This Creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta is an easy 20-minute dinner perfect for both weeknights and special occasions! It's extra creamy with soft goat cheese, comforting, filling, and a little spicy. It comes together really quickly and it's a hit at any family dinner!
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Why You'll Love This Cajun Salmon Pasta
Perfect for any occasion - Whether you're making a weeknight dinner for yourself or your family or you have guests over and want to impress, this pasta is great for any occasion! It's quick, easy, and always a hit!
Extra creamy and packed with flavor - This is truly one of my all-time favorite dinners! You'll love the creamy cajun sauce! It's made with soft goat cheese which makes it extra creamy and decadent. Cajun spice packs a lot of flavor and it's added to both the sauce and the salmon. I roast the salmon separately in the oven while I make the sauce and then flake it into the finished pasta. This saves time and cooks the salmon perfectly!
Simple and easy - This pasta comes together in just 20 minutes and it's really simple. You can cook your pasta, the sauce, and the salmon all at the same time so it comes together really quickly!
Ingredients
- Spaghetti - You can use any pasta shape for this dish but I highly recommend spaghetti! Use gluten-free pasta if desired.
- Salmon - I like using either pink Atlantic salmon or wild Sockey salmon. I recommend buying your salmon frozen. It gets to most grocery stores frozen anyway and then they defrost it to sell it in the refrigerated section so I prefer to buy it frozen and then defrost it as needed.
- Avocado oil - You can use any cooking oil you prefer. I always use 100% pure avocado oil because it has a high-smoke point and a neutral flavor.
- Cajun seasoning - You can use either store-bought or homemade cajun seasoning. It has cayenne pepper so based on the brand you use, it may be mild or spicy. I don't add any extra salt because mine had salt but if yours is unsalted, add sea salt.
- Onion - I'm using red onion because that's what I most often have on hand but yellow onion is also really good here.
- Soft goat cheese - I like using soft goat cheese (the one that comes in small logs) in my pasta sauces instead of regular heavy cream but you can use either. Soft goat cheese makes the pasta sauce extra creamy and smooth.
- Parmesan cheese - I add parmesan to the sauce and sprinkle it on top for extra flavor and cheesiness. You can also use pecorino if you prefer.
- Tomato paste - Any 100% tomato paste works great! I like freezing tomato paste to always have it on hand because I never tend to use up all of it in time.
Variations and Substitutions
No salmon - If you want to change things up, you can make this pasta with shrimp or chicken instead of salmon! The cooking time will vary based on what protein you're using but it will be delicious with all three!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash and dry your salmon and put it on the prepared baking sheet skin down.
- Drizzle the salmon with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil coating it on both sides.
- Season with 1 tablespoon of the cajun seasoning. If your salmon has skin on it and you won’t eat it, you don’t have to season it on the bottom.
- Set aside for a few minutes while you get your spaghetti to start cooking.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions (usually 11-13 minutes).
- While the spaghetti is cooking, transfer the prepared salmon to the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of avocado oil to a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Add finely chopped yellow onion and 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Add more oil if needed.
- Add the tomato paste, soft goat cheese, and the rest of the cajun seasoning. Add a good splash of the cooking pasta water so the goat cheese doesn’t burn. Lower the heat if needed.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly until the cheese melts and creates creamy sauce.
- Add ½ cup of the boiling pasta water to the sauce, parmesan cheese, and fresh chives. Stir until it’s all well mixed.
- Reserve 1 cup of cooking water in case it’s needed and drain the pasta.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and toss gently to coat. Add more pasta water if needed. Turn off the heat.
- Take the roasted salmon out of the oven and break it into small chunks using two forks or a knife.
- Add the salmon to the pasta and toss again.
- Serve with lemon wedges, more parmesan, and fresh herbs if desired. Enjoy!
Storing and Reheating
This pasta is best served right away. Just like with any pasta, it can be reheated but the pasta gets softer when you reheat it the second time and it may lose shape.
Storing - Store any leftover pasta and salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. I don't recommend freezing it.
Reheating - Reheat the pasta in a small saucepan over medium heat with a good splash of water to prevent it from sticking. Gently simmer the pasta and stir it often until warmed through. Depending on what pasta you use, it may fall apart when you reheat it, especially gluten-free pasta.
FAQs
Cajun spice is made with paprika, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and often sea salt. You can make your own or use store-bought.
Yes, totally! I use soft goat cheese in pasta sauces and dips a lot because I like the flavor of goat milk cheese and it makes everything extra creamy. You can use regular heavy cream if you prefer.
Similar Recipes
If you love this pasta and want to try other salmon, seafood, or pasta dishes similar to it, check out the four recipes linked below! They're all just as easy to make as this one and so delicious! To see other pasta dishes, head over to Pasta Recipes.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Oven and Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta is an easy 20-minute dinner perfect for both weeknights and special occasions!
Ingredients
- ½ lb raw salmon
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, divided
- 2 tbsp cajun seasoning, divided
- 4 oz dry spaghetti
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 ½ oz soft goat cheese (½ cup?)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (plus more for serving)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives or parsley
- ½ lemon cut into 2 wedges
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash and dry your salmon and put it on the prepared baking sheet skin down.
- Drizzle the salmon with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil coating it on both sides.
- Season with 1 tablespoon of the cajun seasoning. If your salmon has skin on and you won’t eat it, you don’t have to season it on the bottom. Set aside for a few minutes while you get your spaghetti to start cooking.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions (usually 11-13 minutes).
- While the spaghetti is cooking, transfer the prepared salmon to the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of avocado oil to a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Add finely chopped yellow onion and 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Add more oil if needed.
- Add the tomato paste, soft goat cheese, and the rest of the cajun seasoning. Add a good splash of the cooking pasta water so the goat cheese doesn’t burn. Lower the heat if needed.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly until the cheese melts and creates creamy sauce.
- Add ½ cup of the boiling pasta water to the sauce, parmesan cheese, and fresh chives. Stir until it’s all well mixed.
- Reserve 1 cup of cooking water in case it’s needed and drain the pasta.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and toss gently to coat. Add more pasta water if needed. Turn off the heat.
- Take the roasted salmon out of the oven and break it into small chunks using two forks or a knife.
- Add the salmon to the pasta and toss again.
- Serve with lemon wedges, more parmesan, and fresh herbs if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Prep: This dish comes together very quickly so I recommend having everything prepped and measured before you start. I start by bringing the pasta water to boil, adding pasta, then putting the salmon into the oven, and making the sauce while the pasta and salmon cook.
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Do not freeze.
Reheating: Reheat the pasta in a small pot on the stove over medium heat with a good splash of water to prevent it from burning.
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