Creamy Garlic Butter Salmon Fettuccine
A decadent weeknight winner featuring silky fettuccine in a rich garlic-parmesan cream sauce, topped with seared salmon fillets.
Ingredients
For the Base
- 12 oz fettuccine pasta
- Salt to taste Salt (for boiling water)
- 1 tbsp olive oil to toss pasta after draining
For the Salmon
- 4 fillets salmon fillets (about 6 oz each, skinless)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
For the Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter for the sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced for the sauce
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
For Serving / Garnish
- Fresh thyme sprigs or parsley to taste Fresh thyme sprigs or parsley (optional garnish)
- Extra Parmesan cheese to taste Extra Parmesan cheese (optional garnish)
- Crumbled bacon bits to taste Crumbled bacon bits (optional, for a smoky twist)
Instructions
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook fettuccine according to package instructions until al dente.
- Drain, toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, and set aside.
Season and prepare the salmon
- Pat salmon fillets dry. Season both sides with paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Sear the salmon
- Add salmon to the hot skillet and sear for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden and just cooked through.
- Squeeze juice of ½ lemon over the fillets, remove them from the skillet, and keep warm.
Make the sauce
- In the same skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat and sauté 4 cloves minced garlic for about 1 minute.
- Pour in 1½ cups heavy cream and ½ cup broth. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add ¾ cup grated Parmesan, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional), salt, and pepper. Simmer 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Stir in 1 tbsp chopped parsley.
Combine and serve
- Add the cooked fettuccine into the sauce and toss until fully coated.
- Plate the fettuccine and top each portion with a seared salmon fillet. Spoon extra sauce over the salmon and garnish with parsley, thyme sprigs, extra Parmesan, or crumbled bacon bits if using.
Notes
Use room-temperature salmon for even cooking; keep garlic on medium heat to avoid burning. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining to help emulsify the sauce.