Salmon & Asparagus Pasta

I first blogged this recipe in 2007. It blows my mind away that I’ve been going at blogging for over 5 years now. I really really don’t know where the time goes. What started as a little way of sharing recipes with just a handful of friends has really grown over the years. Oh how I’ve come to love blogging. I’ve missed it over the last year. First it was the nausea, then it was the pregnancy exhaustion and being super busy at work, then the baby arrived… excuses excuses. I’m back now though. I’ve got a bunch of recipes/posts lined up as well. Its good to be back.

Back to this recipe, I thought it was time to revisit this recipe. To this day, my original Salmon & Asparagus pasta post remains one of the most popular posts on this blog. I get more emails/comments about this recipe than any other, and there’s a good reason — its good y’all.

I’ve tweaked the instructions a bit below from the original recipe. If you’re looking for something creamy and more alfredo-ish, then double or even triple the butter & heavy cream. I purposely kept the heavy cream to a minimum. It adds a little bit of richness but lets the  flavor of the salmon & asparagus stand out rather than drowning in cream. But creamy can be good too. You can also obviously use two different pots for the asparagus & pasta, but it works to just use one and I’m all for saving yourself time and not unnecessarily having two pots to wash

I’d forgotten just how good this dish was. Hubby ‘mmmmm’d through this meal just as he did the very first time. Its Its going back into our rotation for awhile. Yum.

Fresh Salmon & Asparagus Pasta

1 small bunch thin asparagus, trimmed
8 oz. thin spaghetti
1.5 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
freshly cooked Salmon, cut into small pieces
salt & black pepper to taste

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook until tender but firm, 1-3 minutes. Using tongs, remove asparagus from boiling water and put in an ice bath to stop cooking. Return water to a boil, add pasta and cook until desired firmness. Drain when done. Trim cooked asparagus into one inch pieces.

In a large skillet, melt butter. Meanwhile, trim cooked asparagus into one inch pieces. Add asparagus tossing just to coat. Add heavy cream and lemon pepper. Heat until cream begins to thicken. Add cooked pasta, salmon, and parmesan cheese. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and salt. Toss and serve hot.

Baked Garlic Salmon

2/3 lb. fresh salmon fillet
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried parsley
kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper
non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and place salmon skin side down. Season salmon with parsley, minced garlic and salt & black pepper, to taste. Add parsley & minced garlic. Bake ~12 minutes until flaky.

Tagged as: Main Course, Pasta, Seafood