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This Smoked Salmon Pasta recipe is your new favourite 10 minute meal. Light, fresh, delicious and ready at super speed. And so much flavour in such a simple dish!
This meal is everything I want in a midweek dinner – ready in 10 minutes flat and no brain power required, not to mention SO delicious. Win! 🙌🏼
If you’re trying to eat a little less meat, like we are, this Smoked Salmon Pasta recipe is a really easy way to bring a portion of fish into your diet.
For anyone a little nervous about cooking fish, this is ideal as no cooking is required!
Smoked salmon also has a long shelf life AND freezes well, so I keep a pack in the freezer ready to whip out for this.
Why you’ll love this Smoked Salmon Pasta recipe
⭐️ Ready in just 10 minutes
⭐️ A really easy way to include fish in your meals
⭐️ Leftovers make a great packed lunch
How we came up with this recipe
I always like to have plenty of perfect dinner recipes you can throw together when you haven’t planned a thing in advance, and this is one of those.
Once these ingredients are in your fridge and cupboard, there’s no doubt there will be a day soon that you’ll be glad you planned not to plan!
To keep this a super simple dish, there’s no cooking of sauce with this easy Smoked Salmon Pasta recipe.
Simply cook your pasta and throw everything else in together. It’s so fresh and summery, but hearty and satisfying at the same time.
You can eat this for lunch, dinner or even a pre-made packed lunch too.
It’s healthy and is a great introduction to fish dishes for little ones, a bit like my Classic Tuna Pasta Salad or Prawn Spaghetti.
More quick pasta recipes…
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Halloumi Pasta {15 Minute Meal}
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Chorizo Gnocchi Pan-Fry {20 Minute Meal}
Smoked Salmon Pasta Ingredients Notes
- Pasta – You can use any pasta you prefer (or have in) for this recipe. Everything works!
- Broccoli – I like using tenderstem broccoli but regular is fine too
For the sauce
- Crème fraîche – Regular or half fat is fine
- Dill – Fresh is definitely better for this if possible! See notes below
- Lemon – Juice and zest
- Smoked salmon – Again, this is really versatile in terms of brands and quality, which makes prices vary a lot. Choose what works best for you, even offcuts is fine and is good value for money
Optional extras
- Capers – If you have any in the fridge or cupboard, they add an extra ZING to this dish and take it up a notch
- Peas – Petit pois work well for their sweetness, but any you already have is OK too
How to make Smoked Salmon Pasta
1. Cook the pasta and add the broccoli into the pan about 3 minutes before the end of the cooking time, then drain.
2. Add all of the sauce ingredients into the hot pan and stir well.
Substitutions
- Vegetables – You can add whatever you think will work here or that needs using up
- Mint – If you don’t have fresh dill, mint will be a good alternative
Leftovers
In the fridge This is perfect for cold leftovers. It travels well so is also fantastic for picnics or packed lunches too. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
In the freezer I wouldn’t recommend freezing this recipe as it’ll end up soggy when you defrost it.
Top tipS
Use fresh dill
You know I’m never big on saying you have to use something as I think the best cooking is adaptable, BUT…
Dill is one of the only herbs where I think fresh is much better. If you can get it, it kind of makes this dish. Some supermarkets sell it frozen too and I like to keep a bag in the freezer for this.
Otherwise, mint works here too. Dried would be OK – but just OK, as it doesn’t have time to soften. That said, if it’s all you have, it’s better than nothing! Just use 1tsp if using dried.
Reserve a little water
Scoop out a small amount of pasta water in a cup or jug before you drain it off. You can add small amounts at a time to stir in and loosen up the sauce, and make it a little silkier.
Carefully does it though. You don’t want to add too much at once and have it watery and runny!
FAQs
This is a full meal on its own, but if you want to you could double carb with dough balls or garlic bread to make your dish go further.
Yes, this is a really healthy, filling and nutritious meal. You can make it lower fat with a yoghurt dressing instead, but it’s really not too bad at all as it is.
Sure, I have lots. If you’re trying to introduce it a little more to beginners, I would recommend my Easy Fish Pie, Classic Tuna Pasta Salad, Salmon Burgers or my Homemade Fish Fingers.
There’s also my Air Fryer Salmon, Cajun Salmon Tacos, Prawn Tacos, Easy Fish Stew, and Italian Cod Traybake.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Smoked Salmon Pasta {10 Minute Meal}
Ingredients
- 300 g (5 cups) Dried pasta , Any type
- 300 g (3 cups) Broccoli, See notes
For the sauce:
- 250 g (1.0 cups) Crème fraîche, See notes
- 15 g (2 tbsp) Dill, See notes
- 1 (2 ) Lemon, Zest and juice
- 200 g (1.5 cups) Smoked salmon
- Salt and pepper
Optional extras:
- 2 tbsp Capers, See notes
- 100 g (0.5 cups) Petit pois, See notes
Instructions
- Add the pasta to a pan of boiling salted water and cook according to the pack instructions (normally about 10 minutes).
- Three minutes before the pasta has finished cooking, add in the broccoli.
- Drain the cooked pasta and broccoli and put back into the hot saucepan.
- Add all of the sauce ingredients to the pasta in the hot pan and stir through. (The heat of the pasta will warm the sauce.)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Light and bright flavors. Once prep was done, cooking was quick and easy. Will make again. The lemon was a nice touch. I followed the recipe except I was short on creme fraiche, so added some Greek yogurt…worked out fine.
Lovely, need I say more? Made it for one so couldn’t measure but it’s delicious. Thank you.