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Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta is weeknight elegance in a bowl. Flaky salmon, tender pasta, and a lemon cream sauce with mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes all comes together with minimal effort. This dinner tastes like it came straight off a restaurant menu.
Here is Why This Salmon Pasta Recipe Works
Rich and Creamy Without Being Heavy: The lemon balances out the cream sauce, so it’s luscious but not over-the-top rich. No post-dinner food coma here!
Easy But Feels Fancy: This recipe tastes like a restaurant dish, but you’ll pull it off in under an hour.
Great for Leftovers: The flavors meld beautifully overnight, making it just as delicious (if not better) the next day.
Works for Any Occasion: Weeknight dinner? Date night? Impressing your in-laws? This pasta is up for the job.
If you like this recipe, try our lemony kamut pasta with mushrooms or our salmon piccata.
The Ingredients
- Meat: Salmon fillets
- Produce: Baby portobello mushrooms, shallot, garlic, fresh thyme leaves, lemon (juice and zest), fresh parsley
- Pantry: Penne pasta, chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes
- Pantry Seasonings: Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper (optional)
- Fridge: Butter, heavy cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Other: dry white wine
Variations
Spinach and Artichoke Creamy Lemon Pasta: Stir in 2 cups of fresh spinach and 1 cup of chopped artichoke hearts.
Spicy Cajun Salmon Pasta: Add 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning to the salmon before cooking and toss ½ teaspoon into the sauce.
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Lemon Pasta: Double the mushrooms and swap the Parmesan for 4 ounces of crumbled goat cheese.
You will also love our wild mushroom pasta and pesto pasta with sundried tomatoes.
Recipe Tips
- Pat the salmon dry so it gets a good sear.
- Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt as smoothly.
- Don’t overcook the salmon. Aim for medium-rare to medium (120–135°F) for the most tender, flaky texture.
- If the sauce thickens too much, a splash of pasta water or chicken broth will bring it back to silky perfection.
- High heat can cause the cream to separate, so keep the sauce at a gentle simmer.
- Add cheese off the heat. Stir the Parmesan in at the end to prevent it from clumping or turning grainy.
Storage
Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the salmon separate if possible to prevent it from overcooking when reheated.
Freeze: Cool completely before freezing to prevent ice crystals. If possible, freeze the salmon seperately for better texture. Store in airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Warm the pasta over low heat on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth or cream to loosen the sauce. If using the microwave, heat in short bursts, stirring in between to prevent drying out. Warm the salmon separately at low power to avoid overcooking.
Lemony Mushroom Salmon Pasta
This Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta is the kind of dinner that feels fancy but takes zero extra effort. It is perfect for a busy night. The salmon’s tender, the sauce is velvety with just the right amount of zing, and the mushrooms add that extra depth. Trust me, you’ll want seconds.
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Lemon Salmon Pasta in Cream Sauce
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry penne pasta
- 4 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each, 1-inch thick
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces baby portobello mushrooms
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 oz. sun-dried tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 4 ounces
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Get the Pasta Ready and Prep the Salmon
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Drain the pasta and return it to the saucepan, toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Cover the saucepan and keep warm.
- Pat the salmon fillets with a paper towel, brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt/pepper. Place on a plate and refrigerate until needed.
For the Lemon Cream Sauce:
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden.
- Add the shallots, garlic and thyme leaves and cook until the shallots are soft, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, white wine, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes and crushed red pepper, if using.
- Bring the sauce to a light boil, then reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the cream and let it simmer for 10–12 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the grated cheese until smooth, then cover the skillet and keep warm.
Cook the Salmon:
- Set the oven rack to the upper position about 6 inches from the heat element and allow to heat for 5 minutes.
- Place the salmon fillets on a baking pan and broil for 4–8 minutes, or until they reach your preferred doneness. For medium-rare, aim for an internal temperature of 120°F–125°F. For medium, cook to 130°F–135°F. Use an instant-read thermometer for accuracy.
- While the salmon is in the oven, uncover the sauce and reheat if needed. Add the cooked pasta and toss until evenly coated.
- To Serve: Portion the pasta into 4 pasta bowls, add a salmon fillet to each serving and garnish with lemon zest and chopped parsley.
Notes
- If using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes be sure to drain off the oil and pat with a paper towel before adding to the sauce.
- Letting the salmon sit with salt and oil before cooking enhances flavor and helps with even cooking.
- We used Parmigiano-Reggiano in this recipe but other choices would be: Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina or Gouda.
- If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of chicken broth or pasta water to loosen it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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