Salmon With Garlic Butter and Tomato Pasta

By Ali Slagle

Published March 20, 2023

Salmon With Garlic Butter and Tomato Pasta
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(2,463)
Comments
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In less than half an hour of swift multitasking, you’ll be feasting on crisp-skinned salmon and delicate noodles dotted with caramelized tomatoes and fresh basil. Start by broiling salmon, skin side up, alongside little tomatoes. Without flipping or stinking up the house, the salmon skin sears and protects the tender flesh from overcooking while the tomatoes grow heavy with juices and char in spots. Meanwhile, cook angel hair pasta on the stovetop with garlic and butter. When both elements are done, stir the tomatoes into the pasta: They’re like water balloons of sweetness and tang among the glossy, unapologetically garlicky noodles.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4(4- to 6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, patted dry
  • 1pint cherry or other small tomatoes
  • 1½tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 5garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
  • 3basil sprigs, plus ½ cup torn leaves
  • 8ounces angel hair pasta
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

683 calories; 34 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 691 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the broiler to high. On a foil-lined sheet pan, coat the salmon and tomatoes with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the salmon skin side up. Broil until the tomatoes are blistered and the salmon’s skin is crisp and flesh flakes easily with a fork, 6 to 10 minutes. Halfway through broiling, check on the sheet pan: If the tomatoes are burning, give them a stir. If the salmon skin is burning — congrats, you have a powerful broiler! — move the rack to the center of the oven and keep cooking.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 3 cups water, 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal salt, the basil sprigs and a generous sprinkling of black pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta, breaking the noodles in half if they don’t fit in the skillet. Cook over medium-high, tossing often with tongs or a fork, until the pasta is al dente, 5 to 8 minutes. It’s OK if the water isn’t completely absorbed, but if the skillet looks dry, without any liquid on the bottom of the skillet, add a few tablespoons of water. If the pasta is done before the salmon, remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

  3. Step 3

    When the salmon and tomatoes are out of the oven, transfer the salmon to plates, skin side up, to rest. Remove the basil sprigs from the pasta, then add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pasta and toss until melted and glossing the noodles. Add the tomatoes, any juices from the sheet pan and the basil leaves to the pasta and stir just once to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the salmon alongside the noodles.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,463 user ratings
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Comments

CSBeard62

I made this last night with a few modifications to the pasta. I used 3 cups of homemade chicken broth instead of water and added chopped Kalmata olives and capers to the pasta while cooking. Overall a good dish but needs a boost.

Aprila

This has to be the most delicious pasta dish I’ve ever had, let alone cooked. The flavors are bright and complex. At the end I stirred in dinosaur kale, sliced crosswise (after removing the spines) into thin ribbons and lightly steamed, which added more color and all those nutrients.

suzy

I like this. Especially doing the pasta in a sauté pan-a bit of a revelation. The salmon turned out very tender and my broiler did a great job on the skin as well as the tomatoes. I did have to move it to the middle rack after about 6 minutes. I doubled the receipt because I used a pound of spaghetti (always use the whole package) and my SO loves pasta and can eat a whole pound on his own. Next time I’ll use more garlic and maybe another 1/2 pint of tomatoes. It’s in the rotation.

Anne R.

Made close to half a recipe but used a whole clamshell of mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes on the vine, 3 large cloves of garlic, 1-1/2 c. chicken broth & white wine instead of water(needed extra broth), removed the skins from the tomatoes after broiling, broke up the tomatoes when mixing with the cooked pasta & did a chiffonade of the basil leaves as they were large. (Used the stems left after removing the basil leaves in the pasta water.) Fresh Pacific wild salmon done at 8 minutes.

Sharon

Excellent recipe. I made half a recipe because I am cooking for one and it worked well but did need to add extra water to the pasta. I increased the tomatoes and will have great leftovers tomorrow night.

Hope

Added a spoon of "Italian Herb Better than Bouillon" to the water with sliced kale and subbed spaghetti for angel hair as it's what I had on hand. Really good with these modifications! I think it would be lacking in flavor without the extra seasoning though.

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