This Easy Smoked Salmon Pasta with Creamy Lemon Sauce and Peas is a bright, fresh seafood pasta that comes together in just 20 minutes. Bow tie pasta is tossed in a silky lemon cream sauce, folded with smoky salmon and sweet peas for an elegant dinner that’s effortless enough for a weeknight.
More information about this recipe is below the recipe card
Easy Smoked Salmon Pasta with Creamy Lemon Sauce and Peas (20 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta bow-tie, penne, or fettuccine cooked 1 minute less than package directions, drained, ½ cup pasta water reserved
- 6 ounces hot smoked salmon flaked
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas if fresh, blanch in boiling water for 2 - 3 minutes until crisp-tender, run cold water over to stop the cooking, if frozen, no need to thaw
- Zest and juice of 1 large lemon zest the lemon into the half and half or cream and allow to sit while you prepare the salmon and the pasta cooks. Do NOT add the lemon juice to the half and half or you will have curdled milk...YUCK
- 1 ½ cups half and half or cream (I have made it with both, whatever you have in the fridge)
- ½ teaspoon fresh or dried dill or to taste
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pour and heat the half and half or cream in a large skillet over medium heat; add the pasta and peas, simmer for about 2 - 3 minutes, or until the pasta is well coated, then gently stir in the flaked salmon. Add the lemon juice and cook until all is hot. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the dill, stir gently. Add some of the pasta water if it seems to dry. Serve in heated bowls.
Notes
🍋 Recipe Notes
Use hot smoked salmon (flaky, firm pieces)Hot smoked gives more texture and heartiness. Cold smoked melts more into the sauce for a softer finish. Stir the lemon zest into the cream while it warms.
Add the lemon juice at the very end, off or on very low heat. High heat + acid = broken sauce. If the sauce feels tight, add a tablespoon or two of reserved pasta water. The starch helps emulsify the creamy lemon sauce and keeps it silky, not heavy. Smoked salmon brings salt. Taste before adding additional salt at the end. Frozen peas work beautifully and don’t need thawing.
If using fresh peas, blanch just until crisp-tender so they stay bright and sweet. You can use half and half, cream, or even whole milk.
If using milk, add 1 teaspoon cornstarch to waters for proper thickening. Bow tie pasta holds the sauce nicely, but penne or fettuccine work well too. Avoid very small pasta shapes, they disappear into the sauce. Best eaten fresh, but leftovers keep 1–2 days refrigerated. Reheat gently with a splash of milk or water to loosen the sauce.
Nutrition
Jump to:
I’ve been making this Easy Smoked Salmon Pasta with Creamy Lemon Sauce and Peas for years and only realized recently that I never actually wrote the recipe down. Time to fix that. It’s the kind of quick pasta dinner that feels a little elegant but comes together with very little effort.
For this dish, use smoked salmon, not a cured salmon such as lox. Smoked salmon flakes nicely into the warm pasta and lemon cream sauce, while lox is saltier and better suited for bagels than for cooking.
Wild-Caught Alderwood Smoked Salmon
The rich, smoky salmon pairs perfectly with a light lemon cream sauce, sweet peas, and tender pasta. Whether you use cream, half-and-half, or even low-fat milk (just increase the cornstarch slightly), the result is an easy smoked salmon pasta that’s bright, balanced, and ready in about 20 minutes.
For this dish, use smoked salmon, not cured salmon such as lox. Lox is silky and salty and best left for bagels, while smoked salmon flakes beautifully into the pasta and sauce.
Pasta Choice
Cook the pasta 1–2 minutes less than the package directions, as it will finish cooking when tossed with the sauce.
I like to use bow-tie pasta for this dish, but almost any pasta shape will work.
Choose either a sturdy long pasta, such as fettuccine, or a shaped pasta like shells, penne, or bow ties. These shapes hold the lemon cream sauce well and catch the flakes of smoked salmon, so you get a bit of everything in each bite.
Peas - Fresh or Frozen?
I was lucky enough to be able to harvest peas fresh from my garden. If you can find fresh peas, use them. If you can't frozen peas will work just fine. No need to defrost.
FAQ
For this recipe, hot-smoked salmon works best. Hot smoked salmon is fully cooked and firm enough to flake into the pasta and lemon cream sauce, giving the dish a nice texture and smoky flavor.
Cold smoked salmon (often sold in thin slices similar to lox) is cured and much more delicate. When heated, it tends to become overly soft and can make the sauce taste saltier than intended. For the best balance of flavor and texture in this smoked salmon pasta, stick with hot smoked salmon.
Pasta shapes that hold sauce work best. Bow ties, penne, shells, or fettuccine are all good choices because they catch the flakes of salmon and the lemon cream sauce, giving you balanced flavor in every bite.
Yes. You can use half-and-half or whole milk instead of cream. If using milk, add about 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with a bit of water to the sauce so itnthickens properly. The result will be a lighter creamy lemon sauce that still coats the pasta nicely.
A simple salad rounds out this meal.
Wine Pairing
We enjoyed this smoked salmon pasta with creamy lemon sauce and peas with an Oregon Pinot Noir, and it worked beautifully.
Pinot Noir from Oregon tends to have bright acidity, soft tannins, and red fruit flavors, which balance the richness of the cream while complementing the smoky salmon. The wine’s light body keeps it from overwhelming the delicate flavors of the lemon and peas, making it an excellent red option for this pasta.
If you prefer white wine, a Sauvignon Blanc with good acidity and citrus notes is another great match for the lemon cream sauce.
LindySez:
This dish is incredibly easy to make and comes together in about 20 minutes. It’s a great way to incorporate more heart-healthy fish into your meals without much effort. The recipe also scales easily, making it perfect whether you’re cooking for four, two, or even just yourself.
Michael C. says
Wonderful recipe! Please, don't make the same mistake I did and buy a good quality smoked salmon. I bought what was on sale and ended up regretting it. It had little to no smoked flavor. I managed to remedy this with some alderwood smoked sea salt. And rushing it to get it on the table, I forgot the sweet peas! Even so, everyone LOVED it!
LindySez says
Hi Michael...YOU ARE SO RIGHT...this being such a simple dish, the salmon is so important. Great save with the smoked sea salt! We have a local seafood market that makes the BEST smoked salmon, that I'm so spoiled with it now I can hardly use anything else, but any good quality smoked salmon will work. Hope you and your family enjoy it again soon. Cheers ~ Lindy
Linda @ Food Huntress says
This looks scrumptious!!! I had to yum and pin it.
LindySez says
Thanks Linda, I do appreciate the share. I hope you try this, it's so good, and so easy to make. A win-win in my book! Cheers ~ Lindy