Foodedo recipe
Creamy Salmon, Pea and Spinach Pasta
Flaked salmon, sweet peas and spinach tossed through pasta in a light creamy lemon and Parmesan sauce for an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
12 items
- 300 gpenne or rigatoni
- 320 gsalmon filletsskinless if possible, cut into 3 cm pieces
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 1onionsmall, finely chopped
- 2garlicfinely chopped
- 150 gpeasfrozen
- 120 gbaby spinach
- 200 gcrème fraîchefull-fat
- 40 gParmesanfinely grated, plus extra to serve if liked
- 1lemonzest finely grated and juice squeezed
- 1 tspfine saltplus extra for the pasta water and to taste
- ½ tspblack pepperplus extra to taste
Recipe notes (2)
- Note: This is best made and served straight away, as the sauce thickens as it stands.
- Note: If your salmon fillets have skin on, cook them skin-side down first, then remove the skin before flaking the fish into the pasta.
Method
8 steps
Step 1. Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil. While it heats, pat the salmon dry, check for any bones and cut into 3 cm pieces. Season the salmon with a little of the salt and black pepper. Keep the raw salmon and its board separate from ready-to-eat ingredients, then wash your hands.
Step 2. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 1 minute less than the packet says. Add the frozen peas for the final 2 minutes of cooking. Before draining, scoop out about 250 ml of the pasta water.
Step 3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the salmon pieces in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes without moving them much, then turn and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more until just cooked through and flaking at the centre. Lift onto a plate.
Step 4. Turn the heat under the frying pan down to medium. Add the chopped onion with a small pinch of salt and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Step 5. Stir in the crème fraîche, grated Parmesan, lemon zest and 100 ml of the reserved pasta water. Stir until smooth and gently simmering. Add the spinach and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until wilted.
Step 6. Add the drained pasta and peas to the sauce and toss well for 1 minute, adding more reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce lightly coats the pasta rather than sitting thickly in the pan.
Step 7. Take the pan off the heat. Gently fold in the cooked salmon and most of the lemon juice so the fish stays in chunky flakes. Taste and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice as needed.
Step 8. Serve straight away with extra Parmesan and black pepper if liked.