This has pasta covered in creamy Cajun alfredo sauce and topped with baked Cajun salmon. Creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta is quick to put together and will make your Tuesday nights feel a little ~fancier~.
Do you want to add more salmon to your diet? 🧐 Check out my post on 5 Ways to Cook Salmon for inspiration!
What you will love about this Cajun Salmon Pasta
- it takes 35 minutes to make
- It kind of looks a little fancy
- It’s a fun new way to eat salmon
Jump to:
🥘 Ingredients
Salmon: fresh or frozen
Olive Oil: helps the salmon not dry out
Cajun Seasoning: easy shortcut for tons of flavor
Pasta: any wide toothy noodle will do, I used Mafaldine
Butter: for the alfredo sauce
Milk and Heavy Whipping Cream: I used a combo of milk and whipping cream to make the sauce less heavy
Garlic: 1 clove is the perfect amount
Parmesan Cheese: make sure it’s finely grated, it will make it easier to incorporate into the sauce
🔪 How to Make Cajun Salmon Alfredo Pasta
1. Cook Salmon: Line a baking sheet with foil, then place the salmon skin-side down on the pan. Drizzle salmon with olive oil, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning, using your hands press the seasoning into the salmon. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until it easily flakes with a fork.
2. Cook Pasta: While the salmon cooks, cook the pasta as directed on the packaging.
3. Start the Sauce: When the pasta has about 5 minutes left melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook it for 30 seconds, or until it becomes fragrant.
4. Add Milk and Cream: Add cream and milk to the skillet, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add Cheese and Seasoning: Whisk in the parmesan cheese ½ cup at a time until the sauce is smooth. Whisk in 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning, then add your cooked pasta to the skillet.
6. Serve: Divide pasta and salmon among the bowls and serve immediately
🙋♀️ FAQ
I used Mafaldine pasta. I got mine from Wegmans. If you can't find it at your grocery store try Amazon.
Fettuccine, tagliatelle, linguine, or Penne.
👩🍳Tips & Tricks
- Use a whisk when incorporating the parmesan into the alfredo sauce.
- Make sure the parmesan is fully incorporated into the sauce before adding more to prevent clumping.
- Add pasta to the sauce, don’t add the sauce to the pasta. If the sauce gets too hot too fast the parmesan will stick to the bottom of the pot.
Cajun Salmon Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ Lb. salmon fillets
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon cajun seasoning divided
- 8 oz pasta
- 1 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup milk low-fat or whole
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 400° and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Measure out the milk and heavy cream before making the sauce. It makes things run more smoothly.
- Cook Salmon: Line a baking sheet with foil, and place the salmon skin-side down on the pan. Drizzle salmon with olive oil, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning and press the seasoning into the salmon. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the fish easily flakes with a fork.
- Cook Pasta: While the salmon cooks, cook the pasta as directed on the packaging.
- Make Sauce: When the pasta has about 5 minutes left, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook it for 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant. Add cream and milk to the skillet, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the parmesan cheese ½ cup at a time until the sauce is smooth. Whisk in 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning, then add your cooked pasta to the skillet.
- Serve: Divide pasta and salmon among the bowls and serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!