Cajun Salmon Pasta

This cajun salmon pasta recipe is a great skillet meal to spice up your salmon without much effort. This is an easy recipe to make gluten free or dairy free and makes for a hearty and filling pasta meal. It only takes about 30 minutes to have a creamy and flavorful salmon pasta dish on the dinner table.

Why This Recipe Works:

• Aside from boiling the pasta, this recipe only uses one pan so the clean up is quick and easy!
• There’s very little prep time that goes into making cajun salmon pasta and because salmon cooks so quickly, the whole recipe comes together in under 30 minutes!
• It’s versatile! You can make this recipe gluten free and/or dairy free to fit individual dietary needs, or keep it as is!
• This is a hearty, filling dinner meal but is a great way to get in nutrients from the salmon! Plus salmon pasta is a great way to change up how you normally enjoy salmon!

Cajun Salmon Pasta Ingredients

For this cajun salmon pasta you start with 8 ounces of fettuccini or spaghetti noodles, butter, avocado oil (or olive oil), and two or three salmon filets.

You will need a half of a finely diced white onion, minced garlic, a cup of chicken or vegetable broth, and a cup of heavy cream. Lastly, you’ll need cajun seasoning, lemon juice, dried parsley, dried basil, a half cup of grated parmesan, and a cup of spinach.

Salt and pepper to taste if desired and depending on if your cajun seasoning already has salt, and as an optional ingredient you can add a 15-ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes to the creamy sauce!

Salmon: You’ll use 2 to 3 salmon fillets for this recipe. You can use fresh or frozen salmon as long as it’s thawed prior to cooking. If you’re looking for a high quality salmon, you can get wild Alaskan salmon straight from the source from Surrender Salmon. You can use the code BAILEY10 at checkout to save 10% off your order, which is over $20 off the salmon fillet portions, and free shipping on orders over $125.

Cajun Seasoning Options:

There are quite a few cajun seasonings on the market that you can get at many major grocery stores. You can also use a blackened seasoning. Both of these options should be easy to find in your local store in the spices and seasoning aisle. You can also purchase them online.

• McCormick Gourmet Cajun Seasoning
• Louisiana Cajun Seasoning
• Cajun Choice Blackened Seasoning
• Blackening Seasoning by Scholars & Scoundrels

If you don’t already have a cajun seasoning in your spice drawer or rack, and you don’t want to purchase one, you can very easily make your own! This recipe makes about 7 tablespoons of cajun seasoning, so you can either half it for this recipe, or make the entire thing to have some cajun seasoning on hand for next time you need it!

• 2 tablespoons paprika, or smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon cayenne

How to Make Cajun Salmon Pasta

There’s only a few simple, quick steps that making cajun pasta with salmon requires. It’s so easy yet feels like a fancier meal and anyone can do it!

Step 1

This recipe is started by boiling a pot of salted water and cooking the pasta until al dente. You’ll want to glance at the box of the specific noodles you use, as al dente cook time does vary between spaghetti and fettuccini noodles. That being said, the general time frame will be about 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 2

While the pasta is boiling, you will get started on cooking your salmon and making the sauce. Do this by heating the butter and oil in the skillet. While the butter is melting, season your salmon with 1 tablespoon the cajun seasoning really well on both sides.

Step 3

Once the butter and oil are hot, the next step is to cook your salmon. Salmon cooks really quickly, so you’ll just need to place the salmon into the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes, flip, and cook for another 4 minutes on the other side.

If your salmon has skin on one side, begin by cooking skin side down first. It’s much easier to let it crisp up skin side down and slide a spatula under once it’s ready to be flipped. The skin can be removed once it’s finished cooking.

Remove the salmon from the skillet and set aside. Your pasta will likely be done boiling while you’re cooking your salmon, so drain it once it’s al dente and set aside as well.

Step 4

Now you’ll make the sauce. Start by turning the heat down to medium and adding the garlic and onions into the skillet you cooked the salmon in. If you need to, you can add in another tablespoon of butter.

Saute the onions and garlic together for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the onions start to become translucent.

Step 5

Your next step will be adding the cream, broth, the remaining cajun seasoning, lemon juice, parsley and basil. Give it a good stir to incorporate the spices into the liquid and bring it to a light simmer.

Once it’s simmering, stir in the parmesan and spinach and continue stirring it to melt the parmesan into the sauce.

Step 6

Once the spinach has wilted and the parmesan is mixed into the sauce you’ll add the salmon back into the skillet. Remove the skin prior to doing so if your salmon fillets had the skin on.

Break the salmon up into about 1 inch pieces. You can use the back of a fork or spatula to flake it off the fillets

Step 7

The last step is to add your pasta back into the sauce and gently toss it in with the sauce to coat your noodles. You’ll want to let it cook together for about 2 minutes to reheat the pasta and salmon.

Give the sauce a taste and add any additional salt and pepper. Top with basil and extra parmesan if you’d like!

Substitutions and Alternative Ingredients

Here are a few simple swaps you can make if you want to substitute some ingredients, along with instructions on what to do to make your cajun salmon pasta gluten free and/or dairy free.

For other vegetable options, you can replace the spinach (or add to it) with broccoli florets, zucchini or summer squash, or kale.

In place of salmon you can make this cajun pasta with other light proteins such as shrimp, chicken or a white fish like sea bass, tilapia or halibut.

Making Gluten Free Cajun Salmon Pasta

To make this recipe gluten free, swap out the regular fettuccini or spaghetti noodle for a gluten free variety. I generally use this gluten free Italian option, Barilla or Jovial brand but you can use your preferred kind. Cook them according to the instructions on the packaging and make the cajun pasta with salmon as per the instructions.

Making Dairy Free Cajun Salmon Pasta

For a dairy free version of this pasta you start by using ghee, dairy free butter (vegan butter), olive oil, or avocado oil instead of the butter. In place of the heavy cream use coconut cream or coconut milk instead. If you’re using coconut cream, make sure you shake up the can before you open it to make sure its mixed together well.

You can either omit the parmesan cheese or use a dairy free variety. When using the dairy free parmesan, add it at in at the last step instead of melting it in in step 6.

Serving and Storing Instructions

To Serve:

Garnish your cajun salmon pasta with additional parmesan cheese, shredded or grated, fresh chopped basil, or chopped flat leaf parsley. You could also use additional finely diced tomatoes if you’re being fancy.

Serve this dish with a fresh side salad or a garlic bread/breadstick depending on your dietary preference. A roasted veggie or another simple side is also a good option.

To Store:

To store your pasta let it cool to room temperature and place it in an airtight container or individual meal prep containers and refrigerate. It will keep well for about 4 days and makes for a great weekday lunch or leftover meal.

Other One Pot Pasta Recipes You’ll Love!

• Instant Pot Enchilada Pasta
• One Pot Mushroom Stroganoff
• Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
• Shrimp Rasta Pasta
• Meatless Baked Ziti
• Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo
• Shrimp Stuffed Salmon

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