This smoked mackerel pasta recipe is a quick, creamy and flavourful recipe that's ready in around 20 minutes. Smoked mackerel fillets are already cooked, making them a perfect shortcut ingredient for easy pasta dishes.
In this recipe, the mackerel is mixed with leeks, kale and cream cheese to create a rich and creamy sauce. A little horseradish adds a gentle kick that balances the strong flavour of the fish. The pasta can be served as a creamy stovetop dish, or topped with cheese and grilled to create a comforting smoked mackerel pasta bake.
Smoked mackerel pasta is one of the easiest ways to turn a packet of smoked fish into a quick midweek dinner. Because the mackerel is already cooked, it simply needs flaking into the sauce, making this recipe ideal for busy evenings when you want something comforting but fast.
Quick Summary. Smoked Mackerel Pasta Bake
- Prep time: 5 minutes.
- Cook time: 15 minutes.
- Servings: 4 (can be changed in recipe card).
- Key Ingredients: Pasta, leeks, kale, smoked mackerel, cream cheese, horseradish sauce.
- Cooking method: Hob. Stove-top. Grill (optional).
- Make Ahead: Yes.
- Fridge Storage: 2-3 days.
- Freezer Storage: No.
Jump to:
- Quick Summary. Smoked Mackerel Pasta Bake
- Why This Smoked Mackerel Pasta Recipe Works
- Ingredients for Smoked Mackerel Pasta
- Recipe Tips and Variations
- How to Make Smoked Mackerel Pasta
- Top Tip
- Serving Suggestion
- Other Smoked Mackerel Recipes
- Sustainability
- Storing, Freezing and Reheating
- FAQs
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
Why This Smoked Mackerel Pasta Recipe Works
This smoked mackerel pasta recipe is designed to be simple, quick and full of flavour.
- Quick to prepare: Ready in about 20 minutes.
- Budget-friendly recipe: Uses cheap ingredients.
- Uses ready-to-eat smoked mackerel: No need to cook the fish.
- Creamy but balanced: Horseradish sauce cuts through the richness.
- Flexible recipe: Easy to adapt with different vegetables or pasta shapes.
- Adaptable: Serve as a creamy sauce or turn into a pasta bake.
Ingredients for Smoked Mackerel Pasta
This recipe comes together with a few simple ingredients. See recipe card for exact quantities.
- Smoked Mackerel: Whole fillets around 100g / 3.5oz per person
- Pasta: Any pasta shape will work.
- Vegetables: Look for firm leeks and crisp firm dark leaves for the kale.
- Cream Cheese: Any variety. A lighter version will give a sligtly thinner sauce.
- Horseradish Sauce: A white creamy sauce, usually bought in small jars.
- Cheese: Grated cheddar or mozarella. Buy blocks and grate yourself if possible as it will melt better than pre-bagged versions.
Recipe Tips and Variations
This is an easy recipe to mix up to help use up leftovers.
As smoked mackerel is already cooked, it's super convenient for adding to pasta dishes. You can buy it in a variety of flavours including, naturally smoked, pepper smoked, hot smoked, honey and soy.
- Fish: You can swap the smoked mackerel for tinned mackerel, tinned tuna, salmon or sardines. All these fish are oily fish and the sauce will work well with any of them.
- Vegetables: Simple swaps or additions include onions instead of leeks, spinach or green cabbage instead of kale. Fresh spinach doesn't need cooking. Simply stir it into the pasta towards the end so it wilts into the sauce.
- Cream Cheese: For a lighter version, you can use crème fraîche, mascarpone or Greek yoghurt (stir in off the heat).
- Cheese: If you want to turn this dish into a pasta bake, simply sprinkle grated cheese over the top and grill until golden brown. Cheddar or mozzarella are good options.
How to Make Smoked Mackerel Pasta
This smoked mackerel pasta recipe comes together in just a few simple steps.
Step 1: Vegetables
Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and fry the leek and kale until they are tender but still vibrant green.
Step 2: Mackerel
Remove the skin from the mackerel fillets and check for bones. Flake the fish into the pan and stir in the cream cheese and horseradish sauce. Heat gently for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Pasta
Add the cooked pasta and gently stir everything together. Season with black pepper. If using fresh spinach, add it here and allow it to wilt.
Step 4: Bake
Serve as a creamy pasta dish or transfer to an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with grated (shredded) cheese and breadcrumbs then grill until the top is crisp and golden.
See Recipe Card for quantities.
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Top Tip
Add a crunchy topping with breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs are a great way to use up leftover bread. They freeze well, so you can keep them in the freezer and use them straight from frozen to help reduce food waste.
Serving Suggestion
This smoked mackerel pasta is a complete one-pot dish. However, you can also serve it with some seasonal green vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, tenderstem broccoli or peas.
Other Smoked Mackerel Recipes
Smoked mackerel is a cheap and easy ingredient to cook with. It's also a great way to include omega-3 rich oily fish in your diet. You might also like:
Sustainability
Choosing fish from sustainable sources helps protect fish stocks.
The Marine Conservation Society Good Fish Guide recommends handline-caught mackerel due to its low-impact fishing methods and ring-fenced quotas. Look for the MCS logo when buying fish.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
Vacuum packed smoked mackerel has a shelf life of several weeks when stored in the fridge. Once opened, it should be eaten within 2-3 days.
It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Because it is an oily fish, the flavour may change slightly after freezing.
You can store this smoked mackerel pasta in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Leftovers can also be eaten cold and make a great lunch the next day.
The pasta bake doesn't freeze well as it contains cream cheese.
To reheat, cover the dish with foil and reheat in the oven at 180°C / 350°F for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil for the final few minutes to crisp up the topping.
FAQs
Mackerel is an oily fish with a rich flavour. Smoking the fish preserves it and gives its distinctive taste. Smoked mackerel fillets are already cooked and ready to eat, which makes them ideal for quick meals like smoked mackerel pasta or fishcakes.
Smoked mackerel has a rich, smoky flavour that can sometimes taste quite strong. The best way to balance it is by adding ingredients that bring freshness or acidity. For example, lemon juice, horseradish sauce, cream cheese or fresh herbs such as parsley or dill.
Fresh herbs add brightness and work well with the rich flavour of smoked fish. Some of the best herbs to use include parsley, dill, chives and tarragon.
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📖 Recipe
Smoked Mackerel Pasta with Cream Cheese
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Ingredients
- 300 g penne organic
- 10 g butter organic
- 2 leeks organic, trimmed, washed and sliced
- 200 g kale organic
- 400 g smoked mackerel fillets MSC certified, skinned and flesh flaked into large chunks
- 340 g cream cheese organic
- 2 tablespoon horseradish sauce organic
- 1 dash black pepper organic, fairtrade, freshly ground
- 100 g breadcrumbs organic
- 50 g Cheddar Cheese organic, grated
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and fry the leek and kale until they are tender but still vibrant green.300 g penne, 10 g butter, 2 leeks, 200 g kale
- Remove the skin from the mackerel fillets and check for bones. Flake the fish into the pan and stir in the cream cheese and horseradish sauce. Heat gently for 2 minutes.340 g cream cheese, 400 g smoked mackerel fillets, 2 tablespoon horseradish sauce
- Add the cooked pasta and gently stir everything together. Season with black pepper. If using fresh spinach, add it here and allow it to wilt.1 dash black pepper
- Serve as a creamy pasta dish or transfer to an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with grated (shredded) cheese and breadcrumbs then grill until the top is crisp and golden.100 g breadcrumbs, 50 g Cheddar Cheese
Notes
Ingredient Notes
- Smoked Mackerel: Whole fillets around 100g / 3.5oz per person
- Pasta: Any pasta shape will work.
- Vegetables: Look for firm leeks and crisp firm dark leaves for the kale.
- Cream Cheese: Any variety. A lighter version will give a sligtly thinner sauce.
- Horseradish Sauce: A white creamy sauce, usually bought in small jars.
- Cheese: Grated cheddar or mozarella. Buy blocks and grate yourself if possible as it will melt better than pre-bagged versions.
Tips
- You can buy the fillets simply smoked or with added flavours such as smoked peppered mackerel, hot smoked, or even honey and soy flavoured. You can also use tinned mackerel.
- I've used leeks and kale in this recipe, but you could also use onion in place of the leeks and green cabbage or spinach to replace the kale. Fresh spinach doesn't need cooking, just stir it into the pasta at stage 3 so it wilts down.
- You can use any pasta shapes in a pasta bake.
- For the topping, use a hard grated cheese such as cheddar or mozarella. Mozarella has a milder flavour.
Storage
Smoked mackerel fillets can be frozen for up to 3 months. They also keep well in the fridge for up to several weeks. Store the pasta bake in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container to prevent the smell of the fish leaking into the other food. The pasta bake is not suitable for freezing as it contains cream cheese. You can prepare this pasta bake ahead of time and keep in the fridge. To re-heat, cover with foil and re-heat for 20 minutes at 180°C/350°F. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
Nigel
I can’t afford organic vegetables or groceries, my heating bill has gone through the roof. Can I still make this with conventionally grown and manufactured food?
REALMEALDEAL
Yes you can make all the recipes with conventionally grown and manufactured food. I list items that are available to buy as organic to help improve awareness but of course we all have to buy to our budgets and they are being squeezed in a big way right now. You might like to look at some of my vegetarian recipes which are much cheaper to make than any using meat or fish.
Ruth Brown
This meal was lovely. It was easy to make and very tasty. But we did find that we only needed 2/3 of a portion each.