Creamy Garlic Butter Salmon Pasta
This Creamy Garlic Butter Salmon Pasta is a quick yet elegant dinner featuring tender, flaky salmon, perfectly cooked pasta, and a velvety garlic butter cream sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes, this restaurant-quality pasta dish is perfect for weeknight meals or special occasions. Rich, comforting, and packed with flavor, it’s a seafood pasta you’ll want to make again and again.
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets skinless or skin-on
- 12 oz pasta of choice fettuccine, linguine, or penne
- 3–4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 tbsp butter divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes optional, for heat
- Fresh parsley chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear salmon for 3–4 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt remaining butter and sauté garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Lower heat and pour in heavy cream. Stir in Parmesan until sauce is smooth.
- Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes to taste.
- Flake salmon into bite-sized pieces and return to the skillet with pasta. Toss gently to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce.
- Garnish with parsley and extra Parmesan before serving.
Notes
- Add spinach or sun-dried tomatoes for extra color and flavor.
- For dairy-free, use coconut cream and nutritional yeast instead of heavy cream and Parmesan.
- A lighter version can be made with a white wine and garlic reduction instead of cream.
- Smoked salmon can be used for a different texture and flavor profile.