Cheesy Salmon Pasta with Spinach & Mushrooms

If you’re looking for a way to eat more salmon, this cheesy salmon pasta with spinach and mushrooms is a delicious way to make that goal!

Cheesy Salmon Pasta with Mushrooms & Spinach

I’m always looking for ways I can sneak in a bit of salmon to get my pickier eaters a serving of heart healthy omega three fatty acids. I like to find creative ways for everyone in my family of six to get more salmon without having to dish out $50 for dinner for us all. My family really enjoys this versatile salmon recipe, and yours will too! 

This Cheesy Salmon Pasta with Spinach & Mushrooms is a wonderfully delicious and frugal way to eat more salmon.

Not only is this pasta delicious, it also cooks up in a jiffy. Cooking salmon is actually really easy and this entire meal can be on the table in under 30 minutes.. So read on and be inspired to try something new tonight!

What’s the best type of salmon to use in this recipe?

I always recommend that you buy wild caught Alaska Sock-eye salmon whenever possible. It’s a little more expensive than farmed salmon, the health benefits are significantly better. Farmed salmon has much more fat that wild-caught salmon and it does not have the beneficial ratio between healthy Omega 3s and bad Omega 6s that are so good in wild-caught either. Read more about the differences here.

Sitka Salmon

I have found wild-caught salmon at both Costco and Aldi, I’ve bought it from Butcher Box, and most recently I was sent some Sitka Salmon to try out. Normally, I’m skeptical of the home delivery foods (I’m not sure why – we buy plenty from Amazon). But the Sitka Salmon was really nice. I appreciate the attention to the packaging too.

It included a recyclable plastic liner, compostable foam – just put it in your home compost and watch it disappear! If you don’t have a compost heap, simply dissolve the foam in water and you have a nutritious food to feed your plants! How awesome is that?

Additionally, the salmon is first rate. It’s wild-caught, just the way I like it. It’s traceable to fishermen who are paid an above average salary for their work, and the company purchases carbon offsets and promotes small-scale fisheries and conservation in Alaska too. Finally a salmon I can feel good about having shipped right to my door!

What type of vegetables can I use in this pasta?

That’s up to you! We really like the combo of spinach and mushrooms. If you don’t like mushrooms, feel free to leave them out. Broccoli and zucchini are also great in this delicious salmon pasta.

How about the pasta?

You can use whatever typs of past floats your boat. I like the organic pasta I buy at Costco, but if you’re gluten-free, Aldi has a great option for you. If you’re on a low-carb diet, I have an option for you too! We recently tried a high protein pasta made from chickpeas called Banza Pasta that is quite tasty too! It has 25 g of protein and 13 g of fiber per serving! 

How to Make Cheesy Salmon Pasta Recipe

Gather your ingredients, and boil a big pot of salted water for cooking your pasta. When the water is boiling, add pasta and cook according to package instructions. I like my pasta a little al dente, so I don’t usually cook it as long as the package says. Drain, and reserve pasta for later.

While the pasta is cook, heat butter or oil over medium heat in a large pot. I love my 7 1/4  qt, oven proof Le Creuset Dutch Oven, by the way. It was expensive but worth every penny!

Once the butter is melted, salt and pepper salmon fillets, then cook skin side down for 3-4 minutes. Flip salmon and cook for 3-4 more minutes. The skin should be crispy and easy to peel off after you flip it, so peel that skin off. 

If you need another tablespoon of butter, or olive oil if you prefer, add it now. Then add diced onions and sliced mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook another 1 -2 minutes. Put the salmon back in the pot

Take off the skin from the salmon, and using your spatula, break it into small pieces. Also add spinach, cook for 2-3 minutes, until everything is cooked through. {By the way, I’ve found that by chopping my spinach up very small, I can claim it’s an herb, and my picky eaters don’t even notice it. If I didn’t have picky eaters, I would not chop it so small.}  By now, your pasta should be finished cooking and you can add it to the pot with the veggies and the salmon.

Reduce heat to low. Add two cups of shredded cheese and stir until melted. You should end up with an ooey-goey delightful pasta. Remove from heat and top with the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. 

Grab a fork and dig in! I think this dish is so tasty, I don’t even need to bother with a plate. 😉

Want the printable recipe? Here you go!