Creamy Salmon Pumpkin Pasta with Coconut Milk
This creamy salmon pumpkin pasta is one of my favourite quick weeknight dinners. It’s one of those meals I’ve made so many times that I don’t really measure anything anymore. I just add things as I go, taste the sauce and adjust until it feels right.
The pumpkin is what makes the sauce so good. I cook it with caramelised onions until soft, then simply mash it with a fork before adding coconut milk. It becomes part of the sauce, making it naturally creamy with a gentle sweetness. Fresh tomatoes, Parmesan and a little cayenne balance everything out, while the salmon turns it into a really satisfying dinner.
One of My Favourite Quick Weeknight Dinners
I love recipes that feel like a proper homemade dinner without keeping me in the kitchen all evening. This is definitely one of them. I usually make it with farfalle, but there’s nothing precious about it. Use the pasta you have.
The same goes for the greens. Sometimes I throw in a handful of spinach, sometimes I use fresh dill instead. This is very much a cook-with-what-you-have kind of meal, which is probably one of the reasons I make it so often.
Why I Cook the Salmon Separately
I always use fresh salmon and prefer to cook it separately from the sauce. I dice it first, coat it with lemon pepper, salt, fresh lemon juice and a little honey, then either fry it in olive oil or put it in the oven.
For me, this makes a real difference. The salmon keeps its own flavour and texture, while the creamy pumpkin sauce stays delicate rather than taking on a strong fishy taste. Once the salmon is cooked, I simply add it to the sauce.
What Makes This Creamy Salmon Pumpkin Pasta Different?
This isn’t the usual salmon pasta made with lots of cream. Fresh pumpkin forms the base of the sauce together with caramelised onions, coconut milk and a little pasta water. Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano adds richness and brings everything together.
Sweet, Creamy and Just a Little Spicy
There is a little sweetness in this dish from the pumpkin, caramelised onions and honey, but I don’t want the finished pasta to taste sweet. That’s where the tomatoes and cayenne come in. The tomatoes add freshness and acidity, while just a touch of cayenne gives the sauce enough heat to balance those sweeter flavours.
It doesn’t need to be spicy. A small amount is enough to make a difference.
A Simple Way to Add More Omega-3
I also love that such an easy dinner gives us a good portion of oily fish. Salmon is naturally rich in the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, as well as being a good source of high-quality protein.
For me, that’s exactly the kind of food that works during a busy week: simple ingredients, plenty of flavour and something genuinely nourishing on the table without spending hours making it.
Creamy Salmon Pasta with Coconut Milk
Course: Main CourseCuisine: EuropeanDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes35
minutes650
kcalIngredients
300 g farfalle pasta
300 g fresh salmon, skin removed and diced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced into half-moons
½ Hokkaido pumpkin, peeled if needed, deseeded and cut into cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
150 ml coconut milk
150–200 ml pasta cooking water, as needed
1 handful fresh spinach, or fresh dill
50 g Parmigiano Reggiano,freshly grated
A little honey, for the salmon
Extra virgin olive oil,for cooking
Lemon pepper,to taste
Salt, to taste
Fresh lemon juice, for the salmon
Cayenne pepper,to taste
Directions
- Cook the pasta
Cook the farfalle in salted water until al dente. Before draining, reserve around 150–200 ml of the pasta water - Caramelise the onions
Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a large pan. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook until soft and nicely caramelised. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and continue cooking briefly until the onions are golden. - Make the sauce
Add the minced garlic and cook briefly, taking care not to burn it. Add the chopped tomatoes, followed by the coconut milk. Pour in some of the reserved pasta water and stir. Start with a little and add more later if the sauce needs loosening. - Add the greens and Parmesan
Add a handful of spinach and allow it to wilt into the sauce, or use fresh dill instead. Stir in the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano until melted and the sauce becomes creamy. Season to taste. - Prepare the salmon
Dice the fresh salmon and season it well with salt and lemon pepper. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a little honey, then mix so the pieces are well coated. - Cook the salmon separately
Pan-fry the salmon pieces in a little extra virgin olive oil until just cooked through. Alternatively, bake them in the oven. Cooking the salmon separately helps keep the sauce from developing an overly fishy flavour. - Bring everything together
Add the drained farfalle to the sauce and toss until well coated. Add a little more pasta water if needed. Gently fold in the cooked salmon so the pieces don’t break up too much. - Finish with cayenne
Sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper to taste.You don’t need much. Just enough heat to balance the sweetness of the caramelised onions and honey. Serve straight away.
Notes
- Salmon: I prefer using fresh salmon and cooking it separately from the sauce. This keeps the flavour more delicate and stops the whole sauce from tasting too fishy.
Pan-fry or bake: I usually pan-fry the diced salmon, but baking works just as well and makes the recipe even easier.
Pasta water: Add it gradually. You may not need the full 150–200 ml. Use just enough to get a smooth, creamy sauce.
Spinach or dill: I use whichever I have at home. Both work really well with salmon.
Cayenne: Don’t skip it if you can help it. You only need a little, but it balances the sweetness from the caramelised onions and honey.
Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano melts into the sauce much better than pre-grated cheese.
No exact measurements needed: This is a very forgiving recipe and one I normally make by eye, so feel free to adjust the coconut milk, Parmesan or pasta water to get the consistency you like.
