READY IN 50 mins

Salmon and Asparagus with Penne and Light Cream Sauce

Read Reviews (21)

"This is a really good recipe if you like salmon and asparagus. Even if you are not an asparagus lover, the ingredients give the asparagus an amazing flavor. I have always loved my homemade alfredo sauce, but now I prefer this sauce to my alfredo." — twroush02

Directions

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Pour in 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil, the white pepper, dill, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a skillet over medium-low heat until the oil is shimmering. Gently lay the salmon fillet into the oil, and sprinkle with 1 pinch of salt. Arrange the cut asparagus and bits of minced garlic around the salmon in the skillet. Squeeze the lemon slices over the salmon and asparagus, and place the squeezed slices into the skillet. Cover and cook for 8 minutes. Flip the salmon, and cook until the salmon is no longer translucent in the center, about 8 more minutes.
Remove the salmon, asparagus, garlic, and lemon slices from the skillet to a warmed plate, leaving the juices in the skillet. Whisk in the cream and enough Parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce. Let the cheese melt, and season to taste with salt. To serve, divide the cooked penne pasta, salmon, and asparagus between two plates, with the pasta to the side of the salmon. Spoon the cream sauce over the pasta, and serve.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 50 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Mar 23, 2010

Husband absolutely loved it! Apart from using fresh dill instead of dried, I followed the recipe pretty much exactly. Next time I'll add more Parmesan - 1/4 cup wasn't cheesy enough for us!

—Caroline C

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Feb 26, 2012

The flavors in this recipe were good but the proportions and cooking time are off. My salmon fillet was thicker than typical but was almost done when I flipped it and was certainly done less than three minutes later and by then the asparagus was over cooked. I would suggest not adding the asparagus until flipping the salmon - and do that much sooner than called for. Also 1/4 cup olive oil is way too much. I used it but next time would use closer to 1 Tablespoon. And 1 1/2 cups cream yields way too much sauce for the salmon and pasta. I used about 3/4 cup and that was more than enough. As written, the recipe yields an overcooked heavy dish. With some tweaks to make it lighter and fresher it could be great.

—catherine

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30 Ratings

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Feb 15, 2011

Excellent.

—tofine2wine

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Mar 29, 2010

exelent recipe!!!! only I added more garlic and regular black pepper. Even though the garlic turned blue (because of the lemon juice) and the salmon broke up when I turned it.. but who cares!!!.it all goes doen the same way!!! Next time I will cook the garlic a little before adding the lemon! and maybe cook at a higher heat, less time so the salmon won't break up!!! It was great nevertheless

—Maribel R

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Sep 30, 2010

We loved this! I was low on ingredients so I typed in what little I did have in the house, and this popped up. I didn't have the cream, though, so I used some jarred Bertolli alfredo sauce instead, and it was still delicious! The salmon and asparagus had wonderful flavor.

—Jen

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May 27, 2011

Dreamy sauce! I doubled for 4 servings, but found that I did not need to double the oil and cream and still had plenty of sauce. I used light cream instead of heavy. (as in the title of the recipe!) Don't skimp on the garlic and lemon--you'll love it.

—A. H. Miller

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Mar 22, 2011

I had some leftover baked salmon that I wanted to use. I shredded it up and used it in place of the new, fresh salmon. It was fast, turned out delicious, and I didn't have to throw out my salmon. Great recipe!

—Tracey

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Sep 18, 2011

OMG 5+ stars! This is the best recipe! Mouth popping flavors. I had fresh salmon, asparagus and wanted to make a pasta dish. I am so glad this recipe was here. The sauce was great! I wanted a thicker sauce, so I added a little flour. This is a keeper. Thank you to twroush02!

—Corrine

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Nutrition

Calories
1161 kcal
58%

Carbohydrates
22.5 g
7%

Cholesterol
304 mg
101%

Fat
105.4 g
162%

Fiber
2.1 g
8%

Protein
35.3 g
71%

Sodium
949 mg
38%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Salmon and Asparagus with Penne and Light Cream Sauce

Serving Size: 1/2 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 1161
Calories from Fat: 949

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 105.4g 162 %
Saturated Fat 48.4g 242 %
Cholesterol 304mg 101 %
Sodium 949mg 38 %
Potassium 687mg 19 %
Total Carbohydrates 22.5g 7 %
Dietary Fiber 2.1g 8 %
Protein 35.3g 71 %
** Sugars 1.5g
Vitamin A 61 %
Vitamin C 25 %
Calcium 37 %
Iron 24 %
** Thiamin 21 %
Niacin 113 %
Vitamin B6 41 %
Magnesium 23 %
** Folate 19 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.