Creamy Lemon Salmon and Dill Pasta

Looking for a creamy lemon salmon and dill pasta recipe that you can have ready in less than 30 minutes? You’ve just found it! This lemony salmon pasta is the perfect choice for date night or simply when you want a restaurant-worthy dish to treat yourself. 

Dill is one of those herbs I love so much but I don’t seem to use as much as I should. I make a lovely vegan cannellini beans stew that’s really enhanced by the addition of dill, but otherwise, I only seem to use it in salmon recipes. 

And there’s a perfectly good reason for this — dill and salmon is a cracking combination. Salmon is something that pairs well with lots of tastes, both subtle and bold, and dill is an herb that many people associate with the pink flesh of this fish.

What do you need for this salmon pasta recipe?

Living in Scotland, I have the privilege of being spoilt for choice when it comes wot buying fresh salmon. This recipe would work well with any kind of salmon, but make sure it's not smoked. 

One tip I have for the salmon is to buy a fillet that's boneless and skinless so you don't have to mess about with removing the skin yourself. If your salmon fillets have skin on, use a very sharp knife to make a cut between the flesh the skin and cut along the length of the fillet. Be careful not to cut through the skin, though. 

Fresh dill is a must have for this lemon salmon pasta, and dried dill would simply not cut it, because there's nowhere near the level of flavour you need in dried dill. Plus, dried dill looks nowhere this pretty.

For the pasta, you can use virtually any long type you have on hand. I used linguine, but tagliatelle or fettuccine would work equally as good. You can also use short pasta if you want, but long pasta works catches this type of sauce better.

How do you make the pasta?

This salmon and dill pasta couldn't be easier to make. Boil the pasta according to the instructions on the package until it's al dente. When it's done, drain it, but not before reserving a cup of pasta water.

You start by cutting the salmon fillets into 1-inch pieces and shallow-fry them in olive oil. You only need two tablespoons of olive oil — you're not looking to deep fry the salmon bits. 

When the salmon is done to your liking (I like mine just a tad crispy, but make sure you don't overdo it, otherwise it will be too dry), take it out from the pan and set it aside. 

Add some butter to the frying pan, and cook the shallot for a couple of minutes, then add the minced garlic, lemon juice, and white wine and cook for another couple of minutes. Stir in the double cream, cook for a minute or two until it thickens and tip the salmon back in. Add the dill, reserving some for serving, and season to taste. 

And that's it. If the sauce is too thick, you can add some of the reserved pasta water. Serve the salmon and dill pasta immediately, with a bit of freshly ground black pepper on top if you like. 

If you liked this creamy lemon salmon and dill pasta recipe, check out some of my other quick pasta recipes:

Tagliatelle ai Funghi (Pasta with Mushrooms)

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Walnuts

Easiest Ever Creamy Prawn Linguine (Linguine con Gamberi)

Carbonara di Mare (Seafood Carbonara)

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