Get a taste of Italy with this Penne Pasta al Salmone. An Italian salmon pasta recipe with penne, a wine cream sauce, capers, and fresh salmon. Garnished with fresh basil and parmesan cheese to top off this tasty and simple recipe!
This creamy and dreamy wine infused penne al salmone sauce is all the rave in my household. The smell of the wine and cream in the air was so dreamy that it got my husband out of his office and into kitchen within seconds!
Before I made this dish, my family was obsessed with this healthy salmon pasta with no cream. It's a completely different take on a salmon pasta but I sure love them both!
As well as other seafood pasta recipes like this crab pasta with garlic sauce, this easy tuna pesto pasta that couldn't be easier to make, and one of the most popular recipes, clam pasta with wine sauce. I can't forget this creamy beet pasta that's a great summer dish to add just about any fish to!
Penne Pasta al Salmone
A simple Italian salmon pasta recipe that's a flavorful and creamy dish using fresh salmon, though sometimes smoked salmon is used. With the addition of briny capers, and wine elevated it in the best way possible.
Basically, it's one of those pasta recipes that you can't stop eating. The sauce alone has us drooling from the perfectly carmalized onions, to the taste of white wine, and the cream to add a rich buttery creamy flavor to level out the flavors. It's goals!
HOW TO MAKE PASTA AL SALMONE
This dish is made using penne that's perfectly cooked to al dente, caramelized onions, a homemade creamy sauce made of butter, heavy cream and white wine, and the show stopper, fresh salmon cooked until tender and moist.
Combined with other aromatics that transform this dish, and topped with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.
It's no wonder it's a popular Italian spaghetti alla salmone dish, and for all the right reasons!
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
- Salmon. Use fresh wild-caught salmon for best flavor and quality. To find the best quality, visit your local fish monger to purchase fresh. When buying fresh salmon, be sure to use within a day for optimal freshness. Otherwise, go with frozen salmon and thaw the night before.
- Penne pasta. Choose any penne you like. Cook to al dente per the package. If you have a gluten allergy, using gluten-free penne works just as well.
- Yellow onion. Preferably yellow over white for best flavor in this salmon pasta.
- Cream. Heavy cream will give this dish the thickness and richness it needs.
- White wine. Go with a wine that you would enjoy for dinner. It's wasteful (to me at least) to buy a low-quality wine and throw out what I'm not using for the recipe. Instead, I go with a good drinking wine since there will be plenty left to enjoy along with dinner.
- Capers. These add the perfect amount of brine to this seafood dish and pair beautifully with the wine cream sauce.
- Butter. Salted butter if you have it, otherwise use unsalted but add more salt to the dish.
- Garlic. Use fresh minced garlic over pre-minced or powdered garlic for best flavor.
- Red pepper flakes. Just a sprinkle will add a little kick to this dish and give it yet another flavor element that I love!
- Salt and pepper.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
Add salmon and sear on one side for about 1 minute. Then add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, capers, and wine.
Simmer until the wine is reduced by half. Flip the salmon fillets halfway through, then reduce to low heat.
Cook the penne in a pot of boiling water until al dente. When the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of pasta water to add to the sauce, then strain the rest of the water. Add pasta back into the pot.
Remove the salmon and place on a separate plate.
To the pasta sauce, add cream and pasta water until desired consistency. Allow to simmer gently until warmed through.
Using a fork, break up the salmon into bite-size pieces.
Pour the sauce onto the pasta, adding more pasta water as needed. Gently mix in the salmon.
Top pasta with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Serve warm.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
To make this penne al salmone, you'll need a few simple kitchen items you usually have on hand.
5-quart pot to cook the pasta and the sauce.
Cheese grater to shave or shred the parmesan cheese.
Fish spatula to use while cooking the salmon and for easy shredding.
Garlic press. I use this in every recipe to get the best fresh minced garlic.
Knife to cut the veggies. I love this knife!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
This recipe is tested and perfected! As someone that cooks with a variety of seafood often, each fish and shellfish recipe is tested over and over. If you have any questions feel free to comment at the bottom of the page! If you're looking for a substitute for salmon, or one of the ingredients, the next section goes over good ones!
Easy to make! This is an easy to make dinner. It's as simple as making the easy cream sauce, cooking the salmon filet in the same pot as the sauce, cooking the pasta and voila!
Delicious! Oh man, the flavor in this salmon pasta is out of this world. The creaminess, the garlic, the wine flavor in the sauce, not to mentioned the omega-3 packed salmon is perfectly cooked!
Fresh salmon! Using fresh instead of smoked salmon to create a much lighter flavor profile and allowing the flavor of the salmon shine!
VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- Substitute the salmon for smoked salmon. Many Italians make this pasta al salmone with smoked salmon to give a different flavor profile.
- Add in cherry tomatoes for a pop of flavor and color!
- Add spinach for more nutrition and color.
- Choose another cheese instead of parmesan. I like Asiago for a substitute for parm.
- Try it out different types of pasta instead of penne. Try linguine, fettuccine, farfalle (bowtie), or regular cut spaghetti.
EXPERT TIPS
- Cook the penne to al dente!
- Add salt to the penne while cooking.
- Be careful not to overcook the salmon. As someone that works with seafood on a daily basis, my best tip when working with fish is to always check on the doneness early! Using a food thermometer or the flake test, check the internal temperature of the filet often to make sure it's not going to overcook.
- Cook with good drinking wine. I say this over and over, just like this clam spaghetti in wine sauce recipe, always choose a good drinking wine to use in your cream sauce. That way you can enjoy it with dinner and the flavors will enhance and not abrupt the dish.
STORING LEFTOVERS & REHEATING TIPS
- To store in the fridge: Before storing in the pasta al salmone in the fridge, be sure it's completely cooled and has come to room temperature. Place in an air tight container for about 2-3 days for optimal freshness.
- To store in the freezer: Once cooled completely store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw completely prior to reheating.
- How to reheat: The easiest way to reheat this dish is to microwave it until warmed through. Another option is to use a skillet on low heat to reheat slowly. If reheating a large amount, place in an oven-safe baking dish and heat in a 350F oven until warmed through.
HOW TO PREP AHEAD
Parts of this dish or the entire dish can be prepped ahead and placed in the fridge until you're ready to reheat and enjoy.
- Prep the cream sauce ahead.
- Use previously cooked salmon.
- Cook the penne in advance.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
It takes about 30 minutes to make this dish from start to finish. That includes prepping, cooking and serving! You can cut down on your time by cooking the pasta at the same time as the sauce.
Yes. You can substitute salmon with any fish you'd like, or go for smoked salmon as other Italians do! White fish like cod, halibut, or bass could work. The flavor of other fish will be different, but you will still enjoy a delicious meal filled with omega-3s!
Yes! You can definitely use other seafood instead. Some options I suggest are shrimp, calamari, seafood blend of various shellfish, steamer clams, or even crab! They all would work great!
Absolutely! It's easy to substitute regular penne pasta for gluten-free nowadays. Choose one that isn't made with beans, lentils, or brown rice flour to avoid added flavors not mixing well with the rest of this recipe. Same with choosing a dairy-free cream, try to choose one that's not as strong to not take over the flavor of this dish.
There are tons of great options. My first recommendation is to choose a white wine that you enjoy drinking. If you enjoy very expensive bottles, then opt for a slightly less expensive one.
Good options to choose from are sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot gris, or viognier for a slightly sweet flavor!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH PASTA AL SALMONE
For a nice appetizer, make this easy half shell oysters with sumac vinaigrette.
A fresh and flavorful salad is just what this salmon pasta dish needs, like this fried feta and strawberry salad that creamy, fresh, and light!
Popping a quick side into the air fryer is always a good idea - Air fryer butternut squash.
MORE SEAFOOD PASTA RECIPES
MORE SALMON RECIPES
I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! When you make this dish, please RATE using the ⭐️stars, and COMMENT at the end of the page. I love connecting with you in the comments section.
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RECIPE
Penne Pasta al Salmone (Salmon Pasta)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 1 small onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ lb salmon about 2 6oz filets
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup capers heaping
- 1 cup white wine chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 lb penne pasta
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Add salmon and sear on one side for about 1 minute. Then add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, capers, and wine.
- Simmer until the wine is reduced by half. Flip the salmon fillets halfway through, then reduce to low heat.
- Cook the penne in a pot of boiling water until al dente. When the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of pasta water to add to the sauce, then strain the rest of the water. Add pasta back into the pot.
- Remove the salmon and place on a separate plate.
- To the pasta sauce, add cream and pasta water until desired consistency. Allow to simmer gently until warmed through.
- Using a fork, break up the salmon into bite-size pieces.
- Pour the sauce onto the pasta, adding more pasta water as needed. Gently mix in the salmon.
- Top pasta with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Serve warm.
Notes
- Add salt to the penne while cooking.
- Be careful not to overcook the salmon.
- Cook with good drinking wine. Then enjoy the rest with dinner!
- Substitute the salmon for smoked salmon. Many Italians make this recipe with smoked salmon to give a different flavor profile.
- Add in cherry tomatoes for a pop of flavor and color!
- Add spinach for more nutrition and color.
- Choose another cheese instead of parmesan. I like Asiago for a substitute for Parm.
- Try it out different types of pasta instead of penne. Try linguine, fettuccine, farfalle (bowtie), or regular cut spaghetti.
- To store in the fridge: Before storing in the fridge, be sure it's completely cooled and has come to room temperature. Place in an airtight container for about 2-3 days for optimal freshness.
- To store in the freezer: Once cooled completely store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw completely prior to reheating.
- How to reheat: The easiest way to reheat this dish is to microwave it until warmed through. Another option is to use a skillet on low heat to reheat slowly. If reheating a large amount, place in an oven-safe baking dish and heat in a 350F oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
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