Free Kitchen Hacks eBook

One-Pot Cajun Salmon Pasta

on April 19, 2022
last updated January 16, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Cajun Salmon Pasta is comprised of creamy, spicy pasta with crispy salmon sitting on top. Only one pot and 30 minutes are needed!
Cajun Salmon Pasta made in just one pot served in a shallow bowl.

Want to spice things up for dinner tonight? This One-Pot Cajun Salmon Pasta is creamy, quick, easy, and filling with a welcomed little kick of spice!

I absolutely love the dynamic duo of salmon and pasta (see also: Salmon Spinach Pasta with White Wine Sauce), and this creamy pasta dish with salmon is no exception!

The perfectly pan-fried spicy Cajun salmon is complemented perfectly by the creamy, garlicky, pasta, for a symphony of flavors and textures that satisfy the tastebuds.

Plus, this gourmet dinner dish is easy to make, with just ten ingredients, 30 minutes, and one pot required.

As a busy mom with a palate for high-quality food, I appreciate a dinner recipe like this that ticks all my boxes of easy, efficient, and elevated.

Overhead image of a serving of creamy pasta with Cajun salmon on a pink background.

Cajun Salmon Pasta Ingredients


Here’s everything you need:

  • Salmon. You can buy skinless or skin-on. I usually use 10-12 ounces of salmon to serve two, and have leftover pasta, but if you’re cooking for a family of three+, you may want to get a larger cut of salmon.
  • Cajun seasoning. Please note that different brands of Cajun seasoning vary greatly in terms of spice and salt levels, you may need to taste as you go to get it just right.
  • Olive oil.
  • Fresh garlic. I love to use 4 cloves of fresh garlic and mince it myself, but if you are sensitive to garlic, just use two.
  • Diced tomatoes. Canned. You can add the contents of the whole can—both the diced tomatoes and the liquid it comes in.
  • Vegetable broth. You could also use mushroom or chicken broth here.
  • Fettuccine. You can substitute linguine, but other shapes of pasta vary in cooking time.
  • Fresh spinach.
  • Cream. Light cream or half and half is preferred, but you can also use coconut cream!
  • Parmesan Cheese.
Overhead view of all the ingredients for Cajun Salmon Pasta - diced tomatoes, parmesan, veggie broth, pasta, salmon, garlic, olive oil, light cream, Cajun seasoning, and baby spinach.

Cajun Pasta with Salmon Tips and Tricks


Use a Large Sauce Pan or Shallow Pot

One of my favorite things about this pasta dish (besides the taste, of course) is the fact that it only requires one pot to make. Use a large saucepan or shallow pot for best results!

Ultimately, the goal is for the pasta to be completely submerged in the liquid, so that it can cook evenly. I know this is controversial, but you can break your pasta to fit snuggly into the pan or pot if need be.

Dry and Season Your Salmon

Whether you’re using fresh or frozen, it’s best to completely dry off your fish before coating it in the spice blend. If you are using frozen salmon, make sure to thaw it first.

If you need help thawing, I have detailed instructions on defrosting salmon within the post of this guide: How to Cook Frozen Salmon.

The easiest way to dry your fish is by blotting the filets with paper towels, pressing down lightly with your hands. Drying the fish will ensure your seasoning blend sticks and will avoid extra hot oil splatter from additional water on the fish.

It also gives you the best crispy texture on your pan-fried salmon.

Once your salmon is dry, coat it in a generous layer of Cajun seasoning. If you are using skinless salmon, season both sides now. If you’re using skin-on, do not season the side with the skin yet.

Note, you will not be using all 2 tablespoons of seasoning right now, you’ll need some later for the pasta.

Blotting dry a piece of salmon by pressing lightly with a paper towel.
Blot the salmon dry with a paper towel.
Seasoning raw salmon with Cajun seasoning.
Generously coat the salmon with Cajun seasoning.

Fry Your Salmon First

Add your olive oil to the pan and get it hot over medium heat. After heating for about 2 minutes, carefully place your salmon in the hot oil. If you’re using skin-on salmon, place it skin side down.

Fry for about 5 minutes before flipping. If you like crispy salmon skin, you can leave it on. If you want to remove the salmon skin, it will easily peel off at this point. Just grab the skin by the corner with some kitchen tons and peel it right back.

Then, season the second side with more Cajun seasoning, fry, and flip again. If you are using skinless salmon, you will only have to flip it once.

Fry the seasoned salmon until both sides are crispy and the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 125°F.

Placing Cajun-seasoned salmon into hot oil in a pan skin-side down.
Get the oil hot in the pan and add the salmon skin side down.
Peeling salmon skin off easily after frying it in a pan.
If using skin-on salmon, you can flip and easily remove the skin.
Seasoning second side of salmon with Cajun seasoning while it's in the pan.
Make sure both sides of salmon are seasoned generously.
Salmon coated in Cajun seasoning on both sides, pan-fried until crispy.
Both sides of the salmon should be crispy, and the internal temperature should reach 125°F.

How to Make One-Pot Cajun Pasta

Once your salmon is cooked on both sides, remove it from your pan and set it aside. We will cook the pasta in the same pan to take advantage of any flavor left in there from frying the salmon.

Add your minced garlic first and fry it up for a minute or two until it’s nice and fragrant. Then, you’ll add your diced tomatoes and Cajun seasoning. Place the raw pasta on top and pour the vegetable broth over it.

Cover and cook on medium-high, tossing frequently, for about 10-12 minutes until pasta is cooked al dente.

Then, remove the cover, turn the heat all the way down to low, and add the fresh spinach and the cream (or, as pictured, half & half).

Continue to cook and stir over low heat until spinach wilts and the cream starts to thicken.

Remove from heat, add the Parmesan, and stir until well-combined. Now, your one pot pasta is ready!

Garlic cooking in oil and excess Cajun seasoning that salmon was previously fried in.
Set the salmon aside and add the minced garlic.
Pasta added to pan with garlic, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth to cook all together.
Add the remaining Cajun seasoning, diced tomato, and uncooked pasta.
Pasta cooked al dente in broth and tomato juice rather than water.
Cover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10-12 minutes until pasta is cooked al dente.
Adding fresh spinach and cream to cooked Cajun pasta to make it creamy.
Turn the heat down to low and add the spinach and cream.
Creamy Cajun pasta still in pan that it cooked in.
Cook over low, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts and cream starts to thicken.
Freshly grating Parmesan cheese over top creamy Cajun pasta.
Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan.

Serving Your Cajun Salmon Pasta

Once your pasta is ready, you can add the salmon back to your pot. You can decide if you want to break the salmon into bite-sized pieces and stir it in, or if you want to cut it into individual portions and serve it atop the pasta.

Here are some of my favorite apps and sides to serve this pasta dish with:

Adding cooked salmon back to pasta to serve.

How to Properly Store and Reheat Leftover Cajun Salmon Pasta

This Cajun Salmon Pasta will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The best way to re-heat it is by adding your leftovers to a baking dish and preheating your oven to 375°F. Cover completely with tin foil to trap moisture and heat the pasta and salmon in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

If you feel your leftover sauce has thickened too much, add a little milk or cream (more veggie broth will work in a pinch, too) to add moisture back in before reheating.

If you really want a quicker + easier reheating method, you can safely reheat leftovers in the microwave covered and on high for about 3 minutes. However, the microwave tends to dry out both the salmon and the cream sauce. So, if you have the time, use the oven!

Overhead image of two servings of one-pot creamy Cajun salmon pasta.

Want to sharpen your kitchen skills?

Download My Free eBook
Cajun Salmon Pasta made in just one pot served in a shallow bowl.

One-Pot Cajun Salmon Pasta

4.8 from 6 votes
Marley Goldin
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION
PIN PRINT RATE
This Cajun Salmon Pasta is comprised of creamy, slightly spicy pasta with crispy Cajun Salmon sitting on top. It’s easy to make and requires only one pot and 30 minutes from start to finish!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 12 ounces salmon (skin-on or skinless)
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes (14.5 oz usually = 1 large can)
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 16 ounces fettuccine (or linguini)
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 2 cups light cream, half and half, or coconut cream
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Use a paper towel to pat the salmon dry and generously season with Cajun seasoning (do not use all 2 tablespoons of seasoning now, you'll need some later!).
    12 ounces salmon
  • Add olive oil to a large saucepan or shallow pot and bring up the temperature of the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully drop in your seasoned salmon filets, skin-side down.
    2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Fry salmon for 4-5 minutes and flip. If you like crispy salmon skin, you can leave it. If you want to remove it, it will now easily peel off the skin. Season the second side with a little more Cajun seasoning. Fry in the pan until both sides are crispy, and the internal temperature reaches 125-145°F.
  • Remove the salmon from the pan and set aside. Still, over medium-high heat, add the minced garlic to the same hot pan you cooked your salmon in. Let it fry in the leftover oil for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
    4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • Add the diced tomatoes (and any liquid they are submerged in in the can) and Cajun seasoning. Add the uncooked pasta flat in the pan (if you need to, you can snap the pasta in half, so it fits snuggly), and pour the vegetable broth over top.
    14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes, 2 cups vegetable broth, 16 ounces fettuccine (or linguini)
  • Make sure your pasta is submerged in the liquid, and cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta noodles do not stick together or burn on the bottom of the pan.
  • Once the pasta is al dente, remove the cover and turn the heat all the way down to low. Add the fresh spinach and cream, stir, and cook on low until spinach wilts and the cream starts to thicken.
    2 cups fresh baby spinach, 2 cups light cream, half and half, or coconut cream
  • Remove from heat, add the Parmesan cheese, and stir to combine. Serve the Cajun salmon atop the creamy pasta and enjoy!
    ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pro Tips

  • This recipe is best with light cream or half and half, but I also tested it with coconut cream for those who have sensitive stomachs to cream. It still tasted delicious, but there was a subtle hint of coconut. It’s a great option for those who enjoy coconut, but cream or half and half is preferred to allow the Cajun seasoning to shine.
  • I typically cook for two, and we usually end up eating all the salmon but having a lot of leftover pasta. As is, this recipe can easily feed 4, but you can also make a larger cut of salmon to cater this to up to 6 people!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword 30 Minutes or Less, Cajon Sauce Pasta, Family Dinner, Fish Dinner, One-Pot, Pasta, Salmon
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment and let me know what you think! And if you really enjoyed it, help power this website and buy me a coffee!

GET OUR FRESHEST RECIPES STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

You'll Also Love

Comment on & Rate this Recipe

I very much hope you enjoyed this recipe!

If you did, please give it a star rating, which will help other people just like you find and enjoy the recipe too 😊

If you have any comments, questions or thoughts on the recipe, be sure to let me know in the comments as well. I read each and every one and would love to hear from you!

5 thoughts on “One-Pot Cajun Salmon Pasta”

  1. 4 stars
    I’m not sure what qualifies as a “serving”. Thought I would triple the recipe and have linguini for the week. Turns out 6 servings will last me until the month. Be careful and don’t end up with 9lbs of this delicious dish like I did.

    1. oh my goodness, Marcus! I’m so sorry for the confusion with the serving size. I honestly agonized over whether to put 2 or 4 servings because it’s technically two servings of salmon, but 4-6 servings of pasta and ended up going with 2. After reading your feedback, I’m going to switch it to 4! Sorry again for the confusion, but glad it tasted delicious. At least you’ll be eating good (albeit for weeks on end haha!).

  2. 5 stars
    So good! I used a heavy cream alternative and even though it had a hint of vanilla taste, it was still delicious especially with the salmon! Definitely going into the recipe collection!

    1. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Carley! That’s great to know about the cream alternative. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback 🙂

4.84 from 6 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating