Easy Smoked Salmon Pasta with Spinach & Lemon [15 minutes]

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This creamy salmon spinach pasta is filled with hot smoked salmon, lemon juice & zest, cream & crème fraîche and done in less than 15 minutes. A perfect weeknight dinner or a quick way to impress at your next dinner party or date! Just follow the video and have a delicious meal on the table in under 15 minutes.

Wanna use fresh salmon instead? Then this crème fraîche salmon pasta with lemon & chives is just what you need! Or just switch the smoked salmon for fresh salmon in this recipe.

This post was originally published September 16th 2018 and updated with new pictures, some new text and a video on October 20th 2019. The recipe remains the same yummy one I've made for years, but the instructions have been clarified slightly.

I’m not sure when I made salmon spinach pasta a part of my repertoire, but I seriously can’t remember a time when it wasn’t one of my go-to recipes. Why? Well, let's talk about it...

Why I love this Smoked Salmon Spinach Pasta

• It's quick and comes together in under 15 minutes. I just love using ingredients like smoked salmon or rotisserie chicken to make cooking a much quicker process, without sacrificing any of the flavor.
• It's so tasty and full of great flavors like lemon and smoked salmon. I don't think there's a single dish I have craved more often than this one, and missed more on the occasions I've been without a kitchen! (To be honest, it might be a tie with my creamy chicken pasta with feta cheese but maybe two favorites can be OK?)
• It doesn't leave a lot of dishes - basically just a pot for your pasta & a pan for your sauce. And your plate, unless you enjoy eating out of the pan because then by all means - go ahead.
• It's a lighter kind of pasta dish - not as heavy as a red wine chicken pasta for example, but you still get to have your pasta.
• It has a lot of spinach - and you know I love to add greens to my pastas to make them a bit healthier.
• It has loads of lemon, and lemon - lemon is probably the best flavor. As well as full of vitamin C, which is so good for you!
• It's perfect for a weeknight - but tasty enough for the weekend. And who doesn't love a dinner party-approved 15-minute dinner??

Expert tips for making Smoked Salmon Pasta

• Add your lemon juice in portions to minimize the risk of the cream curdling.
• Don't add any salt before mixing in your pasta & pasta water - if you cooked the pasta in sufficiently salty water (ie water that tastes like the sea) you shouldn't need to add any. But if you do, just do it when everything has been mixed together.
• And yeah, salt your pasta water a lot.

Possible substitutions and variations for Smoked Salmon pasta

• Cream and crème fraîche can be switched completely or in part for each other.
• And speaking of cream and crème fraîche - you can use full fat, low fat, cooking cream, half and half or any kind you prefer
• 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, so if that's not your thing then just use less and taste as you go
• Use cold smoked salmon or pan seared salmon (or why not oven baked lemon pepper salmon?) instead of hot smoked salmon for a less smoky but equally delicious taste
• Add some white wine for a fancier version
• Add dill for a tasty twist
• Fresh tagliatelle can be substituted for another type of fresh or dried pasta

Frequently Asked Questions about this Smoked Salmon Pasta

Can you reheat smoked salmon pasta?

Yes, you can definitely reheat this dish. I love having it for lunch the day after and it makes a perfect lunchbox meal for school or work.

Can you freeze smoked salmon pasta?

Yes, you can freeze it - and while it will still be tasty, the pasta will easily get overcooked when reheating. For best results, thaw slowly in the fridge before reheating.

Can I use another type of salmon?

Yes, this recipe is delicious with cold smoked salmon and pan fried salmon as well. However, the cold smoked salmon will not fall apart as much in the sauce but remain in pieces.

What can I use instead of cream?

You can use only crème fraiche or milk mixed with cream (or in a pinch - just milk) instead of cream.

What can I use instead of créme fraîche?

You can use only cream or, if that's all you have, milk, instead of crème fraîche.

Can I make smoked salmon pasta without dairy?

Yes, you can make this dish without dairy. Just switch out the crème fraîche and cream for a non-dairy alternative of your choice.

How to make Smoked Salmon Pasta with Spinach & Lemon

You don't need to do a lot of prep for this recipe. Just chop your hot smoked salmon, zest your lemon and squeeze out your lemon juice. You can do both the zesting and the squeezing straight over the pan as well, but I prefer to just do it beforehand.

And cook your pasta, but you can do that while making the sauce as well. Either way, cook it about 1 minutes less than done, then drain it but remember to save the pasta water.

Then start the sauce by heating up cream and crème fraîche in a pan over medium-high heat. When it starts boiling, it's time to add the spinach.

Add all the spinach and mix well. Keep on mixing until it has wilted down like in picture 7 above. Then add the lemon zest and mix.

Add half of the lemon juice, mix and let simmer for a short while - 30 seconds or so - then add the rest and mix. Follow with black pepper and mix. let it simmer for a few minutes before adding the smoked salmon.

Let the sauce simmer for another minute before adding in the pasta and pasta water. Mix well, let cook for 2 minutes all together, and then serve.

Want more 15-minute pasta recipes? Check out this Garlic Butter Pasta, this One Pot Hummus Pasta, this Tortellini Carbonara and this Buffalo Chicken Pasta.

How did you like this salmon pasta recipe? Do you have a massive-craving-recipe like this of your own? Let me know in the comments below!

All the love & lemons,

Emmeline