A cozy bowl of creamy salmon pasta in just 30 minutes and with only 8 main ingredients! Tender, flaky roasted salmon is piled over a tangle of linguine coated in a silky lemon–garlic herb cream sauce. Simple enough for a weeknight, special enough for date night.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fast: Ready in about half an hour from start to finish.
- Minimal ingredients: Just a handful of basics you probably already have.
- Flexible: Easy to swap the pasta shape, herbs, or even use leftover salmon.
- Crowd-pleasing: Feels restaurant-worthy without being fussy.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Salmon
- Use fresh or frozen salmon (thawed in the fridge overnight if frozen).
- Wild-caught salmon (like sockeye) will give the best flavor, but any variety works.
- You can roast one large 1 lb fillet or several smaller fillets.
Olive Oil
- A good-quality extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil brings great flavor.
- You can swap in avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or even butter if you prefer.
Herbs
- The recipe uses dried oregano and dried thyme.
- You can substitute with dried basil, rosemary, parsley, or Italian seasoning.
Pasta
- Linguine is the star here, but long shapes like spaghetti, fettuccine, bucatini, or angel hair all work beautifully.
- Short shapes (penne, rigatoni, rotini, farfalle) are fine too, though creamy sauces cling best to longer noodles.
- Use whole wheat or gluten-free pasta if desired.
Pasta Water
- The starchy cooking water helps the sauce cling to the pasta and gives it a glossy finish.
- If you forget to save some, you can use chicken broth, though the texture won’t be quite the same.
Lemon
- Fresh lemon is key: slices for baking with the salmon plus zest and juice in the sauce.
- Bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch, but fresh gives much brighter flavor.
Heavy Cream
- Heavy cream creates that rich, velvety sauce.
- You can use half-and-half, but the sauce will be lighter and less creamy.
Capers (Optional)
- Not in the base recipe but a fantastic addition.
- They add a salty, briny pop that pairs perfectly with salmon and lemon.
Recipe Card
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Category: Main Dish
Method: Oven + Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- 1 lb salmon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
For the Pasta & Sauce
- 1 lb linguine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (or chicken broth)
- Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
(Optional mix-ins: capers, roasted vegetables, red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese)
Instructions
Roast the Salmon
- Place the salmon in a baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then sprinkle with dried oregano, dried thyme, and a couple of pinches of salt and pepper.
- Lay the lemon slices over the top of the salmon.
- Put the baking dish into a cold oven (no preheating).
- Set the oven to 400°F (200°C) and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the salmon is just cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
Cook the Pasta
- While the salmon bakes, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- Cook the linguine according to package directions until al dente.
- Before draining, scoop out at least 1/2 cup pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta.
Make the Sauce
- In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-low heat.
- Add the sliced garlic, oregano, thyme, and a couple of generous pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
- Pour in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1/2 cup pasta water (or chicken broth). Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook for another 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce starts to thicken slightly.
Combine
- Add the cooked linguine to the pan and toss well to coat the pasta in the sauce. Cook for a couple of minutes until warmed through and glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning again as needed.
- Transfer the sauced pasta to a serving platter.
- Flake the roasted salmon into large chunks (discard the skin if desired) and arrange it over the bed of pasta.
- Garnish with more lemon slices and plenty of fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Tips for the Best Creamy Salmon Pasta
- Salt your pasta water: For 1 lb of pasta, use 2–4 tablespoons of Kosher salt. It seasons the pasta from the inside and makes the whole dish taste better.
- Cook pasta al dente: Boil the pasta about 1 minute less than the package suggests, then start tasting. It should still have a slight bite.
- Add Parmesan: To thicken the sauce and add nuttiness, stir in a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese once the pasta is in the pan.
- Boost the veggies: Toss in roasted broccoli, roasted asparagus, blistered or sun-dried tomatoes, or a handful of fresh spinach and let it wilt into the sauce.
- Make it spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce, or let everyone sprinkle some on their own plate.
- Skip the salmon (if you want): The creamy lemon pasta is delicious on its own as a main, especially alongside a crisp green salad. The salmon just adds extra protein and omega-3s.
Why Start Salmon in a Cold Oven?
- The salmon cooks gently and evenly, which keeps it moist and tender.
- You get juicy, flaky salmon without drying it out.
- It’s convenient—no need to wait for the oven to preheat. Just pop the salmon in and move on to the pasta.
Choosing Salmon for This Recipe
- Wild-caught salmon is usually more flavorful and a deeper color than farmed. Sockeye is a great choice.
- Salmon with the skin on stays juicier and is easier to handle; you can easily remove the skin after baking if you like.
- Use either one large fillet or several smaller ones—large fillets are easier to season at once, smaller ones are nicely pre-portioned.
- Fresh is great, but frozen salmon works too. Thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.
- This pasta is also perfect for using leftover salmon (Mediterranean, Greek, smoked, etc.).
Best Pasta Shapes for Creamy Salmon Alfredo
Creamy sauces pair especially well with long, flat pasta, but many shapes will work:
- Linguine
- Fettuccine
- Spaghetti
- Angel hair
- Bucatini
- Penne
- Farfalle
- Rotini
- Rigatoni
Avoid very tiny shapes like orzo or ditalini for this recipe—they can get lost in the sauce.
How to Tell When Salmon Is Done
- Use an instant-read thermometer: the thickest part should register around 145°F (63°C).
- The flesh should flake easily with a fork.
- It will look opaque on the outside with a slightly translucent pink center.
Sauce & Seasoning Ideas
What kind of sauce goes well with salmon?
This simple lemon–garlic herb cream sauce is a perfect match—rich but not heavy, brightened by lemon so it doesn’t overpower the fish.
What seasonings pair with salmon?
- Classic dried herbs: oregano, thyme, basil, parsley, or an Italian seasoning blend.
- For a twist, try Cajun seasoning for a spicy, smoky edge or taco seasoning for a more Tex-Mex vibe.
- Fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or basil are also fantastic sprinkled on top.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
Make-Ahead
- Roast the salmon and keep it in the fridge for up to 1 day.
- Cook the pasta ahead of time (up to a few days) and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
- When ready to serve, make the sauce, then add the pasta and flaked salmon to the pan and heat gently until warmed through.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing
- Freezing cream sauces can cause them to separate a bit. You can freeze this dish, but expect some texture change.
- If you do freeze it, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
- Reheat gently in a pan over medium heat, adding a splash of cream or broth to loosen the sauce.
- Stir frequently until hot all the way through.
Nutrition (Per Serving)
Approximate values for 1/8 of the pasta and sauce (without extra toppings or veggies):
- Calories: 362
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 52 mg
- Fat: 11.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 45.1 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 20.6 g
- Cholesterol: 41.7 mg
Final Notes
- Don’t skip the salt in the pasta water. It’s your first and best chance to season the whole dish and makes a huge difference in flavor.
- Cook pasta just to al dente. Slightly firm pasta holds up better in the creamy sauce and won’t turn mushy when tossed and reheated.
- Reserve that pasta water. A splash loosens the sauce, helps it cling to the noodles, and gives everything a beautiful glossy finish.
- Watch the salmon closely. Pull it from the oven as soon as it flakes easily or hits about 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part so it stays moist and tender.
- Adjust the richness to taste. Add more cream and/or Parmesan for a richer sauce, or a little extra pasta water and lemon juice for something lighter and brighter.
- Customize the add-ins. Capers, roasted veggies, fresh spinach, or red pepper flakes are all easy ways to change the vibe without changing the base recipe.
- Great for leftovers. Store in the fridge up to 5 days and reheat gently with a splash of cream or broth to bring the sauce back to life.
Overall, it’s a flexible, weeknight-friendly pasta that you can dress up or down depending on your mood and what’s in your fridge.
