It's Pasta Time: Tagliatelle with creamy spinach and pan-fried salmon

One of my favourite pasta dishes recently is this clean-looking pasta (usually tagliatelle, but I've also used linguine) with seared salmon, fresh spinach and cream, with a light lemon kick. For an extra quick version I've used smoked salmon, but using fresh salmon is much wallet-friendlier and has more kid-appeal as well. Also, it's a great way to use that thinner tail-end of the fish that I usually put aside when baking salmon in the oven.

Note that there's no Parmesan cheese in the dish!!!

Tagliatelle with creamy spinach and pan-fried salmon
(Makaronid praetud lõhe ja spinatiga)
Serves 4

 400 g tagliatelle pasta (linguine or spaghetti would work as well)
water and salt, for cooking pasta

400 g salmon or trout fillet
butter, for frying
100 g fresh baby spinach leaves, rinsed
about a cup of double cream
a handful of fresh parsley
1 lemon, zested
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water into a rolling boil, season with salt and cook the pasta al dente according to the packet instructions.

Meanwhile heat the butter on a large frying pan over moderate heat. Place the fish onto the pan, skin-side up, and fry for 3-4 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 2-3 minutes. (The fish will be still undercooked, but you'll cook it further in a minute).

Remove the fish fillet from the frying pan: 

Using two forks, break the fish into bite-size chunks: 

Heat some more butter on the frying pan, add the rinsed spinach leaves and cook till wilted.

Add the cream, season with black pepper, parsley and lemon zest. Return the fish to the pan and simmer for a minute or two.

Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce and serve immediately. 

Similar recipes:

Pan-seared salmon with pasta and spinach cream sauce @ The Paupered Chef

Creamy spinach and salmon sauce @ Know Thy Food