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Pan-fried salmon with creamy sun dried tomato orzo and spinach. This 30 minute dinner is bursting with flavour and it’s all cooked in one pan!
Nicky’s Notes
Juicy seared salmon fillets with a beautiful seasoned blackened topping served nestled in a bed of perfect al dente creamy-tomato-parmesan orzo.
A top tier dinner in my opinion, and one that gets made on repeat in our house.
What makes it so good:
- It’s all cooked in one pan!
- Ready in 30 minutes (this includes the prep time if you do a bit of chopping while the salmon is frying).
- Any leftovers (I make extra so I have leftovers) can be scooped into a container, placed in the fridge, then microwaved the next day for THE BEST lunch (I throw it on top of salad leaves with some chopped cucumber and sliced red onion).
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients for the blackened salmon
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
📋 Ingredients for Tuscan-inspired Orzo
- Salmon – I’m using sockeye or red salmon in this recipe, as I love the colour and the slightly more robust flavour than regular salmon. However, regular salmon works just fine too.
- Stock – water plus stock cubes works just fine in this recipe as the cream, tomato and parmesan are the stars of the show for flavouring the orzo
- Wine – any white wine will be fine, don’t waste the expensive stuff!
Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Season the salmon and fry skin-side up in a little oil and butter for a few minutes, then transfer to a plate. Soften onion in pan, add garlic, seasonings, bell pepper, tomatoes and tomato puree and stir. Add orzo and wine, stir for a min, then stir in stock and nestle in salmon. Simmer (with a lid) until orzo is al dente (stir a couple of times), then stir in cream, parmesan and spinach.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to stir the orzo a couple of times so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. You can move the salmon over to stir the orzo that’s underneath it.
- Taste the orzo to ensure it’s cooked to your liking. If it needs a few minutes longer, that’s fine – the salmon won’t dry out. If the orzo is a little dry, add a splash more stock.
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Pin It🍽️ What to serve it with
- I love a crunchy salad with this, topped with a some marinated red onions.
- Garlic bread or flatbreads make a great addition for scooping!
Leftovers Guide
- Quickly cool leftover and place in an airtight container in the refrigerator (for up to 2 days).
- Reheat in the microwave in one-minute bursts, until piping hot throughout. You can add a splash of hot water or stock to loosen up the orzo.
Tuscan Salmon with Orzo Recipe
Ingredients
Salmon and spice rub:
- 4 salmon fillets
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp dried oregano
Orzo:
- 1 tsp oil (I use spray oil – about 5ml/1tsp)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper deseeded and sliced into strips
- 100 g (2/3 cup) sun-dried tomatoes roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato puree (paste in USA)
- 230 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) dried orzo
- 90 ml (1/3 cup) white wine
- 480 ml (2 cups) hot chicken stock
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) double (heavy) cream
- 50 g (1/2 cup) grated parmesan
- 60 g (2 packed cups) fresh baby spinach
To Serve:
- small bunch fresh parsley finely chopped
- black pepper
Instructions
- Place the salmon fillets on a plate.4 salmon fillets
- Mix together the salt, garlic salt, pepper, paprika, and dried oregano. Sprinkle onto the top of the salmon and pat it down, so it sticks.1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp paprika, ½ tsp dried oregano
- Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan (skillet), over a medium-high heat.1 tsp oil, 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- Add the salmon fillets, skin-side-up (so the part coated with the spice mix is in the oil).
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the salmon is golden brown, then remove the salmon from the pan and place on a plate, skin-side-down (we'll continue cooking it shortly).
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens (you may need to add a couple of sprays of oil if the pan is starting to look dry.1 medium onion
- Add the garlic, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, so the garlic doesn’t burn. Then add the red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes and tomato puree to the pan. Stir and cook for one minute.2 cloves garlic, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 100 g (2/3 cup) sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato puree (paste in USA)
- Add the dried orzo to the pan, stir, then add the white wine. Stir again for a minute, so the orzo absorbs most of the white wine.230 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) dried orzo, 90 ml (1/3 cup) white wine
- Stir in the chicken stock then nestle the salmon fillets into the orzo, skin-side down.480 ml (2 cups) hot chicken stock
- Turn the heat back up to medium-high and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to low, place a lid on (or some foil) and simmer for 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente (cooked, but with a little bite). You'll need to move the salmon with a set of tongs to stir the orzo underneath, so it doesn't stick to the pan.
- Add the cream and parmesan to the orzo and stir together. Nestle in the spinach and place the lid back on for 1-2 minutes, until the spinach wilts.60 ml (1/4 cup) double (heavy) cream, 50 g (1/2 cup) grated parmesan, 60 g (2 packed cups) fresh baby spinach
- Turn off the heat, ruffle up the orzo with the spinach and sprinkle on the chopped parsley and a little black pepper, then serve.small bunch fresh parsley, black pepper
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
🍲 More salmon recipes
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