Easy Smoked Salmon Pasta (20-Minute Recipe)
A simple, 20-minute recipe for creamy smoked salmon pasta, made with just six ingredients: pasta, smoked salmon, butter, cream, lemon, and fresh chives. This is a real, authentic Italian recipe for pasta al salmone, adapted from Italy's famed Silver Spoon cookbook, the Italian home-cooking bible.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 789kcal
Essential Equipment
- Microplane or lemon zester
- Pasta tongs (if using long noodles, like linguine or tagliatelle)
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta, such linguine, tagliatelle, penne, or rigatoni
- 6 ounces smoked salmon, cut into pieces
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons minced chives, divided (can substitute 2 tablespoons thinly-sliced scallions)
- Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed (optional)
- Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente, stirring a few times during cooking. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup of pasta water.
- Make the salmon cream sauce. While the water and pasta are boiling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the smoked salmon pieces, lemon juice, half of the lemon zest, and half of the chives. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Optional ingredient: If you'd like to use capers for extra tang, add them now.)
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream and cook at a gentle simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. PRO TIP: Do not boil the sauce; just gently simmer. Boiling the sauce will cause it to over-reduce, and risk separating.
- Add the pasta with the sauce. Add the drained pasta to the cream mixture. Cook for a few minutes, tossing to coat. If the pasta looks a little dry, add pasta water a tablespoon or two at a time until it's tossed in a glossy, creamy, emulsified sauce. Taste for seasoning.
- Garnish and serve. Transfer the pasta to serving plates. Top with the remaining chives and lemon zest, and a light dusting of Parmesan cheese if you'd like (optional; I personally do not use Parm, but some people like it). Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Substitutions and Variations:
- Pasta: The sauce works equally well with long pasta like spaghetti or fettuccine as tube pasta like penne or rigatoni. Avoid very small pasta, like orzo.
- Herbs: Chives have a lovely, delicate flavor that perfectly complements the smoked salmon flavor, but you can also substitute or add thinly-sliced scallions, minced parsley, or minced fresh dill
- Adding vegetables: Peas, diced asparagus, or spinach make a colorful, seasonal spring twist. Add peas or asparagus with the salmon; spinach can be added to the sauce just before the pasta, since it wilts quickly.
- Cream: You can substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream, but you will lose a little bit of richness. Do not use milk, which is too thin.
- Storage: Like all creamy pastas, this dish is best served immediately. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
- Reheating: Reheat leftover salmon pasta slowly in a pan on low- to medium-low heat with a few tablespoons of water or extra cream to help reconstitute a sauce. Stir frequently. I do not recommend reheating in the microwave, which inevitably leads to a dry, clumpy result.
- Keep the sauce gently simmering -- never at a boil -- when cooking to prevent over-reducing the sauce and possible separation and curdling
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice to brighten the sauce and balance the cream.
- Reserve a bit of pasta water to adjust sauce consistency; this keeps the sauce glossy and light
Nutrition
Calories: 789kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1328IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 2mg
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
