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Home » Toddler Recipes » Salmon Pesto Pasta with a Spinach Pesto

Salmon Pesto Pasta with a Spinach Pesto

Published: Mar 25, 2024 by Ana · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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Hungry for a tasty, fuss-free meal that hits all the right notes? Our Salmon Pesto Pasta recipe is the real deal. No culinary theatrics, salmon pasta with no cream, just a straightforward guide to whipping up a dish that marries succulent salmon, homemade pesto, and perfectly cooked pasta.

Pesto pasta topped with salmon.
Jump to:
  • Why we love this pesto salmon pasta?
  • Ingredients 
  • How to make salmon and pesto pasta
  • Additions
  • Recipe Variations
  • Storage
  • More recipes like this
  • Salmon Pesto Pasta
  • Comments

If you're all about no-nonsense, delicious food, stick around. This recipe is your ticket to a flavorful, satisfying meal without the fluff. Let's dive in.

And if you like this recipe you may also like Baked Chicken Meatballs recipe, Creamy Tuna Pesto Pasta, Healthy Chinese Salt and Pepper Chicken.

Why we love this pesto salmon pasta?

  • Simple ingredients 
  • Only 10 minutes to make a delicious homemade spinach pesto for this pasta dish
  • A salmon pasta without cream yet a a creamy pesto salmon pasta
  • Great for the whole family, including babies and toddlers (see notes)

Ingredients 

Labelled ingredients on a white background.

​For baking the salmon

  • Fresh salmon Fillet: Ensure they are fresh for the best results. Salmon is rich in healthy fats and provides a flaky texture when cooked.
  • Salt: Enhances the flavor of the salmon.
  • Black pepper: Adds a subtle kick to the dish.
  • Lemon juice: Provides a hint of citrus freshness.
  • Olive oil: Adds a savory richness.
  • Spaghetti or pasta: we use good old white flour pasta for this recipe but it also works with wholewheat spaghetti, linguini, penne or any other of your favorite pastas
  • Parmesan cheese: for those who like, top off the final dish with some delicious parmesan cheese 

For the spinach basil pesto sauce

  • we use our favorite green pasta sauce recipe that has spinach in it for added iron and nutrients. The recipe is a dairy-free pesto recipe made from spinach, cashews, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and cup of pasta water

How to make salmon and pesto pasta

Collage of images showing how to make the recipe

Salmon and Pasta:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F.
  2. Mix all the seasonings for salmon in a cup.
  3. Place salmon fillets on a baking tray and brush with the seasoning mix.
  4. Bake for approximately 12 minute. 
  5. Cook spaghetti in boiling water with a pinch of salt on the stove; save 1 cup of pasta water.

Homemade Pesto:

3 images shoiwng how to make the pesto

 ​You can use store-bought pesto in this recipe or easily make your own healthy pesto. 

  1. In a food processor, blend nuts, spinach, and garlic until you have smaller chunks.
  2. Add remaining pesto ingredients; blend until smooth.
  3. In a pan, heat pesto and 1 cup of pasta water at medium heat. Remove from the stove and mix in the cooked pasta.

Tip: If you are serving this to babies and toddlers then make sure that you have a fully cooked and flaky salmon. This may require you to leave the salmon in the oven for a few minutes longer, depending on the thickness. 

Finish the Dish:

  1. Place pesto pasta in a bowl.
  2. Top with baked salmon and grated parmesan cheese.
Pesto with salmon on top.

Additions

  • For a creamy sauce, add a drizzle of heavy cream.
  • Garnish with cherry tomatoes, lemon zest, or a drizzle of olive oil for added flair.

Recipe Variations

  • Experiment with different types of nuts in the pesto, such as pine nuts or almonds 
  • Substitute salmon fillets with salmon steaks for a change in texture.
  • Add red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
2 bowls of salmon and pesto pasta.

Storage

  • Store leftover salmon pesto pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for the next day.
  • Ensure the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) for safe storage.
  • Store the homemade pesto in a jar in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months 

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See more Lunch →

If you've tried this recipe for kids then rate the recipe below and leave us a comment!

Pesto pasta topped with salmon.

Salmon Pesto Pasta

No culinary theatrics, salmon pasta with no cream, just a straightforward guide to whipping up a dish that marries succulent salmon, homemade pesto, and perfectly cooked pasta.
5 from 4 votes
Author: Dora
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Servings 4
Fridge Life? 3 days
Freezable? Not really, will be mushy

Ingredients

The salmon

  • 1 lb salmon fillets
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

The spaghetti

  • 12 oz spaghetti or pasta uncooked
  • pinch salt

Homemade spinach pesto

  • 6 oz spinach for salmon
  • 16 larger basil leaves for salmon
  • 2 oz cashews
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 small garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp salt omit for babies
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup pasta water

Toppings

  • 2 oz parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

Salmon and pasta

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F
  • Mix all the seasonings for salmon in a cup.
  • Place the salmon fillets on a baking tray and use a silicone brush to brush the seasonings over the salmon.
  • Place in the oven for about 12 minutes.
  • In the meantime, cook the pasta in boiling water with a pinch of salt on the stove (save 1 cup of pasta water if you are making homemade pesto).

Homemade pesto

  • Place the nuts, spinach and garlic in the food processor and blend until you have smaller chunks.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients until you have a smooth pesto.
  • In a large pan place the pesto, 1 cup of pasta water and bring it to a medium heat. Once heated remove from the stove and mix in the cooked pasta. Taste and adjust in case it needs more salt or lemon juice.

Finish the dish

  • Place the pesto pasta in a bowl, top with the baked salmon and grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • if you are making this recipe to serve to the whole family, including babies then remove salt from the cooking process and add as necessary for the adult portions 
  • the pesto yields about 4 portions. If using store-bought pesto you will be using about 2-3 tablespoons depending on the brand. 

Nutrition

Calories: 659kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 43gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 1193mgPotassium: 1120mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 4147IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 254mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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