Pasta tossed with a creamy parmesan sauce and flakes of salmon. Alfredo pasta made the real proper restaurant way, you only need 1/2 cup of cream to serve 3. It’s simple, it’s magic, it’s the way real Italian pastas are made. No need to drown this salmon pasta in cream!
I’ve written before about the “proper” way to make pastas. The way Italian Nonna’s do. The way real Italian restaurants do.
It’s not about using loads and loads of sauce. The magic step that makes all the difference between a decent pasta and a really great one is tossing the pasta gently with the sauce and some of the pasta cooking water, just before serving.
What this does is activate the starch in the water and it mingles with the oil in the sauce, so it becomes glossy and luscious and coats every strand of pasta. It’s called emulsification, and it’s the real-deal-proper-way to make pasta.
Gone are the days of dumping of pile of pasta in a bowl and spooning over loads of sauce! And especially for creamy pastas, it’s an important step because that’s how to make less cream go further.
Hence you can indulge in this creamy Alfredo Salmon Pasta without using an entire tub of cream. 🙂
Cream does not make my weekly shopping basket. In fact, I very rarely cook with cream. But I had leftovers from Christmas, and used some to make a Creamy Lemon Chicken and the rest for this.
It’s been over 6 months since I shared a creamy pasta made with cream so I figure I’m due!!
I made this salmon pasta using hot smoked salmon which I purchased already smoked. I have attempted smoking my own salmon before, without success. I need to practice!!!
However, this will be really lovely made with plain cooked salmon too, and I’ve provided directions for this in the recipe. The sauce is so beautifully creamy, it really doesn’t matter whether the salmon is smoked or not. But the hot smoked salmon definitely adds an edge to the flavour!
Now, enough with the chatter. Who wants some Alfredo Salmon Pasta? – Nagi x
More ways to get your creamy pasta fix!
Fettucine Alfredo – also see One Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Baked Mac and Cheese – and try the Shrimp version!
Browse all pasta recipes
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Salmon Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz / 250g dried fettuccine
- 3 tbsp / 50g unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot (US) / eschallot (Australia), very finely minced (Note 1)
- ½ cup / 125 ml heavy cream (Note 2)
- ¾ cup / 185 ml freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan (Notes 3 and 4)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Good grind of black pepper
- 6-7 oz / 180 – 200g hot smoked salmon fillet , flaked (Note 5)
Garnish
- Fresh parsley (optional)
- Extra Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente (still firm but just cooked through). (Note 6)
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a deep fry pan over medium high heat. (Note 7)
- Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes or until tender.
- Add the cream and bring to boil. Turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Remove the fry pan from the heat and stir through the Parmigiano Reggiano, salt and pepper until the sauce is smooth.
- TAKE OUT 1/2 cup of pasta water PLUS scoop out an extra mug (extra, just in case). Then drain the pasta in a colander.
- Transfer the pasta and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water into the fry pan with the sauce. Add salmon. Return the fry pan to the stove over medium heat. Toss very gently to coat the pasta in the sauce and allow the sauce to emulsify (Note 6) for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes, until the sauce coats the pasta – there should be no sauce pooled at the bottom of the skillet. (Note 7)
- Remove from the stove and serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh parsley, if using.
Recipe Notes:
I love your recipes. But fish is not vegetarian. Fish are friends not food.
Great recipe. Thank you!
My version of salmon alfredo always came out with tonnes of liquid at the bottom. This version was perfect.
Hello! Do you think this could be made with tinned salmon instead?!
Do you think you could make the sauce ahead of time and then add it to the pasta when required
Absolutely Delicious !!!
Easy , yummy and quick . Drummed up with chopped leek and bacon when cooking softening the shallots and it was lovely .
This was very good! I made it with green onions and it was still great. We liked how the sauce is so smooth and not heavy.
Love this recipe! So easy and so delicious!
WOW WOW!! This is so delicious…..thank you Nagi! We eat salmon once a week, I used fresh salmon and cooked accordingly. I use many of your recipes and honesty I’ve only had two that didn’t workout for me. Thank you so much
I cook it omg it taste grate
Soooooo good!
This recipe is so good. Thanks for the recipe.
This was SO GOOD!! Definitely recommend using the eschallots over normal onions – it really elevates the flavour.
I can’t believe how easy this dish is and so full of flavour with so few ingredients, thank you!
Hi, I made your marinated grilled salmon last night for my husband which he loved. Do you think I could use the leftovers for this, would the flavours in the marinade compliment this? Thanks, and I welcome anyone’s input that has made both (I don’t eat fish which is why I’m asking. Hubs not sure)
L.O.V.E. This sauce! So simple and easy. Did with salmon and again with shrimp. Both were a hit!
Whenever I search the net for a recipe and I can find your name It makes me smile and my heart says Wonderful! All the other recipes that I found with your name were Amazing! Thank You keep it up, please.
I will be cooking the pasta with smoked Salmon today.
Great flavour and so easy. Only Hubby was whimpering for more sauce. 🙂
So quick, easy and most of all delicious!!! Family asks for this so often I keep smoked salmon in the freezer because all the other ingredients are household staples
simple, yummy and not too rich and creamy👍