Cajun Salmon Pasta
Cajun Salmon Pasta
If you love cajun seasoned recipes like Cajun Meatball Stew, Cajun Steak Bites and Cajun Shrimp Pasta then you’re going to love this spicy and easy salmon pasta.
Combining flakey perfectly cooked spicy salmon filets with a creamy seasoned sauce and noodles you have a flavor explosion. Salmon can be tough to get perfect and this cajun seasoning makes the best flavorful salmon so you can enjoy all the nutrients it packs with it.
If you’re a pasta fanatic like yours truly, check out my other pasta dishes, like sausage and bok choy pasta, Philly cheesesteak stuffed shells and lemon orzo pasta salad.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in under 30 minutes with minimal prep required.
- High protein and loaded with health benefits.
- It’s spicy and creamy while not taking away from the salmon flavors.
What to know when buying salmon at the store
We never buy salmon as it is readily available every summer for us here in Alaska to catch ourselves. We go out every year with the goal to stock the freezer for the upcoming year.
Some things to note when you’re buying salmon in the store for this cajun salmon pasta recipe: “look for salmon that appears moist rather than dried out, avoid salmon with any browned spots on the belly, around the edges of the fillet, or instances where the skin has started browning and curling up.”
Salmon foil packs, air fryer teriyaki salmon and teriyaki salmon bowls are other great ways to enjoy this incredible fish.
Here is a great article with more information: How to Buy Salmon at the Grocery Store Like a Pro.
Is this good for meal prep?
This cajun salmon pasta is great for meal prep. You can keep your salmon filets in tact or break all up and mix together directly into the pasta before measuring out your servings.
Ingredients and Substitutes:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredients list and instructions for cajun salmon pasta.
Salmon: you can substitute the salmon with a white fish or any other protein of choice. Keep the seasonings the same. Remove the skin (optional) prior to serving once it has been cooked. It should stick to the foil and peel right off.
Fettuccine: any preferred noodle works as well as gluten free. I prefer this dish with a longer noodle like fettuccine, Angel hair or spaghetti. The pasta is weighed uncooked prior to cooking. Cooked and uncooked pasta noodle weigh different.
Cajun Seasoning: you can use your favorite cajun seasoning or make the home made sugar free version here.
Half and Half: this recipe calls for fat free half and half. You can substitute with a 50/50 milk and cream, milk and cornstarch to make it thicker, heavy cream or full fat half and half. I would not recommend trying this with almond or coconut milk.
All Purpose Flour: this recipe used 2 Tbsp. of all purpose flour to create the roux. You can use arrowroot powder or gluten free flour.
Butter: butter is used to make the roux of this recipe but you can substitute with olive oil as needed.
Parmesan and Romano Cheese: if you cannot find a bag of shredded parmesan and Romano cheese use all parmesan will work for the cajun salmon pasta recipe.
How to make this cajun salmon pasta recipe
Step 1: make the seasoning
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl mix together all Cajun seasonings and set aside.
Step 2: prep and coat the salmon
Prep your salmon by rinsing and patting dry. Cut into 4 oz. filets if not already done. Line a baking sheet with foil and drizzle with 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil. Top with the salmon filets skin side down. Top salmon filets with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and evenly coat with 2 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning. Using your hand be sure to coat all areas of the salmon with the seasoning.
Step 6: cook the salmon
Place in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes until they are fully cooked and flake easily with a fork. You can also use a meat thermometer and check for doneness. Salmon should read 145 degrees Fahrenheit when fully cooked. Remove the skin (optional) prior to serving once it has been cooked. It should stick to the foil and peel right off.
Step 7: make the sauce
While the salmon bakes cook 10 oz. (uncooked) fettuccine is a pot according to the directions.
Heat a large pan over medium and add in 2 Tbsp. of butter. Once the butter has melted add garlic and simmer until you begin to smell the garlic. Add 2 Tbsp. flour and stir until you have a thick paste, or roux.
Slowly add the half and half a little as a time to the roux and whisk until the flour is no longer chunky and the sauce begins to thicken. This takes approximately 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Add 1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning to the sauce and stir together well. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese in the sauce and mix together well.
Step 10: combine
Add the cooked and drained noodles to the sauce and mix together to evenly coat. Top with chopped parsley and salmon filets and enjoy your cajun salmon pasta.
Nutrition Facts
This recipe makes 6 servings of Cajun salmon pasta ( with 4oz. filets – raw weight). You will need to measure your final cooked pasta dish and divide by the number or servings for the must accurate measurements per serving.
Nutrition facts for pasta only: 262 calories 10 P / 42 C / 6 F
Nutrition facts with salmon: 428 calories 33 P / 42 C / 14 F
How to serve
You can serve the cajun salmon pasta topped with a salmon filet or break all the salmon up and mix together throughout the pasta. Top with fresh chopped parsley and additional parmesan cheese.
Check out some of our other easy meals!
- Mango Corn Salsa
- Air Fryer Carrots and Potatoes
- Blueberry Breakfast Sausage
- Southwest Chicken Crockpot
- Chicken Pesto Sliders
Cajun Salmon Pasta
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Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. (24 oz.) fresh Salmon Filets
- 10 oz. Fettuccine Pasta (uncooked)
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 Tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/3 cup (300ml) Fat Free Half and Half
- 1/4 cup (28g) Parmesan & Romano Shredded Cheese
- 2 Tbsp. Cajun Seasoning (for salmon)
- 1 Tbsp. Cajun Seasoning (for sauce)
- Chopped Parsley for garnish
Cajun Seasoning
- 3 Tbsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1.5 Tbsp. Salt
- 2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
- 1 Tbsp. dried Oregano
- 1 Tbsp. Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.In a small bowl mix together all Cajun seasonings and set aside.
- Prep your salmon by rinsing and patting dry. Cut into 4, 4 oz. filets if not already. You should have 6, 5 oz. filets.Line a baking sheet with foil and drizzle with 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil. Top with the salmon filets skin side down.
- Top salmon filets with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and evenly coat with 2 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning. Using your hand be sure to coat all areas of the salmon with the seasoning.Place in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes until they are fully cooked and flake easily with a fork. You can also use a meat thermometer and check for doneness. Salmon should read 145 degrees Fahrenheit when fully cooked. Remove the skin (optional) prior to serving once it has been cooked. It should stick to the foil and peel right off.
- While the salmon bakes cook 10 oz. (uncooked) fettuccine is a pot according to the directions.
- While the salmon and noodles cook, prep your creamy cajun sauce. Heat a large pan over medium and add in 2 Tbsp. of butter. Once the butter has melted add garlic and simmer until you begin to smell the garlic. Add 2 Tbsp. flour and stir until you have a thick paste, or roux.
- Slowly add the half and half a little as a time to the roux and whisk until the flour is no longer chunky and the sauce begins to thicken. This takes approximately 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.Add 1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning to the sauce and stir together well. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese in the sauce and mix together well.
- Add the cooked and drained noodles to the sauce and mix together to evenly coat.Top with chopped parsley and salmon filets. Enjoy your cajun salmon pasta.
- For nutrition facts on the pasta without salmon see post for details.
Notes
- Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
- Always use fresh wild-caught salmon, when possible. Salmon should be bright pink. Never buy salmon that is dull or grey.
- Use any type of pasta.
This was delicious! I added in a couple of spiralized zucchini to round it out and it was the perfect addition to bulk up the serving.
Tastes great, but what is the serving size for the pasta?
Listed in detail in the blog post!
This was so tasty! The Cajun seasoning mix was just right. All of my kids loved it, which says a lot.