Salmon Creme Fraiche Pasta is a quick and easy salmon dish and is ready in under 20 minutes. Poached salmon is stirred through a creamy lemon sauce and topped with fresh parsley and lemon zest. This salmon pasta recipe is light and doesn't use cream!
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Pasta with salmon and peas is so simple, that it will become one of your regular meals, especially for weeknights. It can be enjoyed hot or cold, eaten with any kind of pasta, and is full of flavour.
Quick and easy salmon recipes are perfect for mid-week. Salmon Risotto, Salmon Carbonara, and Baked Thai Salmon are all ready in under 30 minutes. Salmon Lasagne and Salmon en croute take longer but are worth the wait.
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Ingredient Notes
A salmon creme fraiche pasta recipe is very versatile so you can vary the ingredients according to what you have.
- Salmon. I use fresh salmon fillets for this recipe flaked into nice big chunks. You could also stir through tinned salmon or use smoked salmon. Smoked salmon and tinned salmon don't need cooking so just stir through at the end.
- Pasta. Tagliatelle is most commonly used in pasta dishes that have a smooth sauce and is the pasta I have used in this recipe. You can also use other pasta shapes such as fusilli which will hold the sauce well.
- Creme Fraiche. The creme fraiche gives the sauce a nice creaminess without being too heavy. I've used a reduced-fat version in this recipe. If you want to reduce the calories even further, you could substitute a fat-free Greek yoghurt.
- Herbs. Fresh parsley helps give the dish a nice fresh flavour. You can also use chives which go well with salmon. Chives are part of the onion family and have a stronger flavour.
- Peas. Garden peas add a nice sweetness and are super handy to add to a recipe as they can be added frozen to the pasta water and only take a few minutes to cook. You could also stir through some fresh spinach if you want to add more vegetables. Fresh spinach doesn't need cooking and will just wilt in the sauce.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This creamy salmon pasta is ready in under 20 minutes. Gather all your ingredients together and follow these easy steps.
Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the pasta as per the packet instructions. Add the peas for the last 3 minutes, then drain and return everything to the pan.
Place the salmon pieces in a large frying pan, cover with boiling water, and simmer for 5 minutes until they are cooked through.
Remove the salmon from the pan, keeping back a little of the water. Flake the fish into a bowl, leaving behind the skin. Stir in the lemon juice, zest, and parsley.
Over a low heat, stir the salmon and the creme fraiche into the pasta and peas. Add a little of the water to loosen it if necessary. If you are using smoked salmon or tinned salmon, stir it through now as it doesn't need any cooking.
How to Serve
Serve with a little freshly ground black pepper some fresh parsley leaves and lemon zest over the top. If you want to add a side dish, I would recommend some fresh crusty bread.
Making Ahead
Salmon pasta is very quick to prepare. However, if you do want to prep ahead the salmon can be cooked in advance, mixed with the lemon juice and parsley, and kept in the fridge. For a faster cooking time, use fresh tagliatelle rather than dried.
Different Ways to Cook Salmon
You can cook salmon in various ways which give it a slightly different texture. Pan-frying will give it crispiness on the outside. Oven baking gives it a slightly browned colour on top and you can add spices or seasoning. Poaching uses no oil and is the healthiest. Any method is suitable for this recipe as the salmon is flaked into the pasta once cooked.
Poaching. Poaching the salmon with the skin on for around 5 minutes is very simple and makes it easy to remove the skin and flake it once cooked. This is also the best cooking method if you don't want lingering salmon smells in your kitchen.
Pan-frying. Pan-frying salmon gives it a lovely crispiness. Just fry in a little oil and butter. Start skin side down and pan fry for 3 minutes. Turn the salmon over and fry for a further 2-3 minutes until cooked in the centre. Flake the salmon and remove the skin once it is cooked.
Oven Bake. To oven-bake your salmon, place the salmon skin-side down in a roasting tray with a little oil so it doesn't stick. Bake in the oven at 180C/160C Fan/360F/Gas Mark 4 for 10 - 15 minutes. If you want it to stay tender on top then cover with foil. Otherwise, leave the foil off and you will get a nice crispy crust to your salmon.
Sustainability
As with all fish, look out for the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) label when shopping. This label lets you know the salmon has been sustainably sourced. Buying fish from sustainable sources is important for the protection of fish stocks and also to protect the marine environment.
Storage
You can keep pasta with salmon in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. It can be reheated in a microwave or is delicious eaten cold. It won't freeze well as creamy sauces tend to split when they are frozen which means the texture of the sauce will be quite grainy.
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📖 Recipe
Salmon Creme Fraiche Pasta
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Ingredients
- 350 g dried tagliatelle organic
- 200 g frozen peas organic
- 500 g salmon fillets MSC certified, about 125g per person
- 1 lemons organic, fairtrade, juice & zest of
- 20 g fresh parsley organic, leaves only, chopped
- 120 g low fat creme fraiche organic
- 1 dash black pepper organic, fairtrade, freshly ground
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the pasta as per the packet instructions. Add the peas for the last 3 minutes, then drain and return everything to the pan.350 g dried tagliatelle, 200 g frozen peas
- Place the salmon pieces in a large frying pan, cover with boiling water, and simmer for 5 minutes until they are cooked through.500 g salmon fillets
- Remove the salmon from the pan, keeping back a little of the water. Flake the fish into a bowl, leaving behind the skin. Stir in the lemon juice, zest and parsley.1 lemons, 20 g fresh parsley
- Over a low heat, stir the salmon and the creme fraiche into the tagliatelle and peas. Add a little of the water to loosen it if necessary.120 g low fat creme fraiche
- Serve immediately with some freshly ground black pepper sprinkled over the top.1 dash black pepper
Notes
Storage
You can keep salmon pasta in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. It can be reheated in a microwave or is delicious eaten cold. It won't freeze well as creamy sauces tend to split when they are frozen which means the texture of the sauce will be quite grainy.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
Mahy
This pasta is amazing! This recipe is full of my favorite ingredients and just the way I like it!
Casey Rooney
This was SO quick and easy and we all LOVED it! It was light and great for this hot weather we're having!
Claudia Lamascolo
We love salmon and the flavors in this sound fantastic cant wait to try this recipe!
Amanda Dixon
I'm a big salmon and pasta lover, so this was my perfect meal! I loved how the creme fraiche added the perfect creaminess without being too heavy.
Natalie
My kids are fussy eaters, and pasta is one of the meals they love, like all kids. So thank you for this great salmon and pea pasta recipe, they loved it!