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–+ servings
penne alla salmone in a white dutch oven with basil and serving spoons
5 from 29 votes

Penne al Salmone

Makes: 4 people
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
This easy 30 minute Italian Penne al Salmone dinner recipe uses the simplest ingredients and is the perfect date night or weeknight meal!
Recipe by Dalya Rubin

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon plant based unsalted butter, I use vegan/dairy butter
  • 1 medium shallot, peeled and minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound fresh salmon, cut into 2-3 pieces
  • 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for salting water
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¾ cup dry white wine
  • ⅔ cup canned full fat coconut milk, stirred, or heavy cream or half and half
  • 1 pound box Penne pasta, I use Jovial gluten free pasta
  • ½ cup grated parmesan, I used dairy free, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest, zest of about 1 lemon
  • 1 ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

Tools

  • 1 large pasta pot
  • 1 large pan with high sides or dutch oven
  • 1 chef's knife
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 cheese grater

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Instructions
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and place the oven rack in the center position of the oven.
  2. Fill a large pot with water and ½ tablespoon salt. Add 1 pound box Penne pasta to the pot, stir and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Strain the rest of the pasta. Rinse the pasta under cold water and set aside.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and grease with cooking spray. Place the salmon onto the pan and sprinkle with 0.5 teaspoons kosher salt and 0.25 tsp ground black pepper.
  4. Bake in the center rack of the oven for 12 minutes, until mostly cooked through. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then flake into medium chunks.
  5. In a large pan with high sides (or dutch oven) add the 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp plant based unsalted butter, minced 1 medium shallot and 4 garlic cloves. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add the ¾ cup dry white wine, mix and simmer for 3 minutes.
  7. Mix in the ⅔ cup canned full fat coconut milk, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 0.75 tsp ground black pepper, ½ cup grated parmesan, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 1 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice and the reserved ½ cup pasta water. Stir and bring to a simmer, cooking for 5 minutes, stirring often until thickened.
  8. Turn off the heat. Add the pasta and 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil into the sauce and toss together.
  9. Mix in the flaked 1 pound fresh salmon and stir everything together.

Test Kitchen Notes

  • I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for this recipe.
  • This recipe uses fresh salmon, but feel free to swap with smoked salmon. Begin with only adding half the amount of smoked salmon since it can be quite salty. 
  • Increase the garlic to 6 cloves if you love garlic! 
  • You can swap the white wine with vodka or low sodium vegetable broth. 
  • Easily use a yellow onion in place of the shallot. Be sure to chop it very small! 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 838kcal, Carbohydrates: 91g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 1448mg, Potassium: 996mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 384IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 173mg, Iron: 4mg

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