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A white plate topped with a pile of lemony salmon pasta, sprinkled with chives.
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4.82 / 11 votes

Lemony Salmon Pasta

This lemony salmon pasta is an easy weeknight meal that combines leftover cooked salmon with pasta and a creamy lemon sauce. A quick and elegant weeknight winner.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 646

Ingredients

For the pasta

  • 12 ounces linguine
  • 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

For the lemon cream sauce

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, preferably organic (from 1 to 2 large lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, preferably organic (from 1 to 2 large lemons), plus more, if desired
  • Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup crème fraîche or buttermilk
  • 8 ounces cooked salmon, * whether roasted, grilled, broiled, or poached (See NOTE above), flaked
US - Metric

Instructions

Start the pasta

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  • Add the linguine and cook according to the package directions until al dente.

Make the lemon cream sauce

  • While the water is heating, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream and butter to a gentle boil, stirring and watching carefully so that it doesn’t scorch.
  • Reduce the heat to a bare simmer and stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice, along with a pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
  • Whisk in the crème fraîche or buttermilk and then gently stir in the salmon. Reduce the heat to low and keep the sauce warm while you finish the pasta, being careful not to let the sauce come to a boil.

Finish the pasta

  • When the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat and measure out 1 cup cooking water before draining the pasta. Return the pasta to the empty pot.
  • Place the pot over medium-low heat and pour in the sauce along with 1/4 cup reserved cooking water. Toss well with a wooden spoon or a pair of tongs for about 30 seconds and then add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and toss again to combine. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more pasta water and stir, repeating until the desired creaminess is achieved.
  • Remove the pot from the heat. Taste the sauce and, if desired, adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice. Sprinkle in the chives, stir, and serve hot.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 646kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 183mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g