives for a tasty twist
Tips & tricks
- Vary the amount of lemon juice to suit your taste - with the full amount stated in the recipe this dish tastes a lot of lemon and is high in acidity
- Add your lemon juice in portions to minimize the risk of the cream curdling
- Salt your pasta water a lot - it should taste like the sea
- Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes after adding the salmon before adding the pasta, to allow the salmon to break apart and melt into the sauce
- Cook the pasta 1 minute less than package instructions - it will finish cooking in the sauce and end up perfectly al dente
- Don't add any salt before mixing in your pasta & pasta water - you shouldn't need any, if your pasta water was salty enough
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container, and consume within 4 days
- Freeze leftovers to keep them for up to 3 months
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave in 1 minute increments, or add a bit of milk or cream and simmer for 2 minutes in a sauce pan on the stove
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
JHugg
Thank you for this well written and very tasty recipe. I'm not a fan of heavy cream sauces, but this isn't heavy, it's just right.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
I absolutely adore recipes like this that are quick to make without compromising on the flavors. My weekdays are pretty crazy and this is a perfect recipe for dinner. Being vegetarian, I might just add some broccoli.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Mm yeah switching the salmon for broccoli sounds delicious - will need to try that myself!!
Leanne - Crumb Top Baking
Dinner couldn't get much easier! Love that you added lots of spinach, and salmon and lemon are such a delicious pairing. This pasta looks like a hearty dish that's perfect for fall!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you so much Leanne!! My favorite flavors & "hidden" veggies all in one dish 😀
Byron Thomas
We love dishes like this that come together so quickly and easily, especially after working all day and not have much energy left. It's the perfect pasta to eat on the couch with Netflix. 🙂 We used a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead of the salmon and it was divine!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Great idea with the chicken - I will have to try it!
Anjali @ The Picky Eater
What a beautiful and fresh pasta recipe!! I could see this being a perfect dish to serve at a dinner party! 🙂
Emmeline Kemperyd
It sure would be! Thank you Anjali!
Alison
The spinach, salmon, lemon and cream sauce go together perfectly. My kids are crazy for salmon and they devoured this pasta dish.
Emmeline Kemperyd
So happy to hear that Alison! Thank you for commenting!
Nicole
Wow this looks absolutely divine! And those process shots are incredible!!!! Wowowwowo!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you so much Nicole! <3
Anita
This is so good and so easy. It has everything I love, spinach, lemon, and salmon. And it's not fussy since I only need one pan. And it's quite awesome to serve for special treat too. 🙂
Emmeline Kemperyd
Same here Anita! All my go-to ingredients 😉 And yeah apart from boiling the pasta you can make it all in one pot (maybe even the pasta now that I think off it?? Hmm gotta try this!)
SHANIKA
This Salmon Pasta looks so delicious and creamy! I'm loving the addition of the smoky Salmon flavor for sure! YUM!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Shanika!