Family-Favorite Salmon Pasta with Peas
Flaky salmon paired with a creamy lemon sauce, sweet peas, and your favorite pasta. An easy 15-minute dinner, my entire family loves!
Sometimes you just need a few meals in your back pocket — the kind that are quick to get on the table, check all the nutrition boxes, and actually please the whole family.
This is one of my favorite back-pocket recipes.
I first made it years ago after getting home late from the park with my two toddlers. My momma gut knew I had exactly 15 minutes before my sweet children turned into full-blown HANGRY gremlins. With zero plan and the clock ticking, I grabbed some leftover salmon, a bag of pasta, the last handful from a frozen bag of peas, a tub of ricotta, and half a lemon — and got to work.
The result? A light, creamy sauce with just the right zip from the lemon, flaky salmon paired with sweet peas, and a fun-shaped pasta tying it all together. Plates were licked clean, seconds were requested (and happily granted), and we all left the table with full, happy bellies.
Over the years, I’ve played around with this recipe. Broccoli works beautifully in place of the peas. Canned salmon or even rotisserie chicken are great swaps. I’ve also tried crème fraîche instead of ricotta… and for me, it’s just not worth it. But mostly, I come back to this original recipe.
#mymomhack: Got a picky eater? Try serving this pasta deconstructed style. Set aside a small portion of the pasta, salmon, and peas before mixing everything together, then serve each item separately with a small bowl of the sauce for dipping.
It’s Dinner Time, Let’s Get Cooking
How to Serve this Salmon Pasta to Kids
Baby: for baby-led weaning, offer large pieces of tubular pasta for babies 6-9 months; if using large, tubular pasta you can cut them in half, and use macaroni, or chopped noodles for babies 9-12 months. The sauce in this dish will help the small pieces of salmon stick to the pasta easily. Babies 9-12 months old will be refining their pincer grasp and be able to pick up small peas with ease!
Toddler: offer a pre-loaded fork with pasta or salmon pieces on it or feel free to continue to let your toddler finger feed by scooping up chopped pasta and salmon with their hands.
Kid: serve older kids this salmon pasta with peas as is, or let them play “chef” and add or swap a veggie of their choice.
Picky Eater: mixed dishes like pasta can sometimes be challenging for picky eaters to handle – but don’t let that stop you from continuing to expose them to new dishes! Try serving a very small portion (think 1 tablespoon) along with a couple of familiar sides to help them avoid feeling overwhelmed. Or try a “deconstructed” version of this salmon pasta with peas – set aside a small serving of the pasta, salmon, and peas when preparing and serve these items individually with a small bowl of the sauce for dipping.
Adults: feel free to add any extra veggies that you might be craving (or need to use up in your kitchen!) such as cherry tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, or an extra helping of garlic.
Get the recipe: Family-Favorite Salmon Pasta with Peas
Ingredients
- 8 oz bow-tie pasta, or other favorite shaped pasta
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup whole milk ricotta
- 3 tbsp parmesan, grated
- 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup cooked salmon pieces, freshly cooked or canned (drained)
- pinch chives (optional)
- pinch pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta, and cook according to the directions. When you have 2 minutes left in your cooking time, add the peas to the pasta water. IMPORTANT: reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta and the peas.
- Place the same large pot back on your stove. Over medium-low heat, add the butter or oil. Add the garlic and let cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the pasta and the peas to the pot. Turn the stove off.
- Add in the ricotta, parmesan, and lemon juice and gently stir until combined. Add in the reserved pasta water a little at a time, until you have a smooth consistency (I added in 1/3 cup of pasta water).
- Add in the salmon, and gently fold in.
- Sprinkle on chives and pepper (if using).
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
-
Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Place the salmon on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil and rub in any seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt and pepper (for over 1 year), etc.
- Place the baking sheet into the oven, and cook for 8 minutes or until it is opaque, easily flakes off with a fork, and reaches an internal temperature of 125-130° F. Let cool slightly.
- With a fork, gently flake off the salmon from the skin and add to pasta.
- If you are using canned salmon, make sure to drain the excess liquid before using
- Be gentle when you go to toss your salmon with your pasta, so that you don’t end up with shredded salmon pieces
- Reheat slowly and on low heat, as the salmon can dry out a little the second time around. You can also add an extra bit of olive oil or a spoonful of ricotta and stir to help with this.
- This delicious pasta also pairs well with a side of garlic bread.
Did you make this recipe?
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Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
4 Comments on “Family-Favorite Salmon Pasta with Peas”
Our grocery didn’t have canned salmon so I made this with cannellini beans and it was really delicious as a vegetarian pasta! Will try the salmon when I have a bit more time to prep it.
Hi Caryn! The beans are a great idea! I may have to try that myself. 😊 xo, Michele
Easy to make. We shared this meal with our 9 month old and everyone had full bellies afterward!! So good. I did Airfry our salmon and then add it to the pasta as opposed to baking the salmon.
I love that you air-fried the salmon – that sounds easy and delicious. So happy to hear the entire family loved this pasta! It’s one of my family’s faves.