Description
A healthy and creamy Tuscan salmon pasta featuring tender seared salmon in a rich, garlicky parmesan sauce loaded with fresh spinach, cherry tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes. This comforting but nutritious dish is perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Salmon
- 24 oz salmon, cut into 4 portions
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, ground
Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, ground
Vegetables
- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
Optional
- 1 serving Barilla Protein+ pasta
Instructions
- Preheat the pan: Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat until hot, preparing it for sautéing the salmon.
- Prepare salmon portions: Cut your large 12 oz salmon fillets in half to create four servings, each approximately 6 oz.
- Sauté the salmon skin-side down: Lightly spray the pan with olive oil, place the salmon fillets skin-side down, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes until the skin turns golden brown.
- Flip and cook salmon: Flip the salmon, optionally remove the skin, cover with a lid, and sauté for 2 minutes. If skin was removed, flip again and cook for an additional minute with the lid on. Remove salmon and keep warm covered with foil.
- Make the Tuscan sauce base: Reduce heat to low. Add the butter and garlic to the pan. While butter melts, whisk together 1 tbsp milk and cornstarch in a small bowl to create a slurry.
- Thicken the sauce: Gradually add the remaining milk to the pan, whisking in the cornstarch slurry. Continue whisking for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Incorporate cheese and seasoning: Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until well combined and melted into the sauce.
- Add vegetables: Add the cherry tomatoes, chopped spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce. Cook until the spinach wilts and the tomatoes soften slightly.
- Return salmon to pan: Nestle the cooked salmon fillets back into the sauce and warm through for about 1 minute.
- Serve: Serve the creamy Tuscan salmon sauce alone or over the optional prepared Barilla Protein+ pasta for a fulfilling meal.
Notes
- Nutritional facts are calculated for a 3oz salmon portion with sauce, which is one quarter of the fillets cut in half.
- Adding a 2oz serving of whole wheat linguini pasta increases calories by approximately 180, totaling ~389 calories for the full dish.
- For a lower-carb option, substitute the pasta with steamed vegetables or a brown rice medley.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fillet with sauce (approx. 3 oz salmon)
- Calories: 209
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 590 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
