Servings: 4 Servings
Salmon Pesto Pasta Recipe
This healthy salmon pesto pasta recipe is loaded with delicious flavor! Packed with protein, healthy fats, fiber, and slow burning carbohydrates for a nourishing meal! Customize it with your favorite vegetables or pesto sauces.
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
*I use gluten-free pasta noodles, but any kind of noodles work! This recipe shows Gemelli shapes, made by Banza. I also like using penne pasta or spiral noodles.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Serving (of 4), Calories: 631kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 57mg, Sodium: 263mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 5g