If you’re craving creamy pasta without the dairy, you need to try this creamy salmon tagliatelle. It 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.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ love it and sooooo easy! and for a mum of children with dairy intolerance but a love herself of creamy sauces this is perfect! – karen
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 is, making it the perfect dairy free dinner recipe for busy weeknights or 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 just one pot. Yes to not having to clean multiple pans! Plus dinner will be done and on the table in just 30 minutes!
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, the pasta is cooked 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. You’re going to want this one on regular rotation!
If you’re looking for more simple, 30 minute weeknight dinners with salmon, also try this air fryer teriyaki salmon or this quick and easy sheet pan salmon and broccoli.
Key Ingredients
You’ll need just 7 basic ingredients to be able to make this dairy free salmon pasta dish making it the perfect weeknight recipe.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- 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 and the amount of liquid needed may vary with different pasta types.
- Salmon – use sustainably sourced Australian skin-off 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.
Equipment and Tools
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- Cast iron pot – you can use any large, heavy based pot to cook this pasta in.
- Baking tray – I just started using these NordicWare baking sheets and they are insanely good quality – I wish I had upgraded sooner!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Turn the oven on to preheat and then 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. Don’t worry if your pasta isn’t fully submerged, as the liquid starts to come to a boil, the pasta will soften and allow you to gently guide the pasta into the pot.
Once the pasta is all submerged in the boiling liquid, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes depending on your pasta. Stir the pasta occasionally so it 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 the creamy salmon pasta immediately topped with chopped fresh parsley and a big squeeze of lemon juice. You can serve it as is or with a simple rocket salad and garlic bread as sides.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can! This recipe works well with long, flat pasta so I recommend fettuccine or spaghetti. You can also use gluten-free pasta if needed.
Note that different pastas have different cook times so you may need to adjust the cooking time, along with the quantity of liquid.
I don’t recommend it as with any seafood dish, it’s best enjoyed fresh. You will also loose some of the creaminess as over time the sauce will continue to absorb into the pasta.
If you have leftovers however, you can reheat it in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of oat milk to revive the creamy texture.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More dairy free pasta recipes:
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
One Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta
Creamy Lemon Risoni with Grilled Chicken
Prawn and Chorizo 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.
This post was updated in November 2024 with new photos.
Karen says
Love it and sooooo easy! And for a Mum of children with dairy intolerance but a love herself of creamy sauces this is perfect!
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed this one Karen!
Andy says
Delicious but used smoked salmon 😋 as that’s what I had in the freezer.
Sally says
Sounds amazing and a perfect way to use up that leftover smoked salmon!
Nats says
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 says
Thanks Nats! I love the sound of that chilli seasoned salmon!
Sherry M says
sounds great!