Veggie-packed Salmon Pesto Pasta with broccoli, spinach, peas, and more! This loaded pasta recipe is packed with protein, healthy fats, Vitamins, and fiber for a well-balanced meal.
This quick and easy salmon pesto pasta recipe features crispy salmon, delicious pesto sauce, loads of fresh vegetables, and high-protein pasta noodles for an amazing nutrient-dense meal!
Inspired by my own massive craving for pesto pasta with salmon, I devised a recipe that I found to be a great balance of comfort food while still packing a nutritious punch.
I use gluten-free pasta noodles that are made out of chickpeas for added protein, slower burning carbohydrates, and less total carbs than regular noodles.
In addition, packing this salmon pesto pasta with vegetables ensures I’m getting a big blast of Vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber for optimal digestion. Feel free to omit the veggies if you aren’t into the added texture.
Because I had recently made my Lemon Garlic Air Fryer Salmon Bites and found them to be the perfect pairing for pesto pasta, I went with this method for preparing the salmon. I include additional cooking methods below!
While this easy recipe comes together fairly quickly for a convenient weeknight dinner, it results in a delicious restaurant-quality meal you may just want to put on repeat!
Let’s discuss the wholesome ingredients for this healthy pasta recipe. The great news is you can find the full ingredients list at any grocery store.
Ingredients for Salmon Pesto Pasta:
Fresh Salmon Fillets: We need one to 1.5 pounds of salmon for this healthy pasta recipe. I like using wild-caught salmon, because it contains the highest portion of omega-3 fatty acids compared to any other kind of salmon. That said, you can choose the kind of salmon you like best.
Salmon Marinade: Avocado oil, fresh garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. This combination of ingredients makes amazing flavorful salmon!
Pasta Noodles: Pick your favorite kind of pasta noodles here. I use gluten-free noodles made out of chickpeas, which makes the pasta higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates.
In addition, chickpeas contain a decent amount of fiber, which makes the carbohydrates slower burning.
Pesto Sauce: Use homemade pesto or store-bought basil pesto sauce. I recommend making your own pesto unless you have a store-bought pesto you love.
I use a small amount of pesto for the whole batch of pasta to keep calories under control, but feel free to increase the sauce to your preference.
Fresh Vegetables: Broccoli, baby spinach, peas, and onions are my vegetables of choice here. You can use your favorite vegetables! Zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and asparagus are all great options.
Lemon Zest: I love adding a little hint of lemon to this simple recipe by way of lemon zest. Cut the lemon you use for zest into wedges so that you may squeeze fresh lemon juice over the cooked pasta.
Avocado Oil: In order to sauté the vegetables, we need a quality cooking oil. I like using avocado oil because it has a high smoke point. If you prefer cooking with extra virgin olive oil, feel free to do so.
Looking for ways you can customize this pesto salmon pasta recipe? Try some of these options.
Recipe Customizations:
- Skip one or more vegetables (or all vegetables) if you prefer straight up pasta, unburdened by greens.
- Swap the salmon for rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken.
- For creamy pesto pasta, stir in 1/2 cup of heavy cream or full-fat canned coconut milk.
- Use any of your favorite fresh vegetables to replace my choices. I love the idea of tossing in some sun-dried tomatoes, fresh cherry tomatoes, and incorporating grated zucchini.
- Toss in some fresh basil or pine nuts if you have them on hand.
- For a little kick, add red pepper flakes to your personal taste.
- Add 1/4 cup of dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc to the pasta.
- Looking for a dairy-free pesto sauce? Make my Low-FODMAP Pesto Sauce, which is made with nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese.
Now that we’re experts on the simple ingredients, let’s make this easy salmon pasta recipe.
How to Make Salmon Pesto Pasta:
Marinate the Salmon:
Mix the avocado oil, garlic cloves, paprika, onion powder, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Transfer the chopped salmon to a sealable container or a zip lock bag and add the marinade.
Seal the bag and toss everything around until the salmon is coated in marinade. Marinate for 20 minutes, or up to 12 hours. While the salmon is marinating, prepare the pasta.
Prepare the Pasta:
Follow the instructions on your package of pasta noodles to cook the noodles. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water. Strain the cooked noodles into a colander.
While the pasta is cooking, sauté the vegetables. Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large skillet (I use a 12-inch skillet) over medium-high heat and add the chopped onion.
Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the chopped broccoli with ¼ cup of water to steam the veggies and stir well.
Cook until broccoli has softened, but is still al dente. Add chopped spinach and frozen peas and stir well. Cook until the spinach has wilted and all of the vegetables have reached your desired level of doneness.
For me, this took about 8 minutes total. If the veggies begin to brown up at any point during the cooking process, decrease the heat to medium heat.
Transfer the reserved pasta water, cooked noodles, sauteed vegetables, pesto sauce, and lemon zest to the same pot you used to cook the pasta noodles.
Gently toss until everything is well combined. Taste the pasta for flavor and add more pesto sauce, salt, and/or lemon zest to taste. You can also add fresh grated parmesan cheese if you’d like.
Serve veggie pesto pasta in large bowls with cooked crispy salmon on top (instructions below).
Cook the Salmon:
Cook the salmon using your preferred method.
Air Fryer Instructions: Air fry salmon pieces in a single layer at 400 degrees F for 9-11 minutes.
Stove Top Instructions: Heat a tablespoon of avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the salmon in a single layer in the skillet and cook, untouched for 3 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until salmon is cooked through and crispy.
Oven Instructions: Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the salmon bites into an even layer. Broil on the high broil setting for 5-8 minutes, or until the salmon pieces are golden brown and reach your desired level of crisp.
Serve the pasta with salmon and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
I recommend storing the salmon and the pasta in separate containers for maximum freshness.
Recipe Prep Tips:
- Marinate the salmon while you’re making the pasta. The salmon can marinate for 12 hours, so feel free to perform this step well in advance of making the rest of the recipe.
- Cook the pasta and sauté the vegetables at the same time. Set a timer on the pasta, then focus on cooking the veggies.
- The veggie pesto pasta will be ready before the salmon is ready. Simply keep it in the pot with a cover on to keep warm. If need be, turn the stove top on warm heat to keep the pasta warm and stir it occasionally.
And that’s it! The next time you’re craving healthy comfort food, whip up this delicious salmon pasta recipe!
All factors combined, we end up with a gourmet meal that is loaded with fresh flavor and high-quality nutrients without much effort!
If you love making pasta, also try more of my pasta recipes.
More Pasta Recipes:
- 30-Minute Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Creamy Chicken Pasta
- Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
- Easy Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
- Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Hamburger Helper
Enjoy this refreshing healthy pasta recipe!
Salmon Pesto Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
Pesto Pasta:
- 8 ounces pasta noodles*
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 bunch broccolini or 1 crown broccoli, finely chopped
- 5 ounces baby spinach finely chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ to 1 cup basil pesto sauce to taste
- Zest of 1 lemon
Crispy Salmon:
- 1 to 1.5 pounds salmon cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
Instructions
Marinate the Salmon:
- Mix the avocado oil, garlic cloves, paprika, onion powder, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Transfer the chopped salmon to a sealable container or a zip lock bag and add the marinade.
- Seal the bag and toss everything around until the salmon is coated in marinade. Marinate for 20 minutes, or up to 12 hours. While the salmon is marinating, prepare the pasta.
Prepare the Pasta:
- Follow the instructions on your package of pasta noodles to cook the noodles. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water. Strain the cooked noodles into a colander.
- While the pasta is cooking, sauté the vegetables. Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large skillet (I use a 12-inch skillet) over medium-high heat and add the chopped onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the chopped broccoli with ¼ cup of water to steam the veggies and stir well. Cook until broccoli has softened, but is still al dente. Add chopped spinach and frozen peas and stir well. Cook until the spinach has wilted and all of the vegetables have reached your desired level of doneness. For me, this took about 8 minutes total. If the veggies begin to brown up at any point during the cooking process, decrease the heat to medium heat.
- Transfer the reserved pasta water, cooked noodles, sauteed vegetables, pesto sauce, and lemon zest to the same pot you used to cook the pasta noodles. Gently toss until everything is well combined. Taste the pasta for flavor and add more pesto sauce, salt, and/or lemon zest to taste. You can also add fresh grated parmesan cheese if you’d like.
- Serve veggie pesto pasta in large bowls with cooked crispy salmon on top (instructions below).
Cook the Salmon:
- Cook the salmon using your preferred method.
- Air Fryer Instructions: Air fry salmon pieces in a single layer at 400 degrees F for 9-11 minutes.
- Stove Top Instructions: Heat a tablespoon of avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the salmon in a single layer in the skillet and cook, untouched for 3 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until salmon is cooked through and crispy.
- Oven Instructions: Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the salmon bites into an even layer. Broil on the high broil setting for 5-8 minutes, or until the salmon pieces are golden brown and reach your desired level of crisp.
- Serve the pasta with salmon and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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A winner for my family! My husband and I both love pesto and salmon and we love that all the veggies add health benefits so it feels like a clean meal. We use Banza pasta noodles too!