Smoked salmon pasta with spinach, onions, lemon, and capers in a creamy yet light sauce. A simple, fresh, flavorful pasta recipe perfect for chilly winter days.
Everyone in my family, including me, loves smoked salmon. It’s such a versatile ingredient and especially delicious in pasta dishes. Since we already enjoy a tomato-based smoked salmon pasta, I made a version with a light white cream sauce. Creamy pasta dishes are particularly comforting in winter and early spring.
Ingredients You Need
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 oz cold smoked salmon – There are both cold- and hot-smoked salmon, but cold smoked salmon works best for this pasta dish.
- 6 oz baby spinach
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- 5 oz whipped cream cheese, plain (room temperature)
- 1½ cups milk or half and half (room temperature) – Using room-temperature dairy helps prevent curdling.
- 1 lb penne or rigatoni
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Fresh dill for topping (optional)
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
Tips for Best Tasting Smoked Salmon Pasta
- Soak cold smoked salmon if it’s too salty. I used wild cold-smoked salmon for this dish, but it turned out to be very salty. I soaked the salmon in cold water for about 15 minutes, changed the water, and soaked it again for another 15 minutes. Don’t forget to pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. This simple trick worked perfectly, and my pasta came out delicious!
- Use whipped cream cheese. Airy whipped cream cheese melts faster and creates a lighter, smoother sauce compared to the block variety.
- Use short pasta with ridges. Penne or rigatoni works especially well because the ridges catch the creamy sauce, capers, and bits of smoked salmon.
- Don’t overcook the smoked salmon. Cold smoked salmon is already cured and delicate. Add it toward the end of cooking and heat it gently so it stays tender and silky instead of becoming dry.
How to Make Smoked Salmon Pasta
- Bring medium pot to a boil and add salt. Add pasta of your choice and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and sauté onions until tender. Add the milk and cream cheese, stirring until the cream cheese is melted.
- Reduce the heat to medium low. Stir in the capers and lemon juice until combined. Add the smoked salmon, then toss in spinach. I actually made a mistake here and added the spinach first. If the spinach cooks early, it will lose its bright green color by the time pasta is ready.
- Once the spinach is just wilted, add the pasta and toss everything together until well combined.
How to Serve
Serve this delicious creamy pasta in a beautiful bowl and top with fresh dill and grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese!
My bowls are Grey Asiatic Pheasants by Burleigh Pottery. This collection has been retired and I miss it very much. The beautiful soft shade of grey feels perfect for winter and early spring!
Creamy Smoked Salmon Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 oz cold smoked salmon
- 6 oz baby spinach
- ¼ cup capers drained
- 5 oz whipped cream cheese, plain (room temperature)
- 1½ cups milk or half and half (room temperature)
- 1 lb penne or rigatoni
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt to taste
- fresh dill for topping (optional)
- grated parmesan, pecorino romano
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until tender. Add the milk and cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese melts and the sauce becomes smooth.
- Stir in capers and lemon juice. Add the smoked salmon, then toss in the spinach and cook until just wilted.
- Add the pasta and toss until everything is well combined.
- Serve immediately and add fresh dill and grated cheese on top.