Leftover salmon gets a recipe remake with bowtie pasta, fresh asparagus, and dill in this super simple Parmesan cream sauce that makes meal prep a breeze. This salmon pasta couldn’t be easier to make!
Easy Leftover Salmon Recipe
You know how moms are always, always, always telling others what to do? “Giving” their advice? Even when nobody asked. “Sharing” their opinion. Even when everybody already knows what it is.
Here I am. Hand raised. I’m a mom! That’s me! Straight up, I’m not even denying I have a slightly (not slight at all) bossy streak, or as I like to call it, “Offering tips to make things better.” Or easier. And better. At least in my eyes.
And the scary part is that I was like this well before my child bearing years, during them, and of course continuing strong even now after them. My poor family.
So if you’ve followed this blog for long, you’ll know I’ve “given my advice” and “shared my opinion” about meal planning and how it’s my “favorite tip” to making dinner time “easier and better.”
See! My bossy ways do pay off!
This creamy pasta recipe came about because of my craving for the classic spring flavor combo of asparagus and dill, and because I had a bunch of leftover salmon from my Poached Salmon in Mustard Dill Sauce hanging around the fridge. Knowing our little family of three wouldn’t eat 4 salmon fillets in one sitting, I planned ahead to make the leftover fillets into a savory but bright pasta night.
Unlike me, my husband is NOT the biggest fan of leftovers, so in order to get him to buy into the process, a little creativity by big mama is in order. I adapted this salmon pasta recipe from a super simple 30-minute weeknight wonder, my Meyer Lemon Fettuccine recipe that comes together with minimal investment of time or ingredients.
What’s in This Salmon Pasta?
This salmon pasta recipe is a great way to use up not only salmon, but any random veggies you have lying in your produce drawer as well. Here’s what I threw into this creamy pasta:
- Bow tie pasta
- Asparagus spears
- Heavy cream
- Meyer lemon zest
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh dill
- Cooked salmon
- Kosher salt and pepper
How to Make Salmon Pasta
Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pasta to a colander, then reheat the pasta water and throw the chopped asparagus into it. Cook the asparagus until bright green.
Meanwhile, heat the heavy cream in a skillet and simmer until reduced by half. Then, stir in the lemon zest, Parmesan, dill, and salmon and cook until heated through.
Add the pasta and asparagus to the skillet and toss to coat in the sauce. Sprinkle with more Parmesan before serving, if desired.
Is There a Heavy Cream Substitute I Can Use?
No, heavy cream is a must in this creamy salmon pasta recipe. If you try to use half and half or regular milk, the sauce won’t thicken up enough and will be too runny to coat the pasta properly.
Can I Add Other Veggies to This Pasta?
I bet you could! Frozen peas would be a good addition to the cream sauce, as would fresh spinach.
Tips for Making Creamy Salmon Pasta
Meyer lemons are another springtime favorite and I load up on them every chance I get. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, consider upping the amount of lemon zest in the sauce to really get that lemon flavor to shine in the sauce.
For the best flavor and texture, I recommend buying a block of Parmesan cheese and grating it yourself. Avoid the stuff in a shaker can, it doesn’t compare to freshly grated Parm.
If you have leftovers of this salmon pasta, gently reheat them over low heat on the stove. You may need to add a splash of cream to loosen up the pasta.
More Easy Pasta Recipes for Busy Weeknights
- Fresh Tomato and Ricotta Whole Wheat Pasta
- Baked Sausage and Cheese Rigatoni
- Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Gnocchi with Pomodoro Sauce
- Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Peas
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Creamy Asparagus & Salmon Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried bow tie pasta or farfalle
- 2 cups chopped asparagus spears cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups heavy cream
- Zest of 2 Meyer lemons use 2-3 regular lemons if you can't find Meyer lemons
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/8 cup chopped fresh dill fronds plus more for garnish
- 2 cups flaked, cooked salmon
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
-
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the bow tie pasta according to package directions until al denté.
-
When noodles are done cooking, use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta to a colander, reserving the pasta cooking water in the pot. Reheat the pot of water over medium heat and add the chopped asparagus spears, cooking until they turn bright green, about 1-2 minutes, then transfer to the same colander as the pasta. You want the asparagus to still have a snap to but not taste raw.
-
While the pasta and asparagus are cooking, pour the cream into a 12-inch skillet and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until reduced by half and the cream easily coats the back of a spoon.
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Add the lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, fresh dill and cooked salmon to the cream and stir until the Parmesan is melted into the cream and the salmon is warmed through. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
-
Add the cooked bow tie pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Add more salt and pepper if desired, and top with more Parmesan cheese and dill if desired. Serve immediately.
More Italian Recipes You’ll Love
- 30-Minute Homemade Chicken Parmesan
- Mom’s Homemade Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- How to Make the Best Minestrone Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup
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Tori//Gringalicious.com says
Yum! Pasta is just what the doctor ordered for the rainy weather we’ve been having. Omg, this sounds so good!
Jane M says
I made this today and substituted linguini for the bow tie pasta. Added a little more lemon juice and dill but it was very good. A good recipe to use left over salmon.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
YUM!
Merilyn Swan says
Yum! My girlfriend is Italian, so I can’t wait to impress her with his delish looking dish! Thanks!
Aimee @ Simple Bites says
This is so gorgeous! My daughter is crazy about asparagus and salmon, and well, pasta, too! Can’t wait to serve this up.
Nasrin says
Was tempting!!! I thing it will so delicious.
Rich says
Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! This looks incredible – two of my favourite things in one dish, well three because I love pasta too, ha! Rich :)
Laura says
Dill is one of my favorite fresh spring flavors! I try to refrain from giving unsolicited advice…but sometimes I just can’t help myself! I definitely need to get back into the swing of meal planning, it totally makes life so much easier {and more delicious}!
marcie says
We eat salmon once or twice a week and this is a great way to change things up. I can’t get enough asparagus and this pasta needs to get on my meal plan!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
You can boss me around any day, Heidi. Lol. Love the use of leftovers in here, but re-purposed to make an entirely new dish. Perfect way to keep things fresh and interesting!
Nicole Leggio says
Always looking for news ways to use salmon! Looks delicious (and beautiful)!
Letty / Letty's Kitchen says
OK, I’m a pescatarian in real life. The next time I buy salmon I’m saving some for this easy pasta. Thanks for the inspiration.
Kari says
I am always looking for times to add salmon to my meals!
kari
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Cecile says
I sure couldn’t think of many other recipes that say SPRING more than this wonderful pasta dish!! I gotta make this when I head to our home in the Pocono mountains in a few weeks because one of sons and his family adore both fresh asparagus and salmon. ; o )
Movie leather jacket says
And this pink raw salmon is here again :( although the recipe is good but i will try this either in chicken or prawn :D creamy white sauce pasta is a bit heavy but it is yummy too :P
Deano says
I’ll definitely be trying this recipe. I love salmon and this looks like a great way to use it. Thanks Heidi :)
Sara @ Last Night's Feast says
This looks delicious! Perfect springtime pasta, right?
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes says
I’ll take your advice any day! This pasta sounds absolutely dreamy!
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
What an excellent use of leftovers! And, you know I love salmon. And pasta. Ok, all of it.
Lindsey | Cafe Johnsonia says
HEIDI!!! You are brilliant! We hardly ever have leftover salmon when I make it, but this makes me want to make double the amount just to make this. My girls would be alllll over that pasta.
Izzy @ She Likes Food says
There are people out there that don’t love leftovers?! I live for them! This pasta looks like the perfect use of leftovers and I’m also loving the asparagus and dill combo :)
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captain ameica says
i really love to have pasta, every Saturday night me and my sister love to cook it in such a way you explain and have lot of fun. thanks for the recipe
stanp says
Glad I found your blog…
Enjoy cooking and always looking for easy recipes as I’m the main cook to give my spouse some time off.
This recipe hit home as my wife is a “salmon junkie”…would eat it in some form 3 meals a day… 7 days a week.
Printed out the recipe and will be ‘in the queue’ this week.
Thanks
stanp says
Just following up….Tried this recipe last night with my wife and it was a big hit ! Anymore salmon recipes ?
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Spiderman Homecoming Jacket says
Yummy yummy pasta i love all foods you shared!!
Allan Sawyer says
I was given 20 pounds of Alaska salmon as a gift while up in Alaska and so I decided to try this recipe. Even though I forget to use the dill, it was amazing! Thank you so much!
Cecily says
Sooooo, I made this on Sunday. I didn’t have any leftover salmon as I usually do. I did, however, have some smoked salmon. So, I used that instead. The dish is just delicious. I posted it on my IG page. I need to go back and tag you.
Thanks
Wendy says
I added the asparagus in the last 2 minutes of cooking the pasta and that saved the step of reheating the water! I also saved 1/2 cup of the cooking water and used a tablespoon or two to thin the sauce after I added everything to the pan. This recipe tasted OK, but I don’t think my husband liked it too much. I loved that it was so quick though! Our salmon was quite “fishy,” which I know has more to do with the quality/freshness than anything, but it overpowered the dish. If we do it again, I might try shrimp or chicken instead. And the recipe needed a LOT of salt, a good amount of pepper, and we ended up squeezing the juice of a whole lemon over it. If I make again, I’ll probably add 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to the sauce so that it blends in a bit more than just adjusting seasoning at the end.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
Thanks for your feedback, Wendy!
Edith says
One small suggestion: if you add the asparagus to the boiling pasta about 2 minutes before the pasta is done you’ll save time and add some asparagus flavor to the pasta. Also, don’t throw the asparagus ends away, use them to make a broth that can be used for polenta or risotto.
Heidi says
Great tip Edith! Thanks for sharing.
Chery Connolly says
Made this recipe for the family and they absolutely loved it. Will be a staple in our house!
Heidi says
So glad you all enjoyed Chery!
Jen D says
We made salmon last night and i’m generally not a fan of leftover fish, but we had quite a bit let in the fridge I hated to see go to waste.
was looking for something fast, easy, and yummy that I could make with ingredients I already had in the house (quarrantine cooking for the win!)
I happened to have half a red pepper, which complimented the dish well and added some color. Had a small bit of a box of bowtie, and small bit left of a box of mini penne, so just mixed them together to use the last of it, worked out great considering hah
I love oregano and thyme in just about everything so added that to the sauce since I did not have any dill on hand and I was happy with the result. I also added garlic because I just can’t make a cream sauce without it.
this will probably be 100% my go to for leftover salmon moving forward! was a hit with my husband and kids alike.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
Cynthia says
This has become one of my family’s very favorite dishes. I typically substitute green beans for asparagus, and I never seem to have dill on hand, but even so it turns out great every time. I’ve even tried different types of fish (tilapia, mahi mahi) depending on what was on sale, although salmon does seem to work the best. Using heavy cream and lemon zest somehow makes the recipe feel fancy, but it’s actually quite simple to make. Don’t miss the step (as I did the first time) where you keep the pasta water to blanch the vegetables, or you’ll have to reheat the water. This recipe is definitely a keeper!