To cook smoked salmon pasta, boil spaghetti in well-salted water, save a little of the cooking water, then gently toss the pasta with crème fraîche, peas, dill and smoked salmon over very low heat. Done properly, it takes about 30 minutes and serves four.
- Hot-smoked salmon flakes into chunks. Cold-smoked salmon melts into the sauce.
- Keep a few spoonfuls of pasta water to loosen the sauce.
- Add the fish last, over very low heat.
- If you’re pregnant, the NHS says cold-smoked fish must be cooked until steaming hot.
- One serving of the BBC Good Food version has 470 kcal and 1.85g of salt.
What You Need
This dinner looks fancy, but the shopping list is short. It’s the kind of easy weeknight dinner, much like the corned beef hotpot recipe, that feels special without much effort. The version below follows BBC Good Food Middle East’s hot smoked salmon and dill spaghetti, which serves four:
- 400g dried spaghetti
- 150–160g hot-smoked salmon
- 100g frozen petits pois
- A small bunch of fresh dill
- 3 rounded tablespoons of crème fraîche
Add salt and plenty of black pepper. A squeeze of lemon at the end is my own addition, and it lifts the whole dish.
Hot-Smoked Or Cold-Smoked?
They’re different products. Hot-smoked salmon is cooked as it’s smoked. It’s firm and flaky, a bit like a baked fillet. Cold-smoked salmon is the silky, sliced kind you’d put on a bagel.
For pasta, hot-smoked is easier because it holds its shape when tossed. Cold-smoked works too, but it turns soft, so add it right at the end. Either way, you’re only warming the fish through, not frying it.
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How To Cook It, Step By Step
- Prep first. Flake the salmon into bite-sized pieces. Strip the tough stalks from the dill and chop the fronds. Any leftover dill also works well with creamy, garlicky dishes like Turkish eggs.
- Boil the water. Use a big pan and salt it well. The water should taste a little like the sea.
- Cook the spaghetti. Follow the packet timing, as it varies by brand. Stir now and then so it doesn’t clump.
- Add the peas. Tip them in when the pasta is nearly done.
- Save some water. Scoop out about four tablespoons of the starchy cooking water, then drain. The BBC method does exactly this.
- Bring it together. Put the pasta and peas back in the pan with that water. Turn the heat right down. Add the salmon, dill, crème fraîche and black pepper.
- Toss and serve. Warm it through briefly. Too much heat can split the sauce and dry out the fish.
The Numbers At A Glance
| Detail | Figure |
| One portion of fish | About 140g |
| Weekly fish advice | At least 2 portions, including 1 of oily fish |
| Energy per serving | 470 kcal |
| Salt per serving | 1.85g |
| Time and servings | About 30 minutes, serves 4 |
Source: BBC Good Food Middle East and NHS
Salmon is an oily fish and one of the healthiest foods you can put on a plate, so this pasta can nudge you towards the weekly target. There’s a catch, though. Divide 150–160g of salmon between four plates and each person gets under 40g. That’s well short of a full 140g portion.
It also isn’t a low-salt dish. Smoked fish and salted pasta water both add up, so go easy on extra salt at the table.
Is It Safe When Pregnant?
The NHS foods to avoid in pregnancy page says raw, cold-smoked and cured fish could contain listeria bacteria. It adds that cold-smoked fish, such as smoked salmon, “must be cooked until steaming hot”.
Warming it gently isn’t enough, then. The NHS also says pregnant women should only eat smoked fish products that have been thoroughly cooked. That page doesn’t mention hot-smoked fish, so ask your midwife if you’re unsure. If this applies to you, cook the salmon right through in the sauce until it’s piping hot. If you’re also reading up on other pregnancy-time habits, such as drinking raspberry leaf tea, it’s worth running those past your midwife too.
Common Mistakes
- Overheating the fish. High heat makes salmon dry and the sauce grainy. Stay on low.
- Draining away all the water. The starch helps the sauce cling to the pasta, so you won’t need cornflour to thicken it.
- Under-salting the pasta water. Pasta cooked in bland water tastes flat, whatever sauce you add.
Easy Ways To Vary It
Swap spaghetti for linguine or tagliatelle. Stir in capers, baby spinach or lemon zest. Fresh dill is lovely, but chives or parsley will do if that’s what you have.
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FAQs
Q1. Can You Cook Smoked Salmon?
Yes. Hot-smoked salmon is already cooked, so you just warm it through. Cold-smoked salmon can be gently heated in the sauce.
Q2. Which Smoked Salmon Is Best For Pasta?
Hot-smoked is easiest, as it flakes and keeps its texture. Cold-smoked is silkier but softens quickly.
Q3. How Long Does Smoked Salmon Pasta Take?
About 30 minutes from start to finish, according to the BBC Good Food Middle East recipe above.
Q4. Can I Eat Smoked Salmon Pasta When Pregnant?
Only if the salmon is cooked until steaming hot, says the NHS. Ask your midwife about hot-smoked fish.
Q5. What Pasta Goes Best With Smoked Salmon?
Spaghetti, linguine and tagliatelle all work well. Long strands carry a creamy sauce nicely.
Disclaimer: This article is published strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as a promotion or endorsement of any product or service. Readers should independently verify all facts, nutritional details, and consult professional culinary or medical advice before making dietary changes.
