This light and healthy salmon crème fraîche pasta with a creamy sauce, plenty of lemon juice and a sprinkling of capers is an easy dinner recipe great for any night of the week!
I am loving the flavour in this pasta!
Salmon pasta is one of my favourite easy meals. I often make a simple version with tinned salmon like this spicy salmon linguine for a quick dinner on a weeknight.
For this version I decided to mix it up and try using some hot smoked salmon. I stirred it through a couple of minutes before serving and it added the most incredible smoky flavour when flaked into the pasta.
I also wanted a bit of green so opted for some asparagus spears which I fried with garlic before tossing with the pasta then the whole thing is mixed with a creme fraiche sauce which tastes great and keeps it pretty healthy.
Why we love this recipe...
This is such an easy recipe to make when you're in need of something really quick and simple that doesn't take too much prep.
It only requires a handful of ingredients which come together to make a super flavourful meal.
It's a pretty healthy recipe that includes plenty of fresh and tasty ingredients.
You can easily switch up the ingredients you use if you prefer other options. Try broccoli instead of asparagus or use regular smoked salmon instead of the hot smoked salmon fillets.
Ingredients
This section is here to provide further tips and ideas for alternative ingredients. The full recipe and instructions are included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
Asparagus: Cut into threes and fried.
Tagliatelle: Or you could use your favourite pasta shape.
Garlic
Hot Smoked Salmon: You can buy fillets of hot smoked salmon ready to eat and they add a lovely mild smoky flavour but you could use regular smoked salmon or use fresh salmon if you prefer.
Creme Fraiche: This makes a lovely creamy pasta sauce. You can also use heavy cream or sour cream.
Lemon
Capers: I love the extra tang these add to the dish but you can leave them out if you aren't a fan.
How to make it
Prepare your ingredients: Start by snapping the end off the asparagus then chop into pieces. Boil the pasta in salted water and reserve a mugful of pasta water.
Fry everything: Heat a drizzle of olive oil and add the asparagus followed by the garlic. Add the salmon to heat through then squeeze in the lemon juice.
Finish the sauce: Stir in the creme fraiche and pasta water. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce with the capers.
FAQs
Smoked salmon can be a good addition to a healthy diet. It's packed with protein and omega-3.
You can definitely use this recipe to make canned salmon pasta instead. Follow the instructions as written but just use the canned salmon in place of the smoked salmon fillets.
Absolutely, sour cream or even double cream would also work well.
I like to add a sprinkling of parsley to this pasta but there are other herbs that work well with salmon. Dill is a classic with fish and would be delicious with this pasta.
If you have any leftover creme fraiche then why not use it up in this chipotle chicken salad with lime creme fraiche or smoked salmon toasts with cucumber ribbons.
Want more? Try these other pasta recipes!
- Vodka Pasta Sauce with Sun Dried Tomato
- Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
- Mushroom Stroganoff with Rosemary
- Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti
- Aubergine Pasta Bake with Balsamic Tomato Sauce
- Roasted Vegetable Lasagne
- Miso Pasta with Mushrooms
Recipe
Smoked Salmon Pasta with Asparagus
Ingredients
- 250 g Asparagus
- 300 g Tagliatelle
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 180 g Hot Smoked Salmon
- 100 ml Crème Fraiche
- 1 Lemon
- 2 tablespoon Capers
- Parmesan to serve
- Fresh Parsley to serve
Instructions
- Snap the asparagus at the weakest part to remove the woody end. Chop into 2 or 3 pieces depending on the size of the asparagus spears. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions. When finished cooking reserve a mugful of pasta water before draining.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan and add the asparagus. Fry for a couple of minutes then add the garlic. Flake the salmon and add to the frying pan to heat through. Add the juice of the lemon then add the crème fraiche, 2 tablespoon of pasta water, capers and the cooked pasta. Toss thoroughly to coat.
- Serve the pasta sprinkled with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
Notes
Like the look of this recipe? Make sure you pin it for later!
Sapana says
The perfect weeknight dinner - so easy to make!
Cindy says
What an absolute delicious meal for the entire family. We try new recipes once a week and this one was for this week! SO GOOD!
Alisha Rodrigues says
We love anything pasta.. and we're always searching for recipes to try, using pasta .. So this one's definitely coming up at our dinner table one of these days
Alice | SkinnySpatula says
OMG, this looks amazing and I loved the idea of adding some capers. Going on my must-try list!