On March 13, 2020 as things went into simultaneous lockdown across the world I felt something shift within me. As a long time remote employee, the idea of being at home during the work day didn’t really seem like an issue. Reflecting on my state of upheaval, reading copious amounts of news and coronavirus updates, I realized that the impending loss of recreational outdoor time was the real problem. For years now I have structured some outdoor activity in to the end of my workday. I walk, jog, drive to a yet undiscovered part of town or just go for a quick grocery run. As the possibility of this pleasure closed, I turned to food for comfort. None of the complicated recipes flooding my socials were enticing. I wanted to cook simple nourishing food; back to basics if you will. To fill this void, in stepped Salmon Pasta, and I am never letting it leave!
Jump to RecipePandemic food – seeking comfort in a bowl of salmon pasta
Small pleasures, like a meal can, perk up my mood considerably. For me eating salmon is an indulgence that I both like to plan or stumble upon by surprise. Each has its own rewards! The short window of time each spring and summer when fresh salmon – farmed or wild – are plentiful per force limits our ability to enjoy it. I prefer buying in-season salmon as much as possible. But, the frozen section can come to the rescue, as it has these past few months!
As the possibility of this pleasure closed, I, like so many others, turned to food for comfort. None of the complicated recipes flooding my socials enticed me. Instead, I wanted to cook simply; back to basics if you will.
As the pandemic wore on post March and cooking by turns became either a pleasure filled, relaxing distraction or a grudgingly completed chore, I started adding tiny treats in my grocery orders. Chocolate bars – salted caramel, almond and brittle, sea salt; chocolate ice cream – after ages!; and salmon filets – 6 ounces, just off the ice, wrapped in paper. Oh, the delight of seeing a plump, red fleshed filet. I should snap out of my reverie and get to the point. I have completely accepted a lesson I’ve been slow to learn; it is OK, nay, paramount for your mental and emotional health to pamper yourself in any small way possible.
What’s wrong with a Salmon filet?
Nothing. Except when you aren’t just cooking for yourself. If you have picky eater in the house, modifications are needed, sometimes even necessary. That’s the genesis of this Salmon Pasta recipe. The ease of cooking its primary ingredients – salmon and pasta – is its really USP. It can be fancy when garnished with fresh, bright green basil leaves, and sliced lemon or just a messy bowl of spaghetti with fish.
I have completely accepted a lesson I’ve been slow to learn; it is OK, nay, paramount for your mental and emotional health to pamper yourself in any small way possible.
Salmon Pasta – Quick, Easy, Comforting
Now that I’ve adopted this way of eating Salmon, have to admit I might not return to just the filet!
Time: 30- 35 minutes
Prep time – 10 minutes, Cooking Time: 20 – 25 minutes
Serves: 2-3 persons
Ingredients:
- Salmon filets, 2 – 6 oz each, cleaned and patted dry,
- Garlic cloves – 4-5, smashed and chopped,
- Red onion – 1/2 (optional), sliced,
- Lemon or lime – 1
- Basil – fresh (~10 leaves) or 1tbsp paste,
- Spinach – 1 bunch (~1/2 lb / 250 gm – optional),
- Salt and pepper to taste,
- Chilli flakes, per taste,
- Olive oil 2 tbsp,
- Pasta – spaghetti or any of your choice,
- Water for pasta.
You’ll need: a baking dish or oven proof pan, large pot for boiling pasta and a sauté pan.
Method:
First, preheat the oven to 350 F.
Salmon filets from the seafood counter. Drying salmon filets
While the oven preheats, take out salmon filets from the fridge. If you are using frozen salmon, thaw it according to package instructions. Most can be defrosted overnight or in a couple of hours. Please check!
I try, as much as possible to use salmon filets bought from the seafood section. Those are already defrosted and ready to use. One tip a server gave me many years ago was to put the filets, as is, wrapping and all, over a bed of ice in the fridge if I planned to use them a day or two later.
Moving on, prep garlic and onion. Smash garlic cloves, peel them and roughly chop them. Peel, wash and then slice onion, not too thin or thick. Similarly, wash basil leaves, roll them one inside another and chop. Clean a lemon or lime and cut in half. You can squeeze the juice and keep it ready or simply squeeze when needed.
Prepping and Cooking Salmon:
Just a quick reminder – use a separate chopping board or vessel to handle salmon. This applies to all meat, poultry and seafood. Make sure their juices do not mix with other foodstuff while prepping. Here is a useful link from FDA for food safety.
Prepare salmon filets by cleaning them. Then, inspect for any pin bones that might still be in the flesh. Keep the filet skin side down on your chopping board, or a plate and look closely at the meat. If you spot any, pull these out with a pair of tweezers. Wipe down any excess moisture from the filets. Then season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
The wonders of a cast iron pan!
I love using my cast iron skillet for recipes like this one. Put an oven proof pan on medium heat on your cooking range. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Sauté garlic and onion until garlic is fragrant and onions just starting to brown. Onion is optional, salmon with just garlic is perfection itself. Then put the salmon filets skin side down and let them sizzle for a minute or two before transferring to the center rack in the oven.
Salmon filets cooked in the oven. Cooked salmon ready for pasta.
Salmon should be done in 15 – 20 minutes. While it cooks, put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Add plenty of salt to the water. Drop in the pasta and return to a boil. Cook until al dente based on package instructions. Don’t drain. Keep it in its water until time to transfer to the salmon.
Remove salmon from the oven. It is done when the flesh is flaky and comes apart easily. Using a fork and knife pull apart salmon, you can either shred it or cut it into large chunks. Add pasta to this pan and one or two ladles of pasta water. Gently mix in the salmon and cook covered on low heat.
Spinach Pasta for added nutrition and flavor
For some added flavor and nutrition, you could sauté spinach with garlic and onion, and add that to the pasta too. I’ve done this multiple times and always enjoy it. Simply clean a bunch of spinach – baby spinach is ideal or clip stems of larger leaves. Wash well in a water bath, ideally thrice to get rid of all dirt. Then in a pan large enough to accommodate pasta and salmon, heat 1 tbsp olive oil, add some chopped garlic and sliced onion. Sauté until just brown, then add spinach. Cook on medium heat until just wilted and bright green. Add pasta and mix well. At this point I added a teaspoon of basil paste. If you have fresh basil, add some now and use a bit for garnish.
Salmon Pasta for the win!
Then mix salmon into the pasta and your meal is ready. Squeeze lime over it add a crack of pepper, garnish with basil and serve! From start to finish this should be ready in 30 minutes.
Salmon Pasta
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
- Oven proof skillet or pan
Ingredients
- 2 6 oz Salmon Filets
- 4-5 Cloves Garlic Smashed and chopped
- 1/2 Red Onion
- 1 Lime or Lemon
- 10 leaves Fresh Basil Or 1 tbsp of basil paste
- 1 Bunch Spinach Preferably baby spinach
- Salt To taste
- Black pepper Crushed, to taste
- Chilli flakes To taste
- 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil Preferably extra virgin olive oil
- Pasta Of your choice
- Water To cook pasta as per package instructions
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Prepare salmon filets by cleaning them. Inspect for any pin bones that might still be in the flesh, pull these out with a pair of tweezers. Wipe down any excess moisture from the filets. Then season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Prep other ingredients – garlic, onion, basil leaves and lemon/lime. Smash garlic cloves, peel them and roughly chop them. Peel, wash and then slice onion, not too thin or thick. Wash basil leaves, roll them one inside another and chop. Clean a lemon or lime and cut in half. You can squeeze the juice and keep it ready or simply squeeze when needed.
- Put an oven proof pan on medium heat on your cooking range. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Sauté garlic and onion until garlic is fragrant and onions just starting to brown. Then put the salmon filets skin side down and let them sizzle for a minute or two before transferring to the center rack in the oven. Salmon should be done in 15 – 20 minutes.
- While salmon cooks, put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Add plenty of salt to the water. Drop in the pasta and return to a boil. Cook until al dente based on package instructions. Don’t drain. Keep it in its water until time to transfer to the salmon.
- Remove salmon from the oven. It is done when the flesh is flaky and comes apart easily. Using a fork and knife pull apart salmon, you can either shred it or cut it into large chunks.
- For added flavor and nutrition, sauté spinach with garlic and onion, and add that to the pasta. Baby spinach is ideal. Wash well in a water bath, ideally thrice to get rid of all dirt. In a pan large enough to accommodate pasta and salmon, heat 1 tbsp olive oil, add chopped garlic and sliced onion. Sauté until just brown, then add spinach. Cook on medium heat until just wilted and bright green. Add pasta and mix well. At this point I added a teaspoon of basil paste. If you have fresh basil, add some now and use a bit for garnish.
- Finally, mix salmon into the pasta and your meal is ready. Squeeze lime over it add a crack of pepper, garnish with basil and serve.
