Salmon Asparagus Pasta

This Salmon Asparagus Pasta is so creamy and delicious that you will want to make it again. Plus, it is an easy recipe, and you don’t have to be a virtuoso in the kitchen to prepare it. If you have guests coming over, you certainly can serve this dish. Because who doesn’t love pasta? This salmon asparagus pasta recipe will become one of your favorites.

Salmon Asparagus Recipe

Like the chicken breasts, salmon is something you don’t want to overcook. It becomes dry and too flaky if you do, and some people don’t like it that way.

So, over the years, I learned that marinating the salmon is the best way to ensure that it doesn’t come out dry.

I cooked this salmon in the cast iron skillet, and it looked delicious. But, adding it later into a creamy sauce with asparagus made it even better. 

More Fish in Your Diet

I am a big advocate of healthy eating. My philosophy is that we have to eat frequently to fuel our bodies. But we have to choose wisely and fill our plates with healthy options for a balanced meal.

I covered in-depth what steps I suggest taking to clean up our diets in another post, and one of the steps involves eating more fish. There are plenty of options to choose from, and salmon is just one of them. And when it is paired with vegetables and served over healthy grains, it makes a perfectly nutritious meal. This creamy salmon asparagus pasta recipe proves it!

Nutrition

Salmon is a type of food that is not hard to cook, and it doesn’t involve a lot of preparation time. You can have an excellent source of protein in about 30 minutes. When in a time crunch, you can’t beat this. Here are some nutritional facts that you should keep in mind when debating whether to have salmon for dinner. According to the USDA, half of the cooked salmon filet (about 125 g) contains:

• 30.5 g protein (70% of reccomended daily inatake (RDI))
• 544 mg of potassium (21% of RDI)
• 46.6 mcg selenium (80% of RDI)
• 0.863 mg of vitamin B6 (65% of RDI)
• 5.86 mcg of vitamin B12 (over 200% of RDI)
• Low in saturated fat

Apart from being a great source of protein and being low in saturated fat, the abundance of vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 in salmon is what you need in your diet. Vitamin B6 is essential for a healthy immune system and helps produce red blood cells. Vitamin B12 is essential for the proper function of the central nervous system, healthy red blood cell formation, and DNA synthesis.

So, give this salmon asparagus pasta a try, and you’ll feel fulfilled. Plus, you’ll be giving yourself an immunity boost.

How to Marinate and Cook Salmon for Salmon Asparagus Pasta

There are various ways to marinate salmon, but I keep using this particular one as it gives a beautiful citrusy flavor. It tastes exceptionally fresh. But, there is one crucial thing to keep in mind when using marinades with acidic components, such as lemon, lime, or orange. If you marinate it too long, the meat will become mushy and will not have a pleasant taste.

So, with citrusy marinades, I always shoot for about 30 minutes in the fridge. You can set it up in such a way as to fix your marinade first and let salmon sit in it until you do other steps. 

You will need these ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 freshly squeezed orange
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Combine all ingredients in a small container.

Preparation steps:

• I prepared about 1 lb 2 oz (about 500 g) of salmon portion for this recipe.
• Set the salmon in the glass container with a lid and pour the marinade over it.
• Close the lid and shake the container until all the salmon is coated.
• Put the container in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
• Take the salmon out of the marinade (but keep the marinade for later steps!). Cook marinated salmon on a cast-iron skillet.

How to Steam the Asparagus

Once you are finished with salmon, set it aside for later use.

Steaming the asparagus:

• Wash asparagus with running water and cut the stems off.
• In a skillet with a lid, pour 1 cup of water and nest asparagus.
• Add butter cubes on top of the asparagus.
• Heat up uncovered on medium heat until the water starts boiling (with this much water, it shouldn’t be more than 5 minutes).
• Turn the heat down to low and cover the skillet. Let asparagus steam for about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and set aside. You don’t want to overcook asparagus either, as it will be mushy.

Creamy Sauce for Salmon Asparagus Pasta

Now is the time to prepare the creamy sauce and combine everything into a complete salmon asparagus pasta meal! I used whole wheat pasta in this recipe. If you have doubts about whether to eat regular pasta vs. whole wheat pasta, I have a post you can read to get familiar with the nutritional differences between white flour and whole wheat flour. I recommend sticking to the whole wheat pasta as you get more nutritional benefits, especially fibers and minerals.

• Cook 1 lb pasta according to the package direction (most likely, there will be some leftover pasta).

You will need following ingredients for the creamy sauce:

• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1/3 cup diced onions
• One garlic clove, minced
• 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation steps:

• Heat olive oil in a shallow pan on medium heat.
• Add chopped onions and cook until fragrant (about 5 min).
• Next, add chopped cherry tomatoes and mix well.
• Add minced garlic and give it a good mix. Don’t cook garlic for too long as it will burn and not taste good in the end.
• Pour heavy cream and mix it well. You might need to turn down the heat a little as you want to simmer heavy cream.
• Get the liquid you saved from marinating the salmon and add it to your sauce.
• Cook everything until thickened to your liking.
• My sauce ended up thick, so the best trick if this happens is to add some liquid from where you cooked your pasta. I ended up adding about 2/3 cup of liquid from the pasta.

• Cut cooked salmon into smaller pieces and add it to the creamy sauce.
• Next, cut the asparagus into smaller pieces and add them to the sauce.
• Pour the creamy sauce over pasta and enjoy the delicious salmon asparagus pasta meal!