Salmon Carbonara

Salmon Pasta Carbonara with baked salmon fillet, a quick and easy midweek recipe that is ready in 15 minutes. You only need a few simple ingredients to make a spectacular dinner that will have everyone ask for seconds. This carbonara recipe with a twist is sure to become a family-favourite pasta recipe.

As tempting as a romantic meal for two in a 5-star restaurant is, you can always settle for the best homemade dinner date, and it can still be your dream date. This pasta carbonara ticks all the boxes, it's quick and super easy, it's fancy, and absolutely delicious.

They say that love goes through the stomach, and it's true. You'll definitely impress your date with this Italian dish with a twist. The bacon carbonara is the more popular choice, but I always found that fish, and salmon in particular is a great choice for a posh dinner.

You can replaced the baked salmon with smoked salmon, that's absolutely fine. Or, you can pan fry the fresh salmon, whatever works for you. You can use any kind of pasta you have around, I love spaghetti for this dish, but anything else would do.

Jump to:

• What is pasta carbonara?
• Ingredients used
• Step-by-step photos and instructions
• Expert tips
• Salmon Carbonara

What is pasta carbonara?

Pasta carbonara is one of the easiest pasta dishes you can ask for. All you need is cooked pasta, eggs and parmesan cheese.  And nothing else. No cream, no sauces. The egg coats the pasta beautifully, and the parmesan gives that lovely sharp kick we need.

I actually like to add tons of parmesan to it, but it's up to you how much you add. Just cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, reserve 2-3 tablespoons of water it was cooked in, and drain the rest.

Beat the egg with a pinch of pepper, and half of the parmesan, and add it to the hot pasta.

Ingredients used

• spaghetti - you can also use any other pasta of your choice
• salmon fillet - fresh
• parmesan cheese - I prefer to buy a block of cheese and grate it myself, it tastes way better than ready-grated parmesan
• salt and pepper - for seasoning the salmon and pepper for the egg sauce too
• eggs - I used one whole egg and one egg yolk

Step-by-step photos and instructions

• Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
• Arrange the salmon fillets on a baking tray, season with salt and pepper, and bake at 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit) for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.
• Reserve 2 or 3 tablespoons of the water the spaghetti were cooked in, and drain the rest.
• Leave the pasta aside for 2 minutes.
• Grate the parmesan.
• Beat the eggs well, add the parmesan and pepper, then add the mixture to the pasta together with the reserved water.

• Mix well.
• Transfer to 2 plates, top with the flaked salmon and parsley, then serve immediately.

Expert tips

Note! Do not rinse the pasta after draining, we need it to be hot to cook the egg. Make sure the egg is at room temperature before adding it to the pasta.

If the egg is cold, it might scramble. To be on the safe side, once you drain the water from the pasta, leave the pasta aside for 2 minutes, then add the egg mixture and reserved water. Mix well to coat, cook for a further 30 seconds or so.

The salmon can either be pan-fried, or baked. I chose the baking option. It only takes 10-12 minutes in the oven, depending on the size of the fillets. No need to remove the skin before cooking, the salmon comes off easily once it's cooked.

If you use smoked salmon, you can add it to the pan together with the egg mixture, so it can cook a bit, or just top the dish when you serve the pasta, and have it the way it is. Do give it a go! If you liked this dish, why not check my other pescatarian recipes?

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