This creamy salmon tagliatelle is the ultimate dairy-free comfort food this summer season. Thanks to the method of cooking the pasta, the result is a rich and creamy pasta coated in a thick sauce with peas, flaked baked salmon and a squeeze of lemon.
Is it just me or do we need more comfort foods for the warmer months? So often we associate comfort foods with winter but I’m here today to celebrate the warm weather comfort foods. Which is exactly what this recipe is.
Plus this is my favourite kind of recipe as it’s super easy but the end result feels a whole lot more fancy and complicated than it actually was meaning it’s a great option for date night at home.
Apart from cooking the salmon in the oven (which is extremely low effort), the rest of the dish comes together in a single pot. Yes to not having to clean multiple pans!
This creamy salmon pasta recipe is made without cream making it a great option for a healthier dinner and perfect for those of us who cannot eat dairy or are trying to limit our consumption.
Instead of cream, we’re going to actually cook the pasta by simmering it in a combination of dairy-free oat milk and vegetable stock which when combined with the starchiness from the pasta results in a thick and silky smooth, creamy sauce and pasta that is so full of flavour.
It’s so incredibly good, you’re going to want this easy dairy free dinner on rotation this season.
Key Ingredients
You’ll need just 7 basic ingredients to be able to make this pasta dish making it the perfect weeknight recipe.
- Pasta – The best pasta for this recipe is tagliatelle, fettuccine or linguine which are flat pastas but you can try other shapes if you want. Note that cooking times may vary.
- Salmon – use sustainably sourced Australian salmon fillets either fresh or frozen and defrosted.
- Oat milk – the quality of the dairy-free milk you use will determine the quality of the end result so make sure you use a good quality one that doesn’t have any additives or sweeteners added. You can also use soy milk instead but I find oat has less of a flavour so it’s my preference here.
- Vegetable stock – again the quality here will impact the taste of the end result so make sure to use a good quality stock. I’ve also used chicken stock as a substitute.
- Garlic – giving the sauce that savoury, garlicky kick.
- Peas – adds a little contrast and freshness to the pasta that goes so well. You could also use broccoli instead but I love the sweetness of the peas with the creamy sauce.
- Salt & black pepper – I don’t usually list this as an ingredient but it’s so important to season this pasta well to bring out the flavour of the sauce and balance the sweetness that you get from using oat milk.
Step-By-Step Instructions
As mentioned before, you’ll need a baking tray for the salmon and a large, heavy based pot for the rest.
Start by getting the pasta started as it’s going to take longer than the salmon to cook. Heat a little olive oil in the base of your pot and add the garlic, sautéing until fragrant but being careful not to let it burn as this will cause your sauce to be bitter.
To the garlic and oil, add the oat milk and the vegetable stock. To this, place the pasta. As the liquid starts to come to a boil, the ends of the pasta will soften and allow you to gently guide the pasta into the pot. You don’t need to rush this, just be patient and allow the pasta to soften.
Once the pasta is all submerged in the boiling liquid, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
The slow simmer will allow the pasta to cook slower than normal while reducing the rate of evaporation from the stock/milk so that the pasta will be cooked at the same time the sauce has reduced.
If you do find your pasta hasn’t cooked but your liquid is reduced, you can simply add in a little extra.
While the pasta is cooking, bake the salmon on a tray seasoned well with salt and ground black pepper for 12 minutes or until just cooked through.
Once the pasta is cooked and the sauce really creamy, add in the peas and toss through until just heated through. Flake the salmon and add into the pasta and toss through to combine, adding salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve topped with fresh parsley and a big squeeze of lemon juice.
More dairy-free dinner recipes:
Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese
Dairy-Free Butter Chicken
Dairy-Free Potato and Leek Soup with Bacon Crumb
Vegan Enchiladas
One Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta
Creamy Salmon Tagliatelle (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 ½ cups vegetable stock
- 1 ½ cups oat milk
- 250 grams tagliatelle
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 x 100 gram fillets salmon skin off
- Salt & black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a tray with baking paper. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy based pot on the stove and add in the garlic. Cook for a minute or two until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn.
- Add the stock and the milk to the pot along with the pasta. It might take a little bit for the pasta to soften as the liquid comes back up to a boil, but just gently guide it into the pot until it’s completely submerged.
- Once the liquid is boiling, turn down the heat to bring it back to a simmer and let cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking for 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has thickened. If the liquid evaporates too quickly, add a little more stock and make sure to just let it simmer not boil.
- While the pasta is cooking, place the salmon fillets onto the prepared baking tray and place in the oven for 12 minutes or until just cooked through.
- Once the pasta is cooked, add the peas and toss through until they are just tender. Flake the baked salmon and add to the pasta along with a generous amount of salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Nats
I made this and it was delicious! I only had spaghetti in so it didn’t absorb all the liquid like tagliatelle would have – however, this was not an issue as I scooped the pasta out the sauce easily, when done, and just spooned some liquid over the top once everything was in the bowl – it was so yum! I will definitely make this again with a chilli seasoned salmon maybe next time …
Sally
Thanks Nats! I love the sound of that chilli seasoned salmon!
Sherry M
sounds great!