This weeknight Boursin Pasta Primavera with Salmon is packed with veggies and protein and tossed in a creamy sauce.
This recipe is easy, delicious, visually appealing and it lends itself to many variations; you could use chicken, shrimp or make it vegetarian, the choice is yours.
Primavera, translates in Italian and Spanish to "spring" but this pasta is a year-round staple in my books.
Why you will love this recipe
This recipe stands out for lots of reasons:
- This salmon pasta is easy to make! You will only need a handful of ingredients and some easy steps to follow.
- This Pasta Primavera is elegant and simple at the same time. It is a meal worthy of company but easy enough to make during a busy weeknight.
- This salmon pasta packs a lot of flavor, textures and color. It is packed with veggies and high in protein.
Ingredient list
This recipe suggests a few key vegetables but it is highly customizable to your preferences. The zucchini, peppers and tomatoes are a must have in my opinion.
- Salmon: In this recipe I'm using wild Alaskan sockeye salmon. I used a whole filet and cook it with skin on (I remove it after cooking).
- Pasta: For this Pasta Primavera it is best to use short cut pasta such as penne, rigatoni or ziti. I had casarecce pasta on hand and that is what I'm using.
- Vegetables: This pasta gets its name from the variety of colorful vegetables that it features; it looks like spring on a plate. I love using zucchini, sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes. Feel free to swap, add or remove vegetables as you see fit.
- Boursin cheese: This will be the base for the creamy sauce and will amp up the flavor of our vegetables.
- Parmesan cheese: A light (or heavy if you want) dust of parmesan finishes this beautiful pasta along with some fresh basil.
- Fresh basil: Love the aroma of basil in combination with the bright vegetables and vibrant salmon flavor.
- Chicken stock: This will help us create the creamy sauce along with the Boursin cheese.
Recipe step by step
Season the salmon and bake. When it cools down slightly, use a fork to flake the meat, leaving the skin behind (I feed it to my dog, she loves it).
Cook the pasta per package instructions. Reserve some of the pasta water to make the pan sauce.
In a skillet, add the vegetables starting with the ones that will take more time to soften. In this recipe I started with the peppers and tomatoes and cooked the zucchini last.
Once the veggies are vibrant and soft add the cream cheese, pasta water and combine the pasta, flaked salmon and parmesan cheese.
Helpful tips
I recommend to have everything measured out and ready to go because once you start cooking, it’ll be only minutes before the dish is done and ready to be served.
You could make some the components of this recipe ahead of time; bake the salmon and cook the veggies. When ready to eat, make the pasta and add the cooked salmon and veggies.
If you want this pasta as a meal prep option, I recommend storing the cooked pasta separately and the veggies/salmon in the sauce in a separate container.
When ready to eat, reheat the veggies with a splash of chicken stock and then mix the cooked pasta.
Storage and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat on the stove top, adding a splash of chicken stock to bring the creamy sauce back to life.
Boursin Pasta Primavera with Salmon
Ingredients
For the baked salmon
- 1 lb whole salmon fillet
- 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
For the creamy pasta
- 1 lb. penne pasta or casarecce pasta
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup sweet bell peppers sliced
- 1 cup zucchini diced
- 1 5 OZ Boursin cheese Garlic and fine herbs flavor
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- Basil for garnish
Instructions
Bake the salmon
- In a bowl combine all the spices and whisk together until well mixed.1 ½ teaspoon paprika, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon ground pepper, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Rub the salmon with the spice mixture and place it on a aluminum-lined baking sheet.1 lb whole salmon fillet
- Heat the broiler to high heat. Place the salmon in the oven and broil until fillet is browned on top and flakes easily with a fork, or internal temperature of fillet reaches 120°F at its thickest part.
- Allow the salmon to cool down slightly and separate the flesh from the skin and flake the salmon flesh with a fork. Set aside.
Make the pasta
- While the salmon bakes, cook the pasta per package instructions, reserve some of the pasta cooking water, drain and set aside.1 lb. penne pasta
- In a large skillet (3.7 qt braiser is ideal) add the avocado oil and heat over medium high heat.1 tablespoon avocado oil
- Add the tomatoes and sliced peppers and cook for about 2 minutes.1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 cup sweet bell peppers
- Add the zucchini and cook for another 2 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but crisp.1 cup zucchini
- Crumble the Boursin cheese and add the chicken stock to form a creamy sauce. Reduce the heat to low.1 5 OZ Boursin cheese, 1 cup chicken stock
- Add the cooked pasta and stir until well combined.
- Add the flaked salmon and mix well.
- Serve with parmesan cheese and garnish with basil.½ cup Parmesan cheese, Basil
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