Creamy Salmon & Pea Pasta
This creamy salmon pasta is a recipe to tuck into your back pocket for busy weeknights. This meal can be on the table in 20 minutes and it packs a good punch in the nutrition department. Pepper has loved salmon since infancy and I feel pretty lucky that she’s a fish girl all around. If your little one struggles with salmon you can try this with white fish or chicken if need be. However, I’ve read in a children’s feeding course that it can take a child up to 30 (YES 30!!!!) exposures to a certain food before they try it or start to develop a taste for it. So if you’re determined to get salmon in your little one’s diet exposure is key. But if you just need a darn dinner that your kiddo will eat and salmon isn’t going to cut it, go for the white fish or chicken!
What I love about this recipe is that you can doctor it up a bit to your liking. Having little bowls of fresh herbs to add to individual servings is key (I’m a dill girl and Pepper is more of a parsley kid,) sliced lemons, crushed red pepper flakes and extra salt and pepper is also nice to keep on the table for extra flavor if needed.
We served our salmon and peas over buckwheat noodles but feel free to use whatever noodles you prefer. I like buckwheat because it’s more gentle on the digestive system and the stronger flavor is something I like getting my kids used too. This pasta gets its creaminess from whole milk plain Greek yogurt. It’s not only delicious and light, but it adds a nice punch of probiotics to this meal as well!
If you are serving this to a very young toddler who isn’t as keen on having different foods “touching” you can deconstruct this meal a bit. Peas on one side of the plate, salmon on the other, pasta in the middle. And if you’re like me and you’re planning on serving this meal to a young baby (I served a little of this meal to my 7 month old) you can serve the salmon in “strips” (about the width of two fingers) so your little one can easily grip onto a piece and guide it to their mouth. And then mash some peas onto a spoon with Greek yogurt. My little one didn’t get any pasta but the other ingredients were enough for her to stay occupied and well fed.
Before I jump to this recipe let me break down some of the awesome nutrients packed into this meal.
Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which is essential for brain health (especially in little growing bodies)and is high in vitamin B12 which helps regulate the central nervous system and is necessary in producing red blood cells. It’s a great source of protein as well and can be served in a variety of ways which is why I love incorporating this into my children’s diet.
Peas are not only delicious and easy to serve kiddos but they contain plenty of essential vitamins and minerals that help our bodies thrive. They contain antioxidants which help our immune systems prevent and fight of disease, they have anti-inflammatory properties and they contain plenty of fiber which is good for overall gut health.
Greek yogurt contains a variety of vitamins and minerals but what makes it stand out is that it’s incredibly high in protein and contains probiotics which are great for gut health.
Pasta- depending on the type of pasta you choose- will have different nutrients. We used a buckwheat pasta which is a great source of fiber and contains more minerals per serving than most other grains.
Alright- now that you know how nutritious this simple meal is let’s get cooking!
Creamy Salmon & Pea Pasta
PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES SERVES: 4
1 pound salmon fillet
melted ghee or olive oil for cooking
salt & Pepper
zest of 1/2 of a lemon
12 ounces of your favorite pasta (we like buckwheat noodles)
1 pound bag of frozen peas
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
chopped fresh herbs for serving (dill, parsley or basil)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400F. Drizzle the salmon with melted ghee or olive oil. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and pepper and the zest of 1/2 a lemon. Bake in the oven until the flesh is opaque throughout and easily flakes with a fork. This will take anywhere between 8-10 minutes (depending of the thickness of your salmon). Once cool enough to handle, flake the salmon into large chunks.
While the salmon cooks prepare your pasta. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7-10 minutes (depending on the type of pasta you have- check your packaging!) During the last 3 minutes of cooking add your peas to the pot of boiling water. Drain your pasta and peas reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Add the pasta and peas back to the pot along with the Greek yogurt, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes and plenty of salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time to thin the sauce as needed. Add enough of the cooked salmon to the pot (you’ll likely have leftover salmon- wait for tomorrow’s recipe!) and toss to coat everything together.
Serve with your desired fresh herbs and enjoy!
