Creamy Garlic Butter Salmon Fettuccine (Printable Version)
Tender pasta with seared salmon in a rich garlic butter cream sauce with hints of lemon for an elegant dining experience.
# What You Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 4 salmon fillets (5 oz each), skin removed
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Pasta
04 - 12 oz dried fettuccine
→ Sauce
05 - 3 tbsp 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 tbsp fresh lemon juice
13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
# How-To:
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 and season both sides with salt and 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. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
04 - In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Melt butter, add shallot, and sauté for 1 minute. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
05 - Pour in white wine and let it simmer for 1–2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
06 - Stir in heavy cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk in Parmesan cheese until smooth. 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, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The restaurant quality sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like something youd order on a special date night
- Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to really meld together
02 -
- The pasta water is not optional because the starch in it helps bind the sauce to the pasta properly
- Overcooking the garlic will make it bitter so keep a close eye on it once it hits the pan
03 -
- Patting salmon completely dry before searing is the difference between golden crispy skin and sad steamed fish
- Room temperature cream incorporates much more smoothly than cold cream straight from the fridge