Name: Oven-Baked Salmon Pasta Without Cream
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 4 salmon fillets (about 1 lb/ 450 g); fine sea salt and ground black pepper; 20 small tomatoes (halved, Note 2 ); 3 large garlic cloves (thinly sliced); 1 long red chili (mild or medium hot, very finely chopped); 2 unwaxed lemons; ⅓ cup olive oil; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon oregano; 1 lb pasta (Note 3)

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Salmon pasta without cream - salmon, tomatoes, garlic, and lemon bake together in the oven and are then flaked and mixed with cooked pasta for a simple dinner.

a bowl full of no cream pasta with salmon, tomatoes, and lemon slices; more lemon slices in the back.

This salmon pasta takes about 30-35 minutes from start to finish. I love making it on weeknights when I want something quick but still a bit special - the fillets bake in the oven with tomatoes, garlic, chili, and lemon, then get flaked and mixed with pasta. It's a simple meal that works every time.

If you like this salmon pasta without cream, you might also enjoy my Salmon with Crème Fraîche Pasta, Easy Penne Caprese, and other quick Pasta Recipes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Ingredients: 8 + salt & pepper | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy

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Why does this work without cream?
Recipe ingredients
How to make salmon pasta without cream?
Tips
Store and reheat
What to serve it with?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Why does this work without cream?

This pasta doesn't need cream because everything is mixed while still hot. The olive oil, tomato juices, lemon juice, and a bit of moisture from the pasta are enough to coat everything once the salmon is flaked and tossed together in the baking dish. It ends up moist without feeling heavy.

Recipe ingredients

labeled ingredients for making pasta with salmon, small tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, chili.

Salmon fillets: You will need one per serving, a total of about 1 lb (500 g); a bit more or less is ok. If you love salmon, try this delicious Quinoa Salmon Salad.

Tomatoes: I used small tomatoes, but they weren't cherry tomatoes, which are even smaller. If your tomatoes are small but not cherry tomatoes, halving them works best. If you use very small cherry tomatoes, you can leave them whole.

Lemon is used both for juicing into the olive oil mixture and for thin slices placed on the salmon.

Olive oil is used to coat the fish and mix with the lemon juice and seasonings.

Any short pasta - penne, fusilli, or rigatoni all work - and it's cooked while the salmon is in the oven, so the meal comes together quickly.

If you like pasta dishes that are mostly cooked in the oven, you might also like this Chorizo Pasta Bake.

See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make salmon pasta without cream?

four seasoned salmon fillets in a baking dish.

Step #1: Pat the salmon fillets dry, season them well, and place them in the lightly oiled baking dish.

halved small tomatoes, sliced garlic, finely chopped chili and lemon slices on a cutting board.

Step #2: Halve the tomatoes (if necessary), slice the garlic thinly, and chop the chili finely. Juice 1 lemon and slice the other.

olive oil mixed with salt, pepper and oregano in a small bowl.

Step #3: Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano in a small bowl.

four salmon fillets, halved small tomatoes and lemon slices in a baking dish before cooking.

Step #4: Arrange the tomatoes around the salmon and scatter the garlic and chili on top. Add the oil mixture to the dish and place 1-2 lemon slices on each fillet.

baked salmon with tomatoes, garlic and lemon slices in a baking dish.

Step #5: Bake for 20-25 minutes, and cook the pasta in the meantime.

mixing cooked fusili pasta with flaked salmon, halved tomatoes and olive oil in a baking dish.

Step #6: Flake the salmon using 2 forks. Add the drained pasta and toss well.

Tips

Use a baking dish that fits the salmon snugly; if it's too large, the oil and juices will spread too much, and the pasta will be drier later. However, a baking dish just slightly larger than mine will work, too.
Don't overbake the salmon. It should flake easily but still stay moist, as it will be mixed again with the hot pasta.
If the pasta seems dry after mixing, add a small splash of pasta cooking water to loosen everything.

Store and reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheat gently, either in a pan over low heat or in the microwave. Add a small splash of water or a little olive oil before reheating to keep the pasta from drying out. Stir once or twice while reheating and stop as soon as it's hot.

Make ahead: This salmon pasta without cream is best eaten immediately. That said, leftovers keep well and make an easy lunch the next day (even unreheated). If you're cooking ahead, slightly undercook the pasta so it doesn't soften too much when reheated.

If you often cook extra pasta on purpose, this Leftover Pasta Bake is another easy way to use it up the next day.

plate with no cream salmon pasta with tomatoes and lemon.

What to serve it with?

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