Pasta Florentine with Salmon

Winner, winner, seafood pasta dinner: Salmon, spinach, tomatoes, and Parmesan come together to elevate this easy all-in-one Pasta Florentine with Salmon meal well beyond your basic spaghetti.

Let’s go old school food pyramid today: Protein + dairy + veggies + carbs = A complete all-in-one meal — just add a side salad if you’re looking for a bit extra. This Pasta Florentine with Salmon recipe ticks all of those boxes, in just the very tastiest of ways! Move a step up from a box of spaghetti and a jar of sauce, and make your next pasta night an evening to remember.

Because tomatoes are in season and I’m always looking for fresh ways to use mine up, I incorporated the cutest little garden tomatoes into today’s recipe. They’re smaller than Roma, larger than grape, producing abundantly, and oh so good. Unfortunately, I totally lost the tag at some point… so am not sure what kind of tomato I picked up way back when. Do as I say, not as I garden: You can make your own pasta with grape tomatoes for a similar flavor + texture experience.

Speaking of texture: To go with today’s tomatoes, have you seen this super cheap pink frozen salmon from ALDI (at $3.99 for 16 oz at my store)? 2023 update: It’s now $6.99 at my store, so no longer super cheap!

Well, this salmon isn’t my favorite just to enjoy as a fillet — the flavor is very mild, and the texture is not as firm as one might like. I had a bag sitting around in my freezer, though, so was thinking about how it might shine better in a recipe where the cooked salmon gets flaked into a larger dish full of complementary flavors.

I knew I didn’t want a heavy cream pasta today, so went slightly lighter with a butter & Parmesan sauce. All the flavors came together so nicely, and the pink salmon worked quite well here! You can of course punch up the flavor even more with a fresh salmon fillet or by using sockeye salmon, but that’s the beauty of cooking: Modify recipes to work for your family, for your own tastes and preferences, or around what you have on hand.

Pasta Florentine with Salmon

Ingredients

8 oz spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
16 oz salmon fillets (thawed, if using frozen)
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
Black pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup diced yellow onion
2 tsp minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
Pint grape tomatoes, halved (note, I used smallish garden tomatoes in mine)
8 oz fresh spinach, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

Directions

Start the pasta water boiling. Once the water is ready, cook the spaghetti al dente per package directions, drain, and return to the pot.

While the pasta is going, prepare the rest of your ingredients.

Start by chopping your veggies. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for one minute, while you season the salmon with seasoned salt and black pepper.

Add the seasoned salmon to the skillet and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side (depending on thickness — I had very thin fillets, so mine took 5 minutes total). Be careful not to overcook the fish; remove from the pan once it is opaque and flakes easily. Remove salmon to a separate plate, and flake it with a fork.

Add butter to the same skillet and melt it over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes, then stir in garlic and saute for just 30 seconds. Stir the chopped spinach and tomatoes into the skillet, then season veggies with oregano, parsley, basil, & crushed red pepper. Continue sauteing over medium heat for about three more minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted.

Stir the cooked salmon back into the pan, then stir in the shredded Parmesan and cooked pasta. Heat until Parmesan is melted, tossing gently to incorporate the spinach and salmon throughout the pasta, then serve.

Note: I topped my finished dish with just a little more shredded Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley from the garden to punch things up a bit, but both are totally optional.

Isn’t this a pretty pasta Florentine?

Look at all the beautiful colors and flavors in this summery seafood spaghetti dinner: This simple, filling recipe serves six, and can be on your table in about 40 minutes start to finish. We paired our salmon & spinach pasta with a simple side salad for a full & filling meal, and the leftovers also reheat nicely the next day — I just enjoyed some for lunch, before coming back to finish typing this!

Pasta Florentine with Salmon, printable recipe

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