I’m crazy about pasta. And I’m crazy about salmon. So it makes sense that I’m crazy about this Salmon Pasta recipe. This is a whole wheat penne pasta tossed with fresh salmon, peas, shallots, a light cream sauce and Parmesan cheese.
My never-ending quest to be healthy and feel great means I’m making small changes this year in my eating habits. So far so good… I’m cutting down on sugar, eating more fruits and vegetables, and subbing healthy grains like quinoa for white rice. As far as I’m concerned, those are some positive, healthy changes.
There is nothing my family loves more than a rich and creamy pasta recipe. I lightened this one up a bit with a lighter cream sauce, and I used the whole wheat pasta to make it healthier overall. I like to use noodles that have a hole in them (like this penne) because the sauce can make its way into the center of the noodle, and that just makes the dish just a little more delicious!
I expected my family to say something about the pasta… that it was weird or healthy-tasting or “not normal.” I didn’t hear a peep. They loved the pasta- whole grain and all, ate every last bite, and fought over the leftovers! I’d say that’s a little victory!
Here are a few more salmon recipes you might enjoy:
- Salmon BLT Sandwiches by Recipe Girl
- Pistachio Lime Baked Salmon by Reluctant Entertainer
- Barbecued Salmon by Recipe Girl
- Salmon Ravioli by The Italian Dish
Salmon Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 ounces salmon, skin removed and cut into 2-inch strips
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
- more Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions (sometimes whole wheat pasta takes a little longer to become tender). Drain and set aside.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium- high heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the shallots, salmon and peas. Stir and cook until salmon is cooked through and shallots are tender.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir until lightly browned. Slowly mix in the milk and cream. Continue to stir over heat until it begins to boil and thicken slightly. Remove from heat, add the Parmesan, salt and pepper (to taste), and stir until cheese is melted into the sauce.
- Add the pasta and sauce to the pan with the salmon. Turn heat to medium and stir the mixture together. Heat until all is warmed up. Divide between four bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan (if desired) and additional salt and pepper, as needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sounds delicious! I’m always looking for tasty looking healthy foods. Because of health issues that arose a year ago I’ve had to change my eating habits and incorporate my daughters taste buds so meals can be a little tricky. But this looks like it would work out phenomenally! Look forward to more healthy recipes!
Laundry done…well mostly! lol
My husband is gone this week for work, so I did bath and bedtime with our daughter (normally his routine)!
My little victory for today is having a couple loaves of bread baked for my fiancee, and still having time to run out to a book signing that I wanted to go to.
Thank you for everything you do! I love your delicious and practical recipes that you share :). My little victory was avoiding the pizza line at lunch today. It looked sooo good too
My little victory today was getting past a very bad headache without using Tylenol or Advil. I drank hot decaf tea, and used instead an acupuncture type technique I read about on the internet. It involves pushing your thumb hard against the skin area between your eyebrows, upper nose area. You’re suppose to only have to press for about 30 seconds, but what worked for me was to lean my head where my face was pointing down like one would do if they were looking for a missing pin on the floor. Then I had to press my thumb in that area for about two minutes. It worked though and seemed to open up my sinuses where I could use a facial tissue and get some relief. Seems my headache must have been sinus related. The hot decaf tea seemed to also help keep things opened up. So, I didn’t have to resort to over the counter meds, which I am trying to use less and less. So that was a little victory for me today.
I finished reading some papers 🙂
My little victory for today is that I just made potato soup, a salad, and cookies for a friend that was just discharged from the hospital.
Yum! I think that’s a great way to start a new healthier way of eating. I’m going to see what my family things about whole wheat pasta.
Recipe looks great..plan to try it. I love Kroger…when I go visit my parents in Mississippi I drive 28 miles for the good grocery shopping at Kroger!!