Tender pan-fried salmon with spaghetti and a little courgetti (spiralized courgette/zucchini) in a creamy tomato sauce. An easy weeknight dinner!
This is my way of making 3 salmon fillets stretch to feed four people, and also getting a little extra veg in there by mixing the courgetti with the spaghetti instead of replacing it entirely.

Close up of pieces of seasoned salmon in spaghetti in a creamy tomato sauce.
Want to save this recipe to your email?
Just enter your email and get it sent straight to your inbox!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Now, I love spaghetti and I don’t think any vegetable is going to replace the satisfaction I get from a bowl of steaming hot pasta. So I’m not one of those people who will happily eat a bowl of vegetable-based spaghetti instead of the proper stuff.

Life’s too short to be making those soul-destroying swaps.

However, I don’t mind reducing the amount of pasta by a little (i.e not using a FULL PACK for our family of four) and adding in a little courgetti to bulk it out. That I can manage, and actually rather enjoy!

All mixed together with chunks of pan-fried salmon and a thick tomato-cream sauce, it makes a great weeknight dinner.

📋 What do we need?

Ingredients for creamy tomato salmon and pasta on a wooden table
  • Courgetti (zoodles) – you can buy them ready spiralized, or spiralize your own with this little gadget (<–affiliate link).
  • Salmon – use skin-on or skinless salmon (it’s easy to remove the skin during cooking).

🔪 How to make this Salmon Pasta Recipe

Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

  • Season the salmon and fry (flesh-side down), then turn the salmon over and move it to the side of the pan. Add onions and garlic and fry, then add in passata, tomato puree, thyme and sugar.
  • Simmer for a few minutes, then remove the skin from the salmon and break up the salmon with a fork.
  • Pour in some cream and stir together, then add cooked spaghetti and courgetti along with a good splash of the pasta cooking water, and toss it all together.
8 image collage showing how to make creamy tomato salmon and pasta.

👩‍🍳PRO TIP 1 Add the courgetti (courgetti noodles) into the pan you boil the spaghetti in for just the last 30 seconds of cooking so the courgetti retains a bit of bite.

👩‍🍳PRO TIP 2 Look out for ready-spiralized courgetti in the supermarket. If you can’t find it or don’t own a spiralizer, then just cut the courgette into thin strips.

Serve with a sprinkling of black pepper, parmesan and basil leaves.

Creamy tomato spaghetti and salmon in a dark pan.

If you want to loosen up the sauce further, simply add in another big splash of the pasta cooking water – that starchy water will help the sauce cling to the pasta.

Forkful of spaghetti being taken from a bowl of salmon and spaghetti.

📺 Watch how to make it

YouTube video

🍲 More fantastic Fish recipes

Stay updated with new recipes!
Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).

4.86 from 7 votes

Creamy Tomato Salmon Pasta

Tender pan-fried salmon with spaghetti and a little courgetti in a creamy tomato sauce. An easy weeknight dinner!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: British

Ingredients

Salmon and Sauce:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 pieces boneless salmon (approx 400g/14oz) doesn’t matter if the skin is on, as it can easily be removed during cooking
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 medium onion (or 2 small onions) peeled and finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
  • 500 g (17.5 oz) passata
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree paste for US
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp double (heavy) cream

Spaghetti:

  • 300 g (10.5 oz) dried spaghetti
  • 1 large courgette (zucchini) spiralized, or sliced into long thin strips (matchstick width)

To serve:

  • grated parmesan cheese
  • fresh basil
  • black pepper
Save This Recipe!
Just enter your email and get it sent straight to your inbox!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Instructions 

  • Put the pasta on first – place a large pan of water on to boil.
  • When the water comes to the boil, add the pasta and simmer for 12-13 minutes, until cooked.
    300 g (10.5 oz) dried spaghetti
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.
    2 tbsp olive oil
  • Season the salmon fillets with the salt and pepper. Place in the pan skin-side-up.
    3 pieces boneless salmon (approx 400g/14oz), 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • Fry the salmon for 3 minutes, until golden, then turn the salmon over and move it to one side of the pan.
  • Add the onions to the space left in the pan. Cook on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
    1 medium onion (or 2 small onions)
  • Stir in the minced garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds.
    2 garlic cloves
  • Add in the passata, tomato puree, dried thyme, and sugar. Stir together and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
    500 g (17.5 oz) passata, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp sugar
  • By now the pasta should be nearly ready. Add the spiralized courgette (zucchini) to the pan with the pasta for the last 30 seconds of cooking. Then drain the pasta in a colander, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
    1 large courgette (zucchini)
  • Turn the salmon over in the frying pan. Remove the skin using a set of tongs and discard.
  • Break up the salmon using the back of a fork into chunky pieces. Stir the cream into the sauce.
    3 tbsp double (heavy) cream
  • Add the cooked spaghetti and spiralized courgette to the pan along with a good splash (about 1/4 cup) of the pasta cooking water.
  • Use a set of tongs to toss the spaghetti in the sauce, distributing the pieces of salmon amongst the pasta.
  • Add more of the pasta cooking water if you want to loosen up the sauce further (optional).
  • Divide the pasta between bowls and top with a little grated parmesan, black pepper, and a sprinkling of fresh basil leaves.
    grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil, black pepper

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Can I make it ahead?
This dish tastes best when cooked and eaten right away, but if you did want to make it ahead, then cook the dish, quickly cool, cover and refrigerate.
Reheat in a pan over a medium heat with a lid or foil on for about 10 minutes or so. You’ll need to move it around the pan a couple of times with a set of tongs and you may need to add a splash of water to loosen up the sauce – cook until piping hot throughout.
Ingredient swaps
  • Swap the spaghetti for linguine, fettuccine or your favourite pasta shapes.
  • Stir in a handful of grated parmesan or cheddar when you add in the pasta.
  • Add a pinch of chilli flakes for a bit of heat.
Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (this recipe serves 4) NOT including the serving suggestions of parmesan, pepper and basil.

Nutrition

Calories: 596kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 1409mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 967IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

This post was first published in January 2015. Updated in April 2021 with new photos, video and a few recipe tweaks.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

Welcome to Kitchen Sanctuary

Hi, I'm Nicky and I love to cook! I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate the recipe




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Adrianna says:

    5 stars
    Love this recipe, quick and easy, and very tasty. My husband loved it particularly the creamy pasata. I’ll be trying more of your delicious recipes.🙂