The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
Some nights you want dinner to feel fancy without the work. This salmon pasta is that dish.
Five minutes of prep, then the oven takes over while you boil the pasta. That’s it. Boursin melts into a garlicky sauce right in the baking dish, the salmon flakes into it, and you toss everything with tagliatelle and lemon.
Serves 4. Prep 5 min. Bake 20 min.
Why This Salmon Pasta Works
The Boursin sits in the middle of the dish, not under the fish. That matters. It softens from the edges in, so it turns creamy without browning or splitting. Put it under the salmon and it just steams in the fish juices and gets watery.
Spinach goes in tucked around the cheese. It wilts in the steam instead of crisping on top, so it stays tender and ends up in the sauce, not stuck to the pan.
The sun-dried tomatoes and cherry tomatoes do two different jobs. Sun-dried brings the salty, concentrated punch. Cherry tomatoes burst and add juice, which is basically your sauce base. Skip the fresh ones and the sauce gets thick and a bit heavy.
The lemon at the end isn’t optional. Boursin is rich. Without acid it all tastes flat by the third bite.
Ingredients
For the pan
- 2 salmon fillets (4-6 oz each)
- 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 package (5.2 oz) Boursin garlic and herb cheese
- 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 5-6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes (spoon them straight from the jar)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- Cooking spray, for the dish
For the pasta and finish
- 8 oz dry tagliatelle (or any pasta you like)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for the top
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
How to Make It
- Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Put the salmon on one side of the dish and sprinkle it with the lemon pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Set the Boursin in the middle of the empty space. Tuck the spinach around it, then scatter in the cherry tomatoes, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Drizzle everything with olive oil.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. The salmon is ready when it flakes easily and hits 145°F (63°C) at the thickest part.
- While that bakes, boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Save a little pasta water, then drain.
- Flake the salmon right in the dish. Mash the soft Boursin and tomatoes together to make your sauce.
- Add the pasta, Parmesan and lemon juice. Toss well. Loosen with a splash of pasta water if it feels thick.
- Taste, add salt if needed, and top with more Parmesan. Serve hot.
My Tips
- Pat the salmon dry before seasoning. Wet fish, weak seasoning. The lemon pepper just slides off.
- Start the pasta water the minute the dish goes in the oven. Twenty minutes is longer than it sounds, but a big pot takes a while to boil.
- Don’t skip the pasta water.
- Mash the Boursin with the back of a fork, right in the dish. Dirtying a separate bowl defeats the point.
- No tagliatelle? Penne or fusilli hold the sauce just as well.
- Taste before you salt. Boursin, Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes are all salty already.
Variations
Shrimp instead of salmon. Works. Bake time drops to about 10 minutes, so add them partway through, not at the start.
Arugula for the spinach. Fine, a little peppery. Toss it in at the end, don’t bake it.
Heavy cream. I’d skip it. The Boursin is plenty rich, and cream turns this from cozy to heavy fast.
Make-Ahead Notes
You can halve the tomatoes and mince the garlic a day ahead. That’s about all. Don’t bake the dish early and toss it with pasta later, because the pasta drinks the sauce and you end up with a dry, clumpy mess. Salmon also goes rubbery when it sits.
Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge. Reheat gently with a splash of water so the sauce stays creamy.
FAQ
What temperature should salmon be for pasta?
145°F (63°C) at the thickest part. It’ll keep cooking a bit when you flake it into the hot pasta, so don’t push it past that.
Can I use a different cheese instead of Boursin?
Yes, but nothing melts quite like it. Garlic and herb cream cheese is the closest swap. Plain cream cheese works too if you bump up the garlic and add a pinch of dried herbs.
Can I use frozen salmon?
Thaw it fully first, then pat it really dry. Frozen fish bakes up watery and thins the sauce.
Skin on or skin off?
Skin off. You’re flaking it into pasta, and nobody wants to fish out soft skin halfway through dinner.
Can I make this dairy-free?
Not well. The whole sauce is the cheese. A dairy-free garlic and herb spread might work, but I haven’t tested it, so I won’t promise.
Closing Thoughts
Serve this with something crisp and bitter on the side, like a simple arugula salad with lemon and olive oil. It cuts through the richness and takes about two minutes. A cold glass of something dry doesn’t hurt either.
Salmon Pasta With Melty Garlic Cheese Sauce
This Salmon Pasta With Melty Garlic Cheese Sauce is an easy creamy dinner made with tender baked salmon, Boursin garlic and herb cheese, spinach, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, tagliatelle, Parmesan, and fresh lemon. With just 5 minutes of prep, it is a cozy weeknight meal ready in about 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Bake the Salmon and Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the salmon fillets on one side of the baking dish and season them with the lemon pepper seasoning and Italian seasoning.
- Place the Boursin Garlic & Herb Cheese in the center of the remaining space. Arrange the chopped spinach around it, then scatter in the halved cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Drizzle the salmon, cheese, and vegetables with the olive oil.
- Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) at the thickest part.
Cook the Pasta
- While the salmon is baking, cook the tagliatelle in a large pot of salted water until al dente.
- Reserve a small amount of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Finish the Pasta
- Flake the cooked salmon directly into the baking dish.
- Mash and stir the softened Boursin cheese and roasted tomatoes together with the spinach, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and pan juices to create a creamy sauce.
- Add the drained tagliatelle, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, and fresh lemon juice to the baking dish. Toss thoroughly until the pasta and salmon are evenly coated.
- If the sauce is too thick, add a small splash of reserved pasta water and toss again until creamy.
- Taste and season with salt as needed. Finish with additional freshly grated Parmesan and serve hot.
Notes
Pat the salmon dry before seasoning so the seasonings adhere well.
Tagliatelle can be replaced with penne, fusilli, or another favorite pasta.
Reserve some pasta cooking water before draining so you can loosen the Boursin sauce if needed.
The salmon should reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) at its thickest point.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water to help keep the sauce creamy.
