Salmon With Garlic Butter and Tomato Pasta

Name: Salmon With Garlic Butter and Tomato Pasta
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 (4- to 6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, patted dry; 1 pint cherry or other small tomatoes; 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated; 3 basil sprigs, plus 1/2 cup torn leaves; 8 ounces angel hair pasta

By Ali Slagle

Published March 21, 2023

Salmon With Garlic Butter and Tomato Pasta — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 5(1,901)
Comments: Read comments

In less than half an hour of swift multitasking, you’ll be feasting on crisp-skinned salmon and delicate noodles dotted with caramelized tomatoes and fresh basil. Start by broiling salmon, skin side up, alongside little tomatoes. Without flipping or stinking up the house, the salmon skin sears and protects the tender flesh from overcooking while the tomatoes grow heavy with juices and char in spots. Meanwhile, cook angel hair pasta on the stovetop with garlic and butter. When both elements are done, stir the tomatoes into the pasta: They’re like water balloons of sweetness and tang among the glossy, unapologetically garlicky noodles.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

4(4- to 6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, patted dry
1pint cherry or other small tomatoes
1½tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
3tablespoons unsalted butter
5garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
3basil sprigs, plus ½ cup torn leaves
8ounces angel hair pasta

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the broiler to high. On a foil-lined sheet pan, coat the salmon and tomatoes with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the salmon skin side up. Broil until the tomatoes are blistered and the salmon’s skin is crisp and flesh flakes easily with a fork, 6 to 10 minutes. Halfway through broiling, check on the sheet pan: If the tomatoes are burning, give them a stir. If the salmon skin is burning — congrats, you have a powerful broiler! — move the rack to the center of the oven and keep cooking.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 3 cups water, 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal salt, the basil sprigs and a generous sprinkling of black pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta, breaking the noodles in half if they don’t fit in the skillet. Cook over medium-high, tossing often with tongs or a fork, until the pasta is al dente, 5 to 8 minutes. It’s OK if the water isn’t completely absorbed, but if the skillet looks dry, without any liquid on the bottom of the skillet, add a few tablespoons of water. If the pasta is done before the salmon, remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Step 3
When the salmon and tomatoes are out of the oven, transfer the salmon to plates, skin side up, to rest. Remove the basil sprigs from the pasta, then add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pasta and toss until melted and glossing the noodles. Add the tomatoes, any juices from the sheet pan and the basil leaves to the pasta and stir just once to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the salmon alongside the noodles.

Ratings

5 out of 5

1,901 user ratings

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Comments

CSBeard622 years ago

I made this last night with a few modifications to the pasta. I used 3 cups of homemade chicken broth instead of water and added chopped Kalmata olives and capers to the pasta while cooking. Overall a good dish but needs a boost.

Aprila2 years ago

This has to be the most delicious pasta dish I’ve ever had, let alone cooked. The flavors are bright and complex. At the end I stirred in dinosaur kale, sliced crosswise (after removing the spines) into thin ribbons and lightly steamed, which added more color and all those nutrients.

suzy2 years ago

I like this. Especially doing the pasta in a sauté pan-a bit of a revelation. The salmon turned out very tender and my broiler did a great job on the skin as well as the tomatoes. I did have to move it to the middle rack after about 6 minutes. I doubled the receipt because I used a pound of spaghetti (always use the whole package) and my SO loves pasta and can eat a whole pound on his own. Next time I’ll use more garlic and maybe another 1/2 pint of tomatoes. It’s in the rotation.

Kathleen2 weeks ago

So good and so easy. 11/10 Next time double the tomatoes

Isabella4 weeks ago

I did it on the skillet this way: I pan-fried the skinned salmon with oil, some butter, the garlic a bit of the leaves, and the tomatoes. The fish was done before the tomatoes, so I removed the fish from the pan and then kept roasting the tomatoes. When I turned off the pan I added the remaining butter to melt. Meanwhile, I made the pasta the simple way, adding the roasted garlic, sprigs and a bit of butter to the water that I drain, then transferred the tagliatelle to the pan and en-plate.

Elizabeth Langer1 month ago

I substituted rigatoni for angel hair and loved the chewy texture. It did need some additional water for cooking. I also sprinkled some shaved Parmesan and cracked pepper over the pasta before serving. Delicious.

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