This creamy garlic salmon pasta is so irresistibly good! Loaded with buttered garlic, fresh herbs, and zesty Dijon mustard, each noodle is coated with this delicious sauce! Recipe also includes our hit tips on keeping the salmon extremely moist using our secret trick!
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Our creamy garlic salmon pasta is tossed with our moist salmon and garlic cream sauce for an incredible dinner dish everyone will love! Don’t get fooled, this dish is too easy to make!
Topped with parmesan cheese and parsley, this fettucine dish is a seafood lover’s dream!
In just 30 minutes, this easy creamy salmon pasta comes together effortlessly and is full of that Dijon mustard flavor for a zesty zing in every bite!
This post will go over everything you need to know to create this creamy garlic salmon pasta.
Recipe difficulty: Easy and delicious toss-up pasta!
Simmered in an extremely creamy, cheesy herbed sauce this garlic salmon pasta looks drop-dead delicious on your plate! The secret? The moist salmon with the perfect-bite sized pieces cooked with the sauce! Make sure to read our tips below on cooking the salmon just right!
Sam’s Pro Tips for this Creamy Garlic Salmon Pasta
Use a Broiler Pan! The #1 secret trick!
This was discussed in my Filipino Baked Salmon Recipe with Mayonnaise and 20-Minute Chili Brown Sugar Salmon!
By baking your salmon on the broiler pan with the water underneath, keeps your salmon nice and moist in the oven! Say hello to moist fish that is totally not dry!
Combined with the Dijon mustard salmon glaze on the outside, the salmon will be kept juicy in the oven and pair perfectly in this creamy garlic salmon recipe!
Spread the Sauce with a Pastry Brush
As this creamy garlic salmon pasta is adapted from my Nutritious Honey Baked Salmon with Dijon Mustard, the glaze is super important!
I found that the easiest way to smear the sauce on top of the fish and on the sides, is to use a pastry brush!
With the soft bristles, it spreads the sauce evenly and coats the outside of the salmon perfectly! You’ll feel like such a food artist painting the sauce on the outside of the salmon!
Bigger the Pan the Better
If you’ve seen our Creamy Pappardelle with Italian Sausage and Roasted Tomatoes or Filipino Style Spam Garlic Fried Rice Anyone Will Love, you know we love using our large electric skillet!
This garlic butter salmon pasta needs to be mixed thoroughly for the flavor to develop and for the creamy sauce to coat the fettucine noodles. Therefore, you need room to mix the ingredients!
A larger pan will make this simpler and prevent a mess in your kitchen!
No Lemon Pepper Seasoning?
You can totally make your own!
If you have a lemon, zest the lemon and mix with a little bit of olive oil, freshly ground pepper, salt, and a pinch of garlic powder. It will totally work and taste great with the honey Dijon mustard!
Key Ingredients – Creamy Garlic Salmon Pasta
Below are some key ingredients for this recipe:
Dijon Mustard Salmon
- Salmon: Salmon is so healthy for you and is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B and D! Please give your salmon a quick wash before cooking to remove any foreign particles.
- Dijon mustard: For this salmon parmesan pasta, we love the French’s Dijon Mustard with Chardonnay! It’s smooth, creamy, with just the right amount of zest that pairs perfectly with the garlic and herbs!
- Honey: The use of honey with the salmon gives the fish incredible flavor and is a natural sweetener! It cuts the tartness of the mustard and gives the honey mustard sauce a perfect sheen when baking.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is mixed in with the Dijon mustard and honey for a lighter texture. Olive oil is one of the healthier oils and gives a great flavor to the sauce.
- Rosemary: So, I use a teaspoon of dried rosemary in this lemon garlic salmon pasta. You can, of course, use chopped fresh rosemary, but I just use the dried herbs as its way more convenient!
- Lemon pepper seasoning: Lemon is great with salmon, and the lemon pepper seasoning really elevates the sauce. I also like to have fresh lemon wedges on the side when plating for any guests that may want more lemon juice over the pasta.
Noodles and Sauce
- Fettucine: Thicker noodles work best with this creamy garlic salmon pasta to really savor that seafood garlic flavor! You can definitely use something different, but we like fettucine with this type of pasta!
- Butter: To give an extra edge to the garlic, we like to cook the garlic in a mixture of butter and olive oil for an incredible flavor. Unsalted butter is usually our go-to since the salt can be adjusted to preference.
- Garlic: The garlic will simmer in this garlic butter salmon pasta and give a nice, aromatic flavor. Buy the garlic already peeled to save time!
- Chicken broth: Some garlic salmon pasta recipes like to use white wine, but we love to use chicken broth as it’s more economical and equally gives that great flavor. The chicken broth will simmer in the cream sauce and taste amazing!
- Lemon juice: We all know lemon and salmon pair oh so well as seen in our Fresh Salmon Salad Sandwich Recipe with Pomegranate! The juice of lemon is also commonly used to cut the fishy taste of fish. Make sure to serve with extra lemon wedges on the side for guests that want extra!
- Heavy whipping cream: 2 cups of heavy whipping cream is used for that extra saucy consistency to the noodles. Super tasty in our Creamy Pappardelle with Italian Sausage and Roasted Tomatoes!
- Parmesan cheese: Shred fresh parmesan cheese to get that fresh flavor. Way better than the canned stuff…
- Parsley: Using parsley gives a fresh, herbed flavor to the pasta and adds a touch of greenery! Fresh or dried can be used.
More Variations to this Creamy Garlic Salmon Pasta
There are a few ways you can variate this creamy garlic salmon pasta. Here’s how:
- Variate the Dijon mustard and herbs: There are different types of Dijon mustards, we love the ones mixed with chardonnay. However, you can use a spicy Dijon mustard that will pair great with the honey and give this recipe a little kick! Dill is also a good alternative to rosemary if you don’t have this herb on hand.
- Alternate the cheese: Try using shredded Manchego cheese instead. So good! The result was a more intense flavor as the Manchego cheese is a lot more robust and paired perfectly with our easy creamy salmon pasta.
- What can I pair with this dish? Salmon recipes can be naturally healthy and filling! Trying to pair this creamy garlic salmon recipe with a side salad or seasoned vegetables. Our Spiced Honey Glazed Carrots Recipe with Pecans taste great with this recipe as the honey really compliments all the herbs and spices! Or our 11-Minute Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe will taste great with the tartness of the mustard!
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30-Minute Creamy Garlic Salmon Pasta with Dijon Mustard
Ingredients
Dijon Mustard Salmon
- 1.5 pounds fresh salmon skinless if possible
- 5 tablespoons French’s Dijon Mustard with Chardonnay plus more for seasoning
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- non-stick spray
Fettucine and Sauce
- 12 ounces fettucine noodles cooked
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- juice from ½ a lemon
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1½ cups shredded parmesan cheese plus more for topping
- ¾ cup chopped parsley plus more for topping
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
Instructions
Dijon Mustard Salmon
- Fill the bottom of the broiler pan with water. Preheat oven to 400° F and put the bottom of the broiler pan with the water in the oven as it preheats.
- In a small bowl, mix together the Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, dried rosemary, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
- When the oven is done preheating, remove the broiler pan with water and put the top part of the broiler pan on top. Spray non-stick spray on top of the broiler pan.
- Put the salmon on top of the broiler pan. Spread the honey mustard sauce all over the salmon including the top and sides of the salmon.
- Bake the salmon for 18-20 minutes. Prepare the pasta and sauce while the salmon is baking.
Fettucine and Sauce
- In a large electric skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, add the unsalted butter and olive oil. Once heated, brown the minced garlic cloves until softened.
- Add the chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, juice from ½ a lemon, and lemon pepper seasoning to the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.
- Add the shredded parmesan cheese to the sauce. Optional- Add additional French’s Dijon Mustard with Chardonnay to the sauce to taste. Stir to combine. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta. Add the cooked salmon to the pan and break apart to bite-sized pieces. Gently mix with the pasta until combined.
- Add the chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste to the pasta. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese and chopped parsley when serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- This creamy garlic salmon pasta is adapted from our Nutritious Honey Baked Salmon with Dijon Mustard recipe.
- You can substitute the fresh chopped parsley with dried parsley flakes. A good rule of thumb is to use 3x the amount of fresh herbs compared to dried herbs. For example, 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley is equivalent to one teaspoon of dried parsley.
- See Sam’s Pro Tips for this Creamy Garlic Salmon Pasta for further detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature should you bake salmon?
Depending how you like your salmon cooked, we usually cook our salmon at 400 degrees for 20 minutes to keep the inside of the fish moist. Make sure to use the broiler pan with water to keep the fish moist.
Do you eat the skin on salmon?
This is a matter of personal preference. Generally, eating the skin of salmon after cooked is considered safe to eat.
What is the rule of thumb in regard to substituting fresh herbs for dried herbs?
Dry herbs are more potent compared to fresh herbs. A good rule of thumb is to use 3x the amount of fresh herbs compared to dried herbs. For example, 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley is equivalent to one teaspoon of dried parsley.
How long does salmon last in the fridge?
If stored properly, salmon should be consumed within 3 days for optimal flavor.
This post was all about how to create this creamy garlic salmon pasta.
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