Description
This Hot Smoked Salmon and Greens Tagliatelle combines tender pasta, flaky smoked salmon, fresh greens, and herbs in a silky lemon cream sauce. Ready in about 30 minutes, it’s an easy yet elegant pasta dinner for busy weeknights or relaxed entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta & Salmon
- 12 oz (350 g) tagliatelle
- 7–9 oz (200–250 g) hot smoked salmon, flaked into large pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- ¾ cup cooking cream
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water, plus more as needed
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Greens
- 2 packed cups baby spinach, arugula, or a mixture
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or parsley, optional
To Finish
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Extra olive oil, for serving
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the tagliatelle until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Make the cream sauce: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the cooking cream, lemon zest, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add the greens and salmon: Stir in the spinach, arugula, or mixed greens and cook just until wilted. Gently fold in the hot smoked salmon, keeping some larger flakes intact.
- Combine: Add the drained tagliatelle to the skillet. Toss gently, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce becomes silky and coats the pasta.
- Finish: Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice, fresh dill or parsley, and Parmesan. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed.
- Serve: Divide between bowls and serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil, extra herbs, black pepper, and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Reserve a full cup of pasta water even though you may only need about ½ cup.
- Hot smoked salmon is already cooked, so add it near the end and heat it gently to keep it tender.
- Add the lemon juice after removing the pan from the heat for a brighter, fresher flavor.
- Spinach gives the pasta a mild flavor, while arugula adds a peppery bite. A mixture of both works beautifully.
- Taste before adding extra salt because smoked salmon and Parmesan can already be quite salty.
- Fettuccine, linguine, or pappardelle can replace tagliatelle.
- For extra vegetables, try adding green peas or asparagus.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently with a splash of cream or water.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (¼ of recipe)
- Calories: 690 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 72 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg