This creamy smoked salmon pasta takes less than 20 minutes to make – perfect for a busy week night! This easy pasta dish proves that you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen making something special.
You know those manic weeknights when you’re juggling several plates and you feel like you just don’t have enough time to cook?
Or maybe you’re having a lazy weekend and aren’t in the mood for slaving away over a hot oven? You’re tempted to reach for the takeaway menu and dial the number…I know, I’ve been there several times myself.
This creamy pasta with smoked salmon and peas is easy, delicious and ready to serve before the takeaway even reaches your front door.
If you’re only cooking for two people, just cut the recipe amounts in half. Come to think of it, it’s perfect for a cosy night in – who needs to spend hours slaving over a hot oven? You’ll barely break a sweat making this simple but luxurious dish.
why you’ll love this smoked salmon pasta recipe
- quick and easy – ready in under 20 minutes!
- Delicious creamy sauce that takes seconds to make
- Tastes special yet fuss free and requires minimal effort to make
Ingredient list
The list below is a quick list of what you’ll need to prepare this recipe. For ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, please keep scrolling to the end of this post.
- 400g Pasta – Fusilli, Penne, Fusilli, Tagliatelle or Linguine work very well for this recipe.
- A tub of garlic and herb soft cheese – I used the Philadelphia intense brand. Cream cheese is great for making an instant pasta sauce – I also use it in my courgette and broccoli pasta recipe.
- Smoked Salmon, cut or torn into strips. Smoked salmon trimmings are perfect for this recipe – not to mention kinder on your bank balance! It’s also great with hot smoked salmon flakes.
- What would we do without the humble frozen pea? They are just so handy to have on hand for adding to so many meals. I also use them in this creamy pancetta and pea pasta recipe and my leftover chicken fried rice.
- Chopped dill. Not a dill fan? You could use chives or parsley instead – or simply omit the fresh herbs.
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice cuts through the richness of the creamy sauce
- For a salty kick, I stir in a tablespoon of drained capers when adding the smoked salmon – capers are like little umami flavour bombs – I love them! If you aren’t a fan, just leave them out.
- Salt and Freshly ground black pepper – and plenty of the latter!
Tips for making creamy smoked salmon pasta
- When you drain the pasta, save some of the cooking water. That starchy water is the secret to achieving a smooth, silky sauce without the need for lots of extra cream.
- You don’t need to cook the smoked salmon – you just want to merely heat it through when you combine it with the hot pasta.
- As soon as you’ve drained the pasta, you need to work quickly. Pour the drained pasta back in the pan. Place the pan back on the hob. There’s no need to turn the heat back on – there will still be enough heat to make the sauce.
- Immediately add the cream cheese and stir until the cheese has melted, adding a few tablespoons of the pasta water to make a creamy, rich sauce. For extra richness, I like to add a couple of tablespoons of double cream. Then add your drained frozen peas, chopped dill and smoked salmon.
variations
- I originally made this recipe with sweet chilli cream cheese instead which worked well, but I now much prefer using garlic and herb cream cheese. If you love chilli, why not give it a try?
- For a citrusy kick, add the grated zest of half a lemon.
- You could use aparagus or green beans instead of the peas. Steam the vegetables until just tender, then stir in to the pasta just before serving.
serving suggestions
This pasta dish can be served just as it is, but a crunchy green salad, steamed green beans or broccoli served on this side would be a perfect contrast to the rich, creamy sauce and smoked salmon.
storing leftovers
Any leftover pasta can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to two days. It can be reheated on the hob or in the microwave, but it won’t be as good as when freshly made. The pasta will soak up the sauce pretty quickly, so you will need to add a splash of cream or a spoonful of cream cheese when reheating.
This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
more easy pasta recipes to try
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like these recipes:
Creamy smoked salmon pasta
Get dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes with this super quick and delicious creamy smoked salmon pasta with peas.
Ingredients
- 100g Frozen Peas
- 400g Dried Pasta, I love this with penne or tagliatelle but use whatever you wish
- 200g garlic and herbs soft Cheese (I used Philidelphia)
- 4 tablespoons (at least) pasta cooking water
- 1-2 tablespoons double cream (optional, for extra richness)
- 1 tablespoon capers. drained
- 250g Smoked Salmon, cut into small ribbons
- juice of 1/2 a small Lemon
- Sea salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Place the frozen peas in a small pan of water, bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes then drain.
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water.
- Return the drained pasta to the pan and place back on the (turned off but still warm) hob. Add the soft cheese and a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water and stir well.
- Stir until the pasta is coated in a creamy sauce, adding more of the reserved cooking water if it seems a little dry. Stir in the double cream (if using).
- Add the peas, capers, smoked salmon ribbons, fresh dill and lemon juice and gently toss everything together to combine (don't leave it on the heat for longer than a minute or two - you don’t want to cook the salmon, just heat it through.
- Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
Add the grated zest of 1/2 a lemon for a citrusy kick that goes nicely with the smoked salmon.
Instead of peas you could use steamed asparagus or green beans.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 508Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 1570mgCarbohydrates: 78gFiber: 5gSugar: 10gProtein: 27g
Calories and nutritional information is provided by a third party application and should be used as indicative figures only
Love simple pasta dishes like this. Love smoked salmon too so i guess I’m going to try this 🙂 Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Thank you Jacqui, I just love this recipe – it’s simple but so good. Very adaptable too – sometimes I add asparagus or peas and it’s also very good with Philly with chives instead of the chilli one.