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This lemon salmon pasta is buttery, garlicky, and incredibly wholesome! It’s gluten and dairy-free, and easy to make with minimal ingredients.

A bowl of lemon salmon pasta.

Salmon is one of my favorite proteins to work with! It’s simple and quick to cook, and it’s packed with flavor and nutrients. Typically, I make a lot of Asian-inspired salmon and that’s one of my favorite flavor profiles for salmon, but it’s incredible in a Pasta al Limone style pasta as well.

This pasta is light, fresh and packed with nutrients from the salmon, spinach, garlic, and fresh lemon.

The Ingredients for the Lemon Salmon Pasta

  • Salmon. I used coho salmon for this recipe,
  • Gluten-Free Pasta. I love to use Jovial gluten-free spaghetti, but grain-free also works.
  • Ghee. You can also use butter! If you’re avoiding dairy altogether, you can use olive oil for a different flavor.
  • Garlic.
  • Fresh Lemon. You’ll use both lemon juice and lemon zest.
  • Parsley and Spinach. I love the freshness the parsley and spinach bring to the dish!
  • Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper.
  • White Wine. You can sub white wine vinegar.

How to make Lemon Salmon Pasta

  • Cook the pasta as directed until al dente and set aside.
  • Cook the salmon until crisp and flakey.

The salmon before and after cooking to make lemon salmon pasta.

  • Cook the garlic and spinach. Deglaze the pan and add 1 tbsp of ghee to the pan and allow to melt before adding the garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes, and add the spinach, sauteeing until wilted.
  • Combine the pasta. Reduce the heat and add the cooked pasta and salmon to the pan. Toss to combine and add the lemon juice, 1 tbsp of ghee, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine, adding a bit of pasta water. Serve the pasta in bowls and top with lemon zest and parsley.

A bowl of lemon salmon pasta.

Tips & Tricks

  • Use fresh salmon if possible. I typically use a lot of frozen salmon as I live in Dallas, TX, but if you can get salmon fresh from the fish counter, that will have a much fresher and more vibrant flavor!
  • Use fresh lemon. Don’t skip the fresh lemon! You’ll want that fresh lemon flavor as well as lots of lemon zest as lemon is the strongest flavor profile in this dish.

Can you make this pasta a cream sauce pasta?

This is a basic Pasta al Limone style dish, meaning that the sauce is mainly made from butter and lemon. It’s still has a buttery flavor, but is a lot lighter and more lemon-forward rather than a heavy, creamy dish. However, if you do want to make it creamy, you can add some heavy cream or coconut cream to the lemon sauce.

A bowl of lemon salmon pasta with a fork taking a bite.

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Lemon Salmon Pasta

  • Author: Michelle
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 6 oz gluten-free spaghetti (sub-grain-free spaghetti)
  • 1/2 lb salmon (sockeye or coho)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Juice of two small lemons
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1–2 tbsp white wine (sub-wine vinegar)
  • 2 tbsp ghee, divided (sub olive oil)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup spinach
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta as directed until al dente, reserving about 1/4 cup of pasta water. Strain and set aside, coating with olive oil to avoid sticking.
  2. While the pasta cooks, prepare the salmon by patting dry and seasoning the flesh with salt, pepper, and juice of half a lemon. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pan. Once the oil is shimmering, add the salmon, flesh side down. Cook for 3-4 minutes to allow to crisp. Carefully flip and cook on the other side to allow to cook through. Remove from the pan and rest the salmon for a few minutes before flaking and setting aside.
  3. Using the same pan set to medium heat, deglaze the pan with white wine by adding the wine and scraping up any bits stuck to the pan. Discard to clean out the pan.
  4. Add 1 tbsp of ghee to the pan and allow to melt before adding the garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes, and add the spinach, sauteeing until wilted.
  5. Reduce the heat and add the cooked pasta and salmon to the pan. Toss to combine and add the lemon juice, 1 tbsp of ghee, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine, adding a bit of pasta water.
  6. Serve the pasta in bowls and top with lemon zest and parsley.

Notes

To make AIP

  • Omit black pepper
  • Swap ghee for olive oil
  • Use grain-free pasta

All nutrition facts are estimated and will vary.

  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Category: Main Dishes
  • Method: Stove Top

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 501
  • Fat: 26g
  • Carbohydrates: 47.1g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 30.1g