Super-Fast Asian Salmon Pasta with Easy Peanut Sauce
~ This luxuriously creamy Salmon Pasta recipe can be ready in way under 30 minutes! Impressive enough to wow guests, yet quick enough for busy weeknights. Asian Salmon meets an easy Peanut Sauce in a nutrient-rich dinner you’ll make again and again! ~
This Recipe Is: • Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Includes Make-Ahead Steps •
It was a problem …
After Gretchen and I photographed our Asian Salmon Burgers with Avocado and Hoisin Sauce (one of our top recipes last year!), I was left with an entire second batch of unused ingredients. They were beautiful. But what to do with them? (My favorite kind of problem!)
I stared down into the bowl …
… chunks of perfectly fresh salmon …
…. vibrant, green cilantro and scallions …
… all studded with Asian flavors and pretty bits of ginger and garlic.
I could’ve made another batch of salmon burgers. That would have been the obvious thing to do. We adore those burgers.
But …
My mind wandered and my eyes glazed over. (I may have murmured, “Get in my BELLY!”) And suddenly, I had a vision of what else those ingredients could become … Mmmmmmm …
Asian Salmon Pasta!
I’m a sucker for peanut sauces, and as I dreamed of salmon pasta, I remembered a delicious peanut sauce I’d loved years ago from Cooking Light. Right!
With a few adjustments to the sauce from their April 2001 recipe for Fettuccine and Tofu with Finger-Licking Peanut Sauce (here), and after just a couple of moments in the pan … my vision for this pasta was a reality, and even better than I’d imagined!
This Asian Salmon Pasta is crazy good. I can’t say that loudly enough. CRAAAAAAZY GOOOOOOD!
Rich and creamy and super-flavorful. You really don’t even have to like salmon to love this. Seriously.
It’s a major hit at my house every time I make it, even with Amy (who’s definitely my “oh-no-it’s-fish” kiddo). Yeah – it’s that good. Even the skeptics are converted (ahem … Amy).
Plus, it’s loaded with whole grains, high-quality proteins, and hearty-healthy omega-3s. Which kind of turns “Get in my BELLY” into “Get in my ARTERIES” … but we just don’t say that, because that’s weird.
Love Salmon? This is your new, slap-me-a-high-five favorite. Trust me!
Not so sure about salmon (or have your own “oh-no-it’s-fish” kid)? Make this anyway. Only takes about 20 minutes, so it’s worth a shot, right? And after you make this the first time, there’ll be high-fives all around. Yep – you’ll be bookmarking this one! Perfect way to get the family eating more heart-healthy salmon!
It’s just that ridiculously good. And hey – good for you, too!
‘Cause that’s how we do things here at THK!
Get Your Family Loving Fish with Even More Delicious, Healthy Fish Recipes …
- 25 Salmon Recipes
- Easy Honey-Glazed Salmon
- Broiled Fish Matecumbe
- 15-Minute Pan Seared Salmon with Basil Tzatziki
- Caprese Grilled Fish
- Red-Miso Salmon with Ginger-Scallion Sauce
Super-Fast Asian Salmon Pasta with Easy Peanut Sauce
A luxuriously creamy, easy peanut sauce highlights this quick Asian Salmon Pasta recipe. Addictively delicious, really nutritious, and so FAST! Throw it together to impress guests, or to feed the fam on busy weeknights.
• Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Includes Make-Ahead Steps •
Ingredients
Easy Peanut Sauce:
- 1/2 cup nonfat milk
- 1/4 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (such as Kikkoman Light)
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons chili garlic paste (see note)
Salmon and Pasta:
- 16 ounces whole wheat spaghetti or linguine
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless salmon filets, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 4 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and chile paste, whisking until smooth. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
- While pasta cooks, in a large nonstick skillet, briefly heat oil over medium-high heat. Add salmon, green onions, garlic, ginger, pepper, and salt, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peanut sauce to skillet and cook for about 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until salmon is cooked through but still tender and flaky and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Serve salmon mixture over pasta, sprinkled with cilantro.
Notes
Chili garlic paste: For some reason, any time I see this ingredient listed and I need to pick up some for a recipe, I always feel like it's a confusing ingredient to shop for in American grocery stores, probably mostly because every brand seems to call it something slightly different. It's sort of a cousin to sambal oelek and the ever-popular sriracha. Over the various times I've made this recipe, I've purchased both Annie Chun's Go-Chu-Jang (Korean Sweet and Spicy Sauce) and Dynasty's Thai Chili Garlic Paste. Different brands may taste just slightly different (and spell it differently – sometimes spelled as chile instead of chili). Basically, though, they all offer a bit of heat and the flavors of peppers and garlic. If you're concerned about the heat (which may vary by brand), you could always cut the chili paste back slightly the first time you make this recipe, but my family finds 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons to be a great amount – flavorful, yet not too spicy.
Make-ahead tips: If you'd like to help this recipe come together even faster at mealtime, you could mix up the peanut sauce up to a day ahead and store it, covered, in the refrigerator. You could also mince the ginger and garlic, slice the green onions, and cube the salmon earlier in the day, storing the fish separately from the ginger, garlic and onions, covered, in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 1 1/2 cupsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 385Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 704mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 26g
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
The Easy Peanut Sauce for this recipe was adapted from the sauce in Cooking Light‘s recipe for Fettuccine and Tofu with Finger-Licking Peanut Sauce, which appeared in the magazine’s April 2001 issue.
Hmmmm … I don’t think using up leftovers has ever looked that good in my kitchen. I’m impressed!
This looks yummy! I’ve pinned it to make soon. We don’t cook much salmon around here, but I like it when I try it. So, I think this will be a great way to cook it at home. Thanks!
Looks like a great recipe. Thanks for sharing!!!!
You’re so welcome, Kristen! I’m not kidding when I say that even my fish-suspicious daughter likes this Salmon Pasta. She’s pretty much my ultimate fish recipe tester. If SHE likes it, it’s a slam dunk, for sure! 😀 Hope you love it just as much! ~Shelley
I loooove peanut sauce and what a great idea to feature salmon in this!
Thanks, Kimberly! If you love a great peanut sauce recipe, this is definitely for you! This is one of the best versions of a peanut sauce I’ve tried – it stays creamy and delicious even as the pasta cools. And it really is a prefect compliment to the salmon! ~Shelley
Ok I LOVE everything about this recipe! I looove salmon but never cut it into small pieces and pan fry the way you have here — cannot wiat to try this! Not a huge fan of peanut butter, so going to try this with almond butter instead and some rice noodles since that;s what I have on hand!! AND heading over to your salmon burgers now too : ))
Hi Vicky! I’m so happy to hear from you! And I’m really looking forward to hearing how you like this with the almond butter substitution. If you prefer that to peanut butter, I think you’ll be really, really happy with the swap. And rice noodles should work just fine here. We’re always hoping that our readers will adapt our recipes to fit their own tastes and preferences … and whatever they happen to have on hand. Sometimes you just have to punt and go with what you have to work with, you know?!? 😀 Let me know about that almond butter … I’m so curious to hear! ~Shelley