Seafood
Summer Salmon + Pasta with Tomatoes
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
25 minutes
Yield
4
This flavor-packed Salmon and Pasta recipe uses fresh, in-season tomatoes, nutrient-dense salmon (or trout) and fresh herbs to make a flavorful, summer recipe.
This Salmon and Pasta recipe is the perfect summer meal. It uses fresh, in-season tomatoes, paired with flaky salmon fillets, fresh lemon and herbs, over a bed of pasta. It is nutrient-dense, full of flavor, and the perfect summer meal for the family or a dinner party. I love a dish in the summer that uses local, in-season ingredients, and this is just that. You’re going to love it!
❤️ Why You’ll Love Salmon and Pasta
- Flavor Packed: This dish uses fresh ingredients to make a delicious (and easy) tomato sauce, along with fresh lemons and herbs for an extra punch.
- Healthy: This dish is good for you as it’s packed with nutrients from the fish. You can also use this recipe as a base to swap the protein with other seafood like shrimp or chicken.
- Easy: I love a meal that is easy to make but still is impressive to serve a ground at a dinner party. This Salmon and Pasta recipe is just that!
🍲 Ingredients
Fish – You can use salmon or trout for this recipe. Both of these fish are great for you. They are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which is crucial for brain function and reducing inflammation. It’s a high quality protein, essential in vitamins like B12 and D.
Tomatoes – This recipe is great for tomato season. It uses fresh tomatoes and you can use whatever tomatoes you have on hand, big or small. Nothing beats fresh tomatoes in the summertime! They are so much more flavorful and easy to whip into a simple tomato sauce.
👩🍳 How to Make Salmon and Pasta
- Prepare the no cook tomato sauce. To a large bowl add all of the chopped tomatoes, pressed or grated garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, smoked paprika, chili flakes and sumac. Stir everything together to combine, taste and adjust seasoning with more salt if desired.
- Prepare the trout or salmon filets by brushing both sides of the filets with olive oil. Season the filets generously with salt and pepper and top each with 1-2 lemon wheels. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta to al dente in a large pot of salted water. When cooked, drain and place directly into the large bowl with the no cook tomato sauce. Toss gently with the sauce and let sit while you grill the trout.
- Heat the grill or flat top grill to medium-high heat.
- Oil the grill or flat top well using a cooking spray or olive oil.
- When the grill is hot, place the filets skin side down on the grill, grill for 4-5 minutes or until the skin crisps up and is easy to get a flipper underneath to flip / removes easily from the grill. *At this time you can also grill the lemon slices if desired*
- Flip the trout (or salmon) filets and grill 3-4 more minutes or until the trout is done to your liking.
- Remove the filets and grilled lemon slices (if using).
- Squeeze some of the grilled or fresh lemon slices over top of the fish. Let the trout rest for a few minutes while you assemble the final dish.
- Serve individually with a portion of the pasta topped with a filet of trout and garnish with a mix of fresh herbs such as basil, parsley and fresh dill.
- Alternatively, serve all of the pasta on a large platter topped with the grilled trout and garnish with a mix of fresh herbs such as basil, parsley and fresh dill.
🗒 Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overcook it: Salmon and trout cooks quickly, so be mindful of the timing. The general rule of thumb is to cook for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. You’ll know it’s done when it flakes easily with a fork and the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C).
- Pat it dry: Before seasoning, pat the fillets dry with a paper towel. This helps seasonings adhere and can lead to a better crust if you’re pan-searin or grilling.
- Salt the pasta water: Always generously salt your pasta water. This is your only chance to season the pasta itself, and it makes a huge difference in the final flavor.
🗒 Variations
If you like this Salmon and Pasta you should try one of my other salmon or trout recipes:
- Greek Lemon Garlic Sheet Pan Salmon with Potatoes
- Salmon En Papillote
- Easy Steelhead Trout Recipe (One Pan Orzo + Balls)
- Steelhead Trout Recipe
- Pistachio-Crusted Rainbow Trout Recipe
🗒 Best served with
- Greek Salad Recipe
- Spicy Cucumber Salad
- Mediterranean Chopped Salad
- Maroulosalata aka my Mama’s Salad
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat when you’re ready-to-eat. You can also keep the salmon separate from the pasta so you can use it in other dishes like on top of a salad, in a bowl, or similar.
🤔 Common Questions
Salmon typically has a richer flavor and a firm, flaky texture with a more vibrant orange or pink color. Trout tends to have a milder, more delicate taste and a softer texture with finer flakes and a paler flesh.
If you don’t have a grill, no problem! In place of a grill for the salmon, you can pan-fry it or even bake it.
This recipe works best with fresh tomatoes because it cuts down the cooking time. Using canned tomatoes will work but canned tomatoes are generally more watery so you’ll need to increase the cooking time to get the consistency you like best.
I like to use spaghettini but you can use any long pasta like spaghetti, fettucine or linguine.
Summer Salmon + Pasta with Tomatoes
Ingredients
For the no cook tomato sauce
- 600-650 grams assortment of favourite tomatoes, halve the cherry/baby tomatoes and cut the larger tomatoes into ½ inch pieces
- 4 small garlic cloves, pressed or grated
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- ¼ tsp sumac
Instructions
- Prepare the no cook tomato sauce. To a large bowl add all of the chopped tomatoes, pressed or grated garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, smoked paprika, chili flakes and sumac. Stir everything together to combine, taste and adjust seasoning with more salt if desired.
- Prepare the trout or salmon filets by brushing both sides of the filets with olive oil. Season the filets generously with salt and pepper and top each with 1-2 lemon wheels. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta to al dente in a large pot of salted water. When cooked, drain and place directly into the large bowl with the no cook tomato sauce. Toss gently with the sauce and let sit while you grill the trout.
- Heat the grill or flat top grill to medium-high heat.
- Oil the grill or flat top well using a cooking spray or olive oil.
- When the grill is hot, place the filets skin side down on the grill, grill for 4-5 minutes or until the skin crisps up and is easy to get a flipper underneath to flip / removes easily from the grill. *At this time you can also grill the lemon slices if desired*
- Flip the trout (or salmon) filets and grill 3-4 more minutes or until the trout is done to your liking.
- Remove the filets and grilled lemon slices (if using).
- Squeeze some of the grilled or fresh lemon slices over top of the fish. Let the trout rest for a few minutes while you assemble the final dish.
- Serve individually with a portion of the pasta topped with a filet of trout and garnish with a mix of fresh herbs such as basil, parsley and fresh dill.
- Alternatively, serve all of the pasta on a large platter topped with the grilled trout and garnish with a mix of fresh herbs such as basil, parsley and fresh dill.
Notes
- This recipe is perfect to serve guests for a summer dinner party!
- Serve with a side of our favourite simple salad, our Maroulosalata aka my Mama’s Salad
