Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Pasta

Looking for a recipe with salmon and asparagus? That's a delicious combination that works beautifully in a pasta dish. And this one is so easy. Just sauté the asparagus lightly, while cooking a pot of pasta. Then build a sauce using just some cooking water, crème fraîche, and lemon juice. All that remains is tossing the pasta and asparagus together, along with some chopped smoked salmon. So good!

Why Make This Recipe

• Fresh, bright, and creamy!
• A delicious way to feature spring asparagus
• Perfect for a special occasion dinner, but easy enough for an everyday meal.

🥗 Ingredients

• Asparagus: Choose asparagus with firm stalks whose tips don't look soft or blemished.
• Smoked salmon: This recipe uses cold smoked salmon, though you could also try this salmon pasta recipe with hot smoked salmon. Or even add some chopped up leftover cooked salmon.
• Crème fraîche: This is a thick cream that makes a lovely pasta sauce. You could replace it with heavy cream, though you will need to cook the cream down until it thickens. And maybe add a little grated parmesan cheese too.
• Chives: Garnish with some chopped green onions if you don't have chives. Or stir chopped shallots into the creamy sauce.

🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions for Smoked Salmon Asparagus Pasta

Rinse 1 pound of asparagus spears and pat dry. Snap off or cut off the bottom inch or so of the stems. If you are working with thick asparagus stalks, peel the outside layer of skin with a vegetable peeler.

Then slice stalks into 2-inch chunks—cut in half horizontally any stalk pieces that are more than a finger-width in thickness.

Mince 1 garlic clove. Chop 4 ¼ ounces of smoked salmon into bite-sized pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add asparagus and cook for 5-15 minutes, stirring frequently. When done, asparagus will be crisp-tender and starting to brown.

Cook time will vary quite a bit based on the thickness of the asparagus stalks. If you are using asparagus with very thick stalks, you can cover the skillet to shorten cook time, but continue to lift every minute or two to stir.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add enough dried pasta for 4 people and cook until al dente, following instructions on pasta package. Before draining, reserve ½ cup of cooking water. Drain cooked pasta and return to pan.

Stir in 2 ½ ounces of crème fraîche, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. Gradually add a couple of tablespoons of cooking water, stirring gently over medium heat. If pasta is not saucy enough, add more cooking water.

Stir in asparagus, then gently stir in smoked salmon. If your pasta (or pan) is still quite hot, you may want to serve the pasta with just the asparagus stirred in.

Then add the smoked salmon on top, so that the texture of the salmon isn’t altered by stirring it into the hot pasta.

Garnish your salmon and asparagus pasta with chives, and serve with lemon wedges. If you wanted to dollop a little more crème fraîche on top, I wouldn't stop you.

For extra FAQs and Expert Tips, check out my full Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Pasta recipe.