Pesto Salmon & Pasta

Pesto Salmon and Pasta—easy, flavorful, wholesome, and satisfying. Thick salmon fillets get topped with both pesto and a Parmesan-breadcrumb mixture. They’re then baked and broiled to create fillets with crispy tops and a juicy, flaky insides.

Served over a bed of pesto pasta, made with angel hair and zucchini noodles, you’ve got a full meal in under 45 minutes!

This pesto salmon recipe is: 

• Wholesome & light
• Heart-healthy (omega fatty acids!)
• Savory 
• Fresh 
• Satisfying 
• Gluten-free optional 

What you’ll need for this pesto salmon and pasta recipe: 

Thick skin-on salmon fillets — 1–1½ inch thick is ideal! 

Pesto — homemade or store-bought refrigerated pesto

Grated Parmesan  — it’s important to discern the difference between grated and shredded. Shredded means strands of cheese—imagine what cheese looks like when shredded on a large-hole grater. Grated means cheese that’s been grated over the tiny holes of a cheese grater into itty bitty pieces (almost powder). I recommend buying refrigerated grated Parmesan cheese instead of shelf-stable varieties.

Breadcrumbs — preferably whole-wheat, and preferably Panko

Angel hair pasta — whole-wheat if desired, gluten-free if needed. And remember, cooking pasta in salted water is essential!

Zucchini — for spiralizing and combining with the pasta! 

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WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING SALMON:

SIZE:

For this salmon pesto pasta recipe, look for thick salmon fillets—1 to 1½ inches thick is ideal. If the only fillets you can find are thinner, decrease the cook time by a few minutes. I would start checking them at about 6 minutes instead of 8–10 minutes. 

The reason I use thicker fillets for this recipe is two-fold; one, it allows me to get a nice crispy crust on the breadcrumbs without over-cooking the salmon. And two, the thickness combined with the weight (4-ounces) creates the ideal ratio of topping to fish. 

I also find that 4-ounce fillets are the ideal portion when served with the pesto pasta. If you prefer larger fillets go ahead and use 6-ounce fillets—if you go this route, plan on using more pesto and more breadcrumb topping. 

APPEARANCE: 

• Avoid salmon filets that have breaks or cracks in the muscle, both within the muscle itself and along the white collagen sheaths. This indicates mishandling and degradation.
• Avoid any packages that have pooling of water, another sure sign of degradation.
• Look for filets that are bright and saturated in color.
• Salmon filets should have a bright contrast between the muscle and the fat.

TEXTURE: 

• Choose filets that are glossy and firm to the touch.
• Avoid filets that are chalky, dry, sticky and soft to the touch.

SMELL: 

• Salmon filets should smell fresh and clean, and slightly briny or like the ocean. Fresh fish should never smell “fishy.”
• Check out more tips on buying salmon in my guide on buying salmon!

Want to learn more about buying fish sustainably? Check out one of my favorite resources—the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.

Let’s talk pesto

For this recipe you can use whatever pesto you prefer, whether that’s your favorite recipe or your favorite store-bought product. I always prefer homemade basil pesto, so I shared my go-to pesto in this recipe! But I’m also realistic that making your own pesto is just one more step to getting dinner on the table. 

When I make this recipe for dinner I’ll often grab some refrigerated pesto from our local high-end market and skip making my own. Refrigerated is the key word here. Refrigerated pesto from the store is much more flavorful than the jarred stuff that has sat on the shelf for a while.

Can you use jarred? Of course! I’m not trying to be a diva, I’m just giving it to you straight. Because frankly, if you’re going to buy a pre-made product, why not buy the best if the difference in cost is nominal?

How to bake pesto salmon

1. Preheat your oven to 400-degrees with racks set in both upper third and middle position (we’ll use both racks); prep your baking sheet by lining it with foil. 
2. Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels (this helps the pesto stick to the flesh) and season lightly with salt and pepper. 
3. Spoon the pesto over the fillets, spreading it out as needed to cover the top. Some oil from the pesto will drip off, that’s OK!
4. Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan and spoon it over the pesto on top of each fillet. Use as much of the breadcrumb mixture as you can, then lightly pack the breadcrumbs onto the fish to help it adhere. 
5. Bake the salmon until nearly done, about 8 minutes (give or take a couple of minutes depending on the thickness of your fillets). You don’t want it cooked through yet! 
6. Turn the oven to broil and transfer the fillets to the top rack. Broil the salmon until the breadcrumbs are crispy and golden brown, about 3 minutes. 

Pesto Salmon Pasta

I love to serve this pesto salmon with pesto pasta. To keep things light, I combine delicate angel hair pasta with spiralized zucchini (aka zoodles). The combination of pasta and zucchini creates a wonderful balance of textures, and it keeps things fresh.

If you aren’t in to zucchini, you can certainly skip it. In that case, use one pound dry angel hair pasta instead of eight ounces.

Often times I’ll substitute the angel hair pasta with my favorite whole-wheat or whole-grain spaghetti if I need more whole grains that day.

Looking to keep things gluten-free? Use your favorite gluten-free pasta!

Pesto recipes to try:

• Carrot Top Pesto
• Arugula & Pistachio Pesto
• Trapanese Pesto (Tomato & Almond Pesto)
• Miso Pesto

What to serve with Pesto Salmon

• Simple Fennel Salad with Lemon
• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Easy Roasted Green Beans
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Don’t forget, if you make this Pesto Salmon recipe, leave a comment and rating below!

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