I love wholesome dinners that come together in under 30 minutes and use fresh seasonal produce. I can’t get enough of asparagus! Here it’s cooked up quickly with the pasta and combined with pan-seared salmon, peas (I used frozen, since we don’t have spring peas yet), and a creamy tarragon sauce. This one is easy enough for a weeknight (even our pre-schooler ate seconds!) but fancy enough for a special occasion.
Creamy Pasta with Salmon, Asparagus & Peas
- kosher salt
- salmon (3 frozen 4.4 oz./125 g. fillets, thawed in plastic packaging in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes, or fresh salmon)
- sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
- pat of butter
- 1/2 lb. / 250 g. pasta (I used bavette, similar to linguine)
- asparagus (12-15 medium to thick stalks)
- 5 oz./ 150 g. creme fraiche
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon leaves
- (reserved pasta water)
- 1 cup frozen peas
Directions:
- Set a large pot of water, seasoned liberally with kosher salt, over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Pat the salmon dry and season one side with sea salt & pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the pat of butter to melt. When hot, place the salmon fillets seasoned side down and cook without touching them until nicely browned and turning opaque on the bottom half up to almost the middle, about 4 minutes. Flip and brown the other side until fully cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest.
- Add creme fraiche and cream to the skillet, mixing them in with the browned butter from the salmon and heat up over low heat as it melts together. Add tarragon and season with sea salt & pepper to taste, then turn heat off under skillet.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente according to package directions. Meanwhile, strip outer layers of the asparagus off with a vegetable peeler from below the tip all the way down, then break off the ends where they naturally bend. Chop each stock into 1-inch pieces and add the biggest pieces to the boiling pasta 4 to 5 minutes away from being done, then the thinner pieces a minute or so later.
- Place the frozen peas in the bottom of a colander. When pasta is done, scoop out a mugful of the pasta water, then drain pasta and asparagus over the peas in the colander.
- Add a few tablespoons of the pasta water to the cream in the skillet to thin it out a bit and taste and adjust for seasoning (rewarm if necessary). Add the pasta, asparagus, and peas to the skillet and mix well with the sauce, adding more reserved pasta water as necessary (the pasta will soak up a lot of the sauce).
- Serve in individual plates with pieces of salmon and a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper. Buon Appetito!
May 3, 2014 at 4:54 pm
This looks so fresh and amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!
May 7, 2014 at 10:18 am
Thanks, Kloe. I’m loving fresh spring produce, can’t wait until we get spring peas, it would make this dish even better 🙂
May 3, 2014 at 7:40 pm
What a beautiful presentation of what looks like a delicious dish!
May 7, 2014 at 10:20 am
Thanks so much! This is one of my favorites so far and I hope to enjoy more of this while we have fresh asparagus.
May 3, 2014 at 8:42 pm
Delicious dish! Love creamy pasta dishes and salmon!! Great way to do the peas, never thought of that.
May 6, 2014 at 10:15 am
Thanks, Suzanne. My mother-in-law taught me that trick, and it makes it so easy to incorporate frozen peas into a pasta dish anytime.
May 3, 2014 at 9:46 pm
Spring is in your plate Laura! Beautiful photos!
May 7, 2014 at 10:22 am
Thanks, Margy 😉 You know I’m a big fan of your photos, so that makes my day 🙂
May 3, 2014 at 10:24 pm
This looks amazing… Gorgeous photography!!
May 7, 2014 at 10:31 am
Thanks 🙂
May 4, 2014 at 2:02 am
Just beautiful! The tarragon cream sounds dreamy, even if we don’t have seasonal asparagus, I can still make this with salmon and peas… and I do want to make this. 🙂
May 7, 2014 at 10:36 am
Thanks, hope you like it! The tarragon cream is quite tasty; I’ve seen other variations of creamy pasta with peas & salmon that use sage or mint or basil, and have tried them all, but tarragon’s my favorite here.
May 4, 2014 at 11:12 am
I am a massive asparagus fan also and I have to say I love your eye for food photography, my computer always looks so delicious when I read your posts
May 7, 2014 at 10:38 am
That’s so nice of you to say and makes my day! I experimented a little with these shots, trying a “softening” effect – can you tell? I am dreaming about your asparagus & burrata salad, by the way – yum!
May 7, 2014 at 12:13 pm
Yes I can tell, looks beautiful! I’m dreaming of that salad too 😉
May 4, 2014 at 4:09 pm
This looks divine! I so like creamy sauce, with asparagus and tarragon it sounds more tastier!
May 7, 2014 at 10:39 am
Thanks, the tarragon is a good fit for me in this creamy sauce, it lends just a touch of herby flavor and goes well with the asparagus. Glad you like it!
May 4, 2014 at 5:19 pm
All my favorite ingredients in 1 dish! Looks lovely, perfect week night dinner!
May 7, 2014 at 10:40 am
Yes, it’s quick & easy for weeknights! I’ll be making this again while the asparagus is fresh 🙂
May 4, 2014 at 10:39 pm
Yummy…looks like the perfect one plate meal. I love everything about this…pinning now!
May 7, 2014 at 10:41 am
Thanks for pinning, glad you like it!
May 4, 2014 at 10:56 pm
Mmm…asparagus…creamy tarragon…what a great meal, Laura!
May 7, 2014 at 10:41 am
Thanks, Patty. This is one of my favorite simple & healthful meals!
May 5, 2014 at 3:12 am
What a beautiful dish! I love salmon with asparagus and peas. The pasta looks so creamy and inviting!
May 7, 2014 at 10:44 am
Thank you, Shanna! I experimented a bit with cream sauces – using a bechamel base, just cream, or creamy cheeses — I think creme fraiche and a little cream make that inviting creaminess that I love, and it’s so easy. Hope you’re having a great week!
May 5, 2014 at 4:26 am
OH MY! This looks scrumptious! And so lovely for something you can assemble quickly!
May 7, 2014 at 10:45 am
Thanks, Serena! So quick and loaded with spring flavor – I’ve got to make this again soon 🙂
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June 3, 2014 at 4:15 pm
This looks so good!
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