Creamy Salmon Pasta with White Wine Sauce and Mixed Greens
By Emma Collins
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Servings
6
Prep the salmon, shallot, garlic, and greens ahead of time. Make the pasta and sauce just before serving. This dish serves six and includes creamy pasta with seared salmon, dry white wine, cream, and a mix of greens.
Tagliatelle, fettuccine, or linguine are good pasta choices to serve with cream sauce. Salmon supplies protein to the dish. Small pieces of salmon are seasoned, cooked in butter, and set aside. Shallots and minced garlic are cooked, and dry white wine is poured in to reduce and add flavor. Cream and lemon juice are added to the wine, along with salt and greens.
Keep the salmon pan hot to avoid steaming salmon, and cook the salmon until done in a few minutes, then transfer it to a plate. Let wine reduce before adding cream to make a richer sauce. The biggest risk in preparing this dish is overcooking the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente and reserve some pasta cooking water before draining.
Add cooked, drained pasta to the sauce. Top with salmon and parsley. Other possible toppings include black pepper and Parmesan cheese, as suggested in the article. Good side dishes include Panzanella and Caprese salads and garlic bread. Refrigerated leftovers will keep for up to three days but may be less chewy after reheating.
Why this recipe works
- Six servings are available using a small salmon fillet. Six people can be served using one skillet dinner made from a small salmon fillet rather than using a larger salmon fillet.
- Components of this dish can be prepared in advance because various ingredients, such as salmon, shallots, garlic, lemon, parsley, and leafy green, are added at different stages of preparation.
- Leftover food can be kept for three days in a closed container with added water or broth to moisten and reheat the sauce.
- The pasta sauce is prepared in the same pan with salmon. The taste of seared salmon adds to the flavor of the pasta sauce. Dishes don't need to be washed until after the family meal.
- Long, thick pasta types don't let cream sauce separate from the pasta, making it less likely that sauce and pasta will separate in serving dishes.
- Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can curdle and the pasta can become overcooked when reheated after thawing.
Ingredients
- •0.5 kg pasta such as tagliatelle, fettuccine, or linguine (1 lb)
- •1 shallot
- •1 clove garlic
- •1 tbsp butter
- •200 g salmon fillet (7 oz, skin removed)
- •1 tbsp olive oil
- •125 ml dry white wine (1/2 cup)
- •250 ml double/heavy cream (1 cup)
- •80 g mixed greens such as spinach, arugula, and watercress (2 cups)
- •½ lemon (zest and 1 tbsp juice)
- •¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
- •black pepper (to taste)
- •1 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions.
- 2
Reserve some pasta water before draining the pasta.
- 3
Remove the salmon skin, check for and remove any residual bones, then cut the fillet into bite-sized pieces.
- 4
Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
- 5
Sear the salmon on all sides in butter in a large frying pan over medium-high or high heat until cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- 6
Transfer the seared salmon to a separate plate.
- 7
Add olive oil, chopped shallot, and minced garlic to the same pan, then sauté over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
- 8
Increase the heat to medium, add the dry white wine, and reduce for 5 to 7 minutes.
- 9
Add the heavy cream, mixed greens, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice, then mix to combine.
- 10
Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to combine.
- 11
Top with the seared salmon and chopped parsley, then serve.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
515
Protein
18g
Fat
21g
Carbs
60g
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