Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon arrived in our kitchen the way only the very best weeknight dinners do, completely by accident and entirely perfectly. Lucia had come home from the market with a pack of hot smoked salmon she had bought on impulse because it looked beautiful and a bag of English spinach she had bought with every intention of making a salad. Maria saw them both on the counter and immediately began softening cream cheese. Teresa put on the pasta water. And thirty minutes later the three of us were sitting down to what might be the most elegant and effortlessly satisfying pasta dinner we have ever eaten on a Tuesday evening.
Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon is the kind of dinner that looks and tastes like you spent the whole afternoon in the kitchen when in reality it comes together in the time it takes the pasta to cook. A vibrant deep green sauce made by blending wilted spinach with softened cream cheese, garlic, onion, and Parmesan until it is completely silky and velvety. Fresh baby spinach leaves wilted into the hot pasta at the very end for an extra layer of green freshness.
And generous flakes of hot smoked salmon folded through the whole thing at the last moment for a richness and depth of savory flavor that makes every single bowl taste genuinely extraordinary. Come follow us on Pinterest where we share beautiful and elegant recipes like this one from our kitchen every single week.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon Recipe
This Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon recipe delivers a genuinely restaurant-quality dinner in thirty minutes flat and that is not an exaggeration or a marketing promise. It is simply the truth of what this recipe does. The technique of blending wilted spinach directly into the cream cheese and Parmesan sauce is the single most efficient and brilliant shortcut we have encountered in pasta cooking in years. It builds a sauce that is vibrant, creamy, deeply flavorful, and a color so beautiful and alive that people sitting down to a bowl of it invariably stop for a moment before they pick up their fork.
The hot smoked salmon is the ingredient that takes this pasta from excellent to extraordinary. Unlike cold smoked salmon or lox which is silky and uncooked, hot smoked salmon is fully cooked, firm, and flakes in gorgeous large pieces that hold their shape when folded into the pasta and deliver a rich savory smoked flavor in every single bite. No cooking required. You simply flake it in at the end. Our Lemon Pasta brings a beautiful bright citrus freshness that makes a wonderful companion alongside this rich and vibrant green pasta for a complete Italian-inspired spring dinner.
Ingredients Needed for This Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon Recipe
For the Creamy Spinach Sauce:
- 300g (1 bunch) English Spinach, roots trimmed, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 small Brown Onion (about 100g), finely chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 250g Full-Fat Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- 20g (¼ cup) Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
For the Pasta and Assembly:
- 500g Penne Pasta
- 150g Baby Spinach Leaves
- 300g Hot Smoked Salmon, flaked into large pieces
How to Make This Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon Recipe
Begin by bringing a large pot of very generously salted water to a rolling boil. The water should taste like the sea, cara mia. This is the single most important seasoning decision you will make for this entire dish.
While the water is coming to a boil, make the spinach sauce. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and crushed garlic, season with a pinch of salt and a crack of black pepper, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is completely soft and the garlic is fragrant and sweet. Do not rush this step. Properly softened aromatics are the flavor foundation of the entire sauce.
Add the roughly chopped English spinach to the saucepan and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is completely wilted and has reduced dramatically in volume. Stir in the room temperature softened cream cheese and cook for 1 minute more, stirring continuously, until the cream cheese is fully melted and combined with the spinach and there are no white lumps remaining. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the grated Parmesan. Using a hand stick blender, blend the mixture directly in the saucepan for about 1 minute until the sauce is completely smooth, vibrantly green, and beautifully silky. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.
Add the penne to the now-boiling salted water and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Before you drain it, this step is non-negotiable, scoop out at least a full cup of the starchy pasta cooking water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and return it immediately to the hot pot.
Pour the green spinach sauce over the hot drained pasta and add approximately one third of a cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together vigorously until the sauce coats every single piece of penne in that gorgeous vibrant green cream. If the sauce feels too thick, add more reserved pasta water a splash at a time, tossing between each addition, until the consistency is silky and glossy and generous. Now add the fresh baby spinach leaves and the flaked hot smoked salmon and fold everything together gently using a wide spatula.
You want the spinach to wilt into the hot pasta in about 30 seconds and the salmon to warm through while keeping those beautiful large flakes as intact as possible. Divide immediately between four warm bowls and serve right away.
How to Serve This Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon Recipe
Serve this pasta the moment it is finished. The sauce is at its most vibrant and the salmon at its most flavorful directly from the pan. A final crack of black pepper over each bowl, a light shaving of extra Parmesan, and a wedge of lemon on the side for squeezing over are the only finishing touches this pasta needs. A simple green salad with arugula and a sharp lemon vinaigrette alongside cuts through the richness of the cream sauce beautifully. Our Margherita Pizza makes a wonderful simple Italian companion for a larger gathering alongside this elegant pasta.
How to Store This Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon Recipe
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The sauce will thicken considerably as it chills which is normal. To reheat, warm gently in a skillet over low heat adding a few tablespoons of water, milk, or broth to loosen the sauce as it warms. Stir gently to avoid breaking up the salmon flakes further. Avoid the microwave for reheating if possible as the cream-based sauce can separate at high heat and the salmon can become rubbery. The blended spinach sauce on its own can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored separately in the refrigerator, making this an excellent make-ahead option for busy weeknights.
Tips to Make This Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon Recipe
Room temperature cream cheese is not a suggestion in this recipe. It is a requirement. Cold cream cheese straight from the refrigerator will not melt smoothly into the hot spinach and you will have lumps in the sauce that the blender cannot fully rescue. Take it out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you plan to begin cooking. Always use hot smoked salmon rather than cold smoked salmon or lox. Hot smoked salmon is fully cooked through, firm, and flakes beautifully.
Cold smoked salmon is silky and uncooked and will not give you the right texture or flavor in this dish. Reserve more pasta water than you think you need. You can always add more but you cannot add less if you have not saved enough.
Helpful Notes for This Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon Recipe
The hand stick blender used directly in the saucepan is the most practical and efficient tool for making this sauce. If you do not have a stick blender, carefully transfer the hot spinach and cream cheese mixture to a regular blender in batches and blend until smooth, then return to the saucepan. Always be very careful blending hot liquids. Fill the blender only halfway, hold the lid down firmly with a folded kitchen towel, and blend in short pulses to prevent the steam from forcing the lid off.
The English spinach used for the blended sauce base is different from the baby spinach added at the end. The English spinach cooks down into the sauce and creates the body and color. The baby spinach added at the finish wilts gently and adds a fresh second layer of green texture and flavor.
Variation of This Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon Recipe
Maria made a version with a handful of frozen peas stirred into the sauce alongside the wilted spinach before blending and the sweetness of the peas against the savory smoked salmon was an absolutely wonderful combination. Teresa tried adding a teaspoon of lemon zest and a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the finished sauce before tossing with the pasta and the bright citrus lift it gave to the rich creamy green sauce was genuinely extraordinary.
For a version without salmon, replace the smoked salmon with crispy pan-fried capers scattered over the top of each bowl and a generous drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil for a completely vegetarian pasta that is still deeply satisfying and elegant. Our Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes make a beautiful bright and fresh dessert to follow this rich and vibrant pasta dinner.
FAQs About This Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon Recipe
What exactly is hot smoked salmon and where do I find it?
Hot smoked salmon is salmon that has been smoked at a high enough temperature to cook it all the way through, giving it a firm flaky texture similar to a piece of baked salmon. It is not the same as cold smoked salmon or lox which remains raw and silky. Hot smoked salmon is typically found in the refrigerated seafood section of major supermarkets, often near other smoked fish products and packaged fish. It comes ready to eat and simply needs to be flaked into the pasta at the very end of cooking.
Can I use regular cooked salmon instead of hot smoked?
Yes absolutely. Pan-sear or bake a salmon fillet seasoned with salt and pepper, flake it into large pieces, and fold it into the finished pasta exactly as you would the hot smoked salmon. The flavor will be milder and less smoky but the dish will still be delicious and beautiful. The smoked salmon does add a unique depth of savory flavor that makes this recipe particularly special so we do recommend using it when you can find it.
Can I make the sauce ahead of time?
Yes. The blended spinach cream cheese sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, cook the pasta fresh and gently reheat the sauce in a saucepan over low heat, using the reserved pasta water to loosen it to the right consistency, then proceed with the final assembly steps.
Conclusion
This Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon is the pasta we reach for when we want to feel like we are eating somewhere wonderful without leaving our own kitchen. It is vibrant and elegant and deeply satisfying and it is genuinely on the table in thirty minutes. We hope it brings that same sense of effortless joy and delicious satisfaction to your weeknight table. Make it, share it, and come back to tell us all about it. With all our love, Maria, Lucia, and Teresa
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Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon The Most Elegant 30 Minute Dinner You Will Make
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
An elegant and vibrant Creamy Spinach Pasta with Smoked Salmon made with a blended spinach cream cheese Parmesan sauce and folded with fresh baby spinach and flaked hot smoked salmon. Restaurant-quality dinner on the table in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
300g English Spinach roots trimmed roughly chopped
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small Brown Onion finely chopped
4 cloves Garlic crushed
250g Full-Fat Cream Cheese softened to room temperature
20g Parmesan Cheese finely grated
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
500g Penne Pasta
150g Baby Spinach Leaves
300g Hot Smoked Salmon flaked into large pieces
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, season, and cook 4 to 6 minutes until soft and fragrant.
3. Add chopped English spinach and cook 3 minutes until completely wilted.
4. Stir in softened cream cheese and cook 1 minute until melted and combined.
5. Remove from heat, add Parmesan, and blend with a stick blender until completely smooth and vibrant green. Set aside.
6. Cook penne in salted boiling water until al dente.
7. Reserve at least 1 cup pasta cooking water before draining. Drain and return pasta to hot pot.
8. Pour spinach sauce over hot pasta and add 1/3 cup reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously to coat.
9. Add more pasta water as needed for a silky glossy consistency.
10. Fold in baby spinach leaves and flaked hot smoked salmon gently until spinach wilts and salmon warms through.
11. Serve immediately in warm bowls.
Notes
Cream cheese must be at room temperature before adding to avoid lumps in the sauce.
Always use hot smoked salmon not cold smoked salmon or lox.
Reserve plenty of pasta water before draining as it is essential for sauce consistency.
Blend the sauce until completely smooth for a silky vibrant green result.
Sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored separately in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 795
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 88g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 42g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: creamy spinach pasta with smoked salmon, spinach salmon pasta, smoked salmon pasta recipe, easy weeknight pasta dinner
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