Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon Recipe

Fettuccine with smoked salmon is a pasta of egg noodles, butter, smoked salmon and fresh dill, ready in about 25 minutes. It feeds 4, needs no sauce pan, and works as a quick weeknight dinner or a simple dinner for guests.

Why This Recipe Works

The sauce is just butter, and it works because of timing. Add the cubes while the pasta is still very hot. They melt on contact and coat every strand, so you never need a separate pan or any cream.

Smoked salmon is already cured, so it does not need cooking. The heat of the pasta warms it through and turns it a little softer, while the strips keep their silky texture and smoky flavor.

Egg fettuccine has a rich, tender bite that holds up under a plain butter sauce. Fresh dill and a generous amount of black pepper cut through the richness and keep each forkful from tasting heavy.

Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon Ingredients

• 13 ounces dried egg fettuccine
• 3 ounces butter, cut into small cubes
• 9 ounces smoked salmon, cut into strips
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How To Make Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon

Cook the pasta

1. Boil the fettuccine: Cook the 13 ounces of fettuccine in boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, until al dente. Taste a strand near the end of the time, since egg pasta turns soft quickly.
2. Drain well: Drain the pasta and move it straight to a warm serving bowl or back into the hot pot. It needs to stay very hot for the butter to melt.

Toss and season

3. Add the butter: Scatter the 3 ounces of cubed butter over the hot pasta and toss until it melts into a glossy coating.
4. Add salmon and dill: Add the 9 ounces of salmon strips and the 2 tablespoons of dill. Toss gently, so the salmon spreads through the pasta and the strips stay whole.
5. Season and serve: Taste, then add salt only if you need it, since smoked salmon is already salty. Finish with generous black pepper and serve right away.

Recipe Tips

• Keep the pasta hot: Work fast after draining. Cold pasta will not melt the butter, and the sauce turns greasy instead of silky.
• Go easy on salt: Smoked salmon brings plenty of salt. Taste the dish before you add any, and season the pasta water lightly.
• Cut salmon into wide strips: Strips about 1/2 inch wide stay in clear pieces after tossing. Tiny pieces vanish into the pasta.
• Chop the dill last: Fresh dill loses its fragrance fast once cut. Chop it right before it goes in the bowl.

What To Serve With Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon

Serve this pasta in warm bowls with a lemon wedge on the side for anyone who wants a bright squeeze. A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette or a plate of steamed asparagus makes a good partner.

How To Store

• Fridge: Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Smoked salmon is best eaten fresh, so this dish does not keep long.
• Freezer: This pasta does not freeze well. The butter sauce separates and the salmon turns mushy once thawed.
• Reheat: Warm it gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water, just until hot. Hard heat makes the salmon dry and fishy.

FAQs

Can I use fresh fettuccine instead of dried?

Yes. Fresh egg fettuccine cooks in only 2 to 3 minutes, so watch it closely. Use the same weight and follow the package time.

What can I use instead of dill?

Fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley both work with smoked salmon. Chives add a mild onion note, while parsley keeps the dish light and green.

Is this pasta dairy-free or gluten-free?

No. The dish has butter, and egg fettuccine is made with wheat flour. For dairy-free, swap in olive oil, and for gluten-free use a gluten-free egg-style pasta.

Why does my pasta turn out greasy or clumped?

The pasta cooled down before you added the butter, or you drained it too long. Toss the butter in while the noodles are steaming hot, and add a spoonful of the cooking water if they look dry.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.

• Calories: about 620 kcal
• Total Fat: 26g
• Total Carbohydrate: 65g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 29g

Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon

Recipe by Paula

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

Egg fettuccine tossed with melted butter, strips of smoked salmon and fresh dill. A fast dinner for 4 that comes together right in the serving bowl.

Ingredients

• 13 ounces dried egg fettuccine

• 3 ounces butter, cut into small cubes

• 9 ounces smoked salmon, cut into strips

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Boil the fettuccine: Cook the 13 ounces of fettuccine in boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, until al dente. Taste a strand near the end of the time, since egg pasta turns soft quickly.
• Drain well: Drain the pasta and move it straight to a warm serving bowl or back into the hot pot. It needs to stay very hot for the butter to melt.
• Add the butter: Scatter the 3 ounces of cubed butter over the hot pasta and toss until it melts into a glossy coating.
• Add salmon and dill: Add the 9 ounces of salmon strips and the 2 tablespoons of dill. Toss gently, so the salmon spreads through the pasta and the strips stay whole.
• Season and serve: Taste, then add salt only if you need it, since smoked salmon is already salty. Finish with generous black pepper and serve right away.