Creamy Garlic Butter Salmon Fettuccine (Printable version)
Tender pasta in rich garlic butter cream sauce with seared salmon and bright lemon finish.
# What you'll need:
→ Seafood
01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 5 oz each), skin removed
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Pasta
04 - 12 oz dried fettuccine
→ Sauce
05 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 5 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
10 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
11 - Zest of 1 lemon
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fettuccine according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon fillets and sear for 3–4 minutes per side, or until just cooked through and golden brown. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
04 - In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Melt butter, add chopped shallot, and sauté for 1 minute until softened. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn.
05 - Pour in white wine if using and let it simmer for 1–2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.
06 - Stir in heavy cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk in Parmesan cheese until completely smooth and melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Flake salmon into large chunks. Add drained fettuccine and salmon to the skillet. Toss gently to coat evenly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately with extra Parmesan and lemon wedges if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like something from a Italian restaurant
- Leftovers actually taste better the next day when the flavors really settle in
02 -
- Overcooking the salmon in the final toss is the mistake I made most often, until I learned to add it last and just warm through
- The sauce will look too thin at first but keep reducing it, because it thickens dramatically off the heat
03 -
- Room temperature cream incorporates more smoothly than cold straight from the fridge
- Grate your lemon zest before juicing, because grating a squeezed lemon is surprisingly difficult