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Home » Recipes » Pasta

Easy Cajun Salmon Pasta

By Laura Fuentes Updated Jun 3, 2025

5 from 26 votes

Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

This cajun salmon pasta is a simple, family-friendly recipe perfect for a weeknight dinner.

When you want a simple, family-friendly dinner that everyone will devour, this cajun salmon pasta is it! The seasoned salmon is cooked in a pan while the pasta is cooking, and everything is tossed in a fabulous pan sauce. Take a look, and let’s make it!

large pot of cajun salmon pasta

Skillet Cajun Salmon Pasta

Want to add more salmon to your meals? This cajun salmon pasta is a great way to get more protein and nutrition while enjoying a delicious dish you can assemble quickly in one skillet.

Pasta is the perfect vessel to get the benefits of salmon onto our diets, plus it also stretches out our budget since you need a little less per person than when making salmon the main item of the meal. 

While the pasta cooks, you’ll cook the salmon on the skillet and then make an epic sauce with garlic, tomatoes, and salmon … it’s an out-of-this-world recipe. The best part: this pasta dinner comes together in 30 minutes!

Check out this post for more cajun-inspired recipes!

ingredients for cajun salmon pasta laid out on a countertop before cooking the meal

Ingredients

Simple ingredients turn into this 30-minute pasta with cajun salmon that looks like you spent hours in the kitchen. 

Here’s what you need for this delicious recipe:

  • Spaghetti: It’s what my family loves for this recipe but your favorite type of pasta will work too! 
  • Salmon: fresh or frozen (thawed), about 2-3 fillets.
  • Salt and pepper: for seasoning.
  • Olive oil: for cooking.
  • Butter: if you use salted butter, you can omit adding in the extra salt.
  • Onion: thinly sliced, to add flavor and texture.
  • Garlic: minced garlic cloves are great for flavor, but you can use garlic powder too, if that’s what you have in your pantry.
  • Tomatoes: canned diced tomatoes.
  • Spinach: fresh and chopped.
  • Cajun seasoning: its spicy and smoky flavor pairs great with salmon.
  • Heavy cream or half & half: add creaminess and flavor to the pasta sauce. You can swap it for pasta water to lighten up this dish, in the same amount
  • Parmesan cheese: optional for serving.
large pan of cajun salmon pasta with Parmesan cheese on top

How to Make Cajun Salmon Pasta

Cook pasta, grab a skillet to cook the rest of the ingredients, and that’s all! Just follow this step-by-step to see how easy it is to make this meal come together:

  1. Cook the pasta
    Prepare the pasta of your choice according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside.
  2. Prepare the salmon
    Pat dry salmon fillets with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
  3. Cook the veggies
    In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for about 4 minutes, until the onions are golden. Add the garlic and stir. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture simmers. Remove from the pan onto a large plate.
  4. Cook the salmon
    Add a little more olive oil to the pan, and cook the salmon for 4 to 6 minutes per side until golden/seared on each side and the meat separates easily with a fork. Remove from the pan onto the plate.
  5. Make the sauce
    Add the cream or half & half to the pan and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Bring it to a simmer and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, using a wooden spatula. Add the Cajun seasoning, and mix to incorporate it with the sauce.
  6. Combine
    Break up the salmon into large pieces and add them into the pan along with the tomatoes, onions, and chopped spinach. Toss the cooked pasta in, and mix to coat everything with the sauce. Add the remaining pasta water, a little bit at a time, until the sauce reaches the thickness and consistency you like.
  7. Serve
    Serve with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese, if desired, and enjoy!

Make next: Cajun Alfredo with Sausage

Swaps and Add-Ons

You can always make little changes and add ingredients to customize this recipe to your family’s needs and preferences, like using leftover baked cajun salmon to save time:

More veggies:
Make this cajun salmon pasta even more nutritious by adding celery, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, peas, kale, or cooked broccoli.

Lighter version:
Reserve an additional ½ cup of pasta water before draining and swap it for the half and half or cream. Alternatively, reduce the amount and just swap half.

closeup of cajun salmon in pasta

How to Store Leftover Cajun Salmon Pasta

To store cajun salmon pasta, allow leftovers to cool down and place them in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 2 days and reheat to enjoy!

What to Serve with This Recipe

Cajun salmon pasta is a satisfying meal you can enjoy just like it is, but side dishes are always a tasty addition! These recipes pair great with a fresh, simple side salad, some spicy green beans, or roasted broccolini.

Cajun Salmon Pasta

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
This cajun salmon pasta is a simple, family-friendly recipe perfect for a weeknight dinner.
5 from 26 votes
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces spaghetti or fettuccini pasta
  • 1 cup reserved pasta water*
  • 8 ounces fresh salmon, about 2 fillets
  • Salt and pepper, for seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • ½ cup heavy cream or half & half
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, optional for serving

Instructions

Cook the pasta:

  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain pasta and set aside.

Prep salmon:

  • Pat dry salmon fillets with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Cook veggies:

  • In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for about 4 minutes until the onions are golden. Add the garlic and stir, add the tomatoes and cook until the mixture simmers, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the pan onto a large plate.

Cook salmon:

  • Add a little more oil to the pan, and cook the salmon, 4 to 6 minutes per side until golden/seared on each side and the meat separates easily with a fork. Remove from the pan onto the plate.

Make the sauce:

  • Add the cream to the pan and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Bring it to a simmer and with a wooden spatula, scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the Cajun seasoning, and mix to incorporate with the sauce.

Combine:

  • Break up the salmon into large pieces and add them into the pan along with the tomatoes, onions, and chopped spinach. Toss the cooked pasta in, mix to coat everything with the sauce. Add remaining pasta water, a little bit at a time, until you reach the thickness and consistency of sauce you like.

Serve:

  • Serve with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese, if desired.

Equipment

printed papers of weekly family meal plan
Ad Free Weekly Meal Plan $1
small container of cajun seasoning
Cajun seasoning
bright green pasta strainer on a pot
Pasta Strainer
stack of pasta bowls
Pasta Bowls

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 885mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3033IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 4mg

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Comments

    5 from 26 votes (20 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. chara says

    August 13, 2024 at 12:22 pm

    5 stars
    I love this cajun pasta, easy and delicious. Will make another soon for my family. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  2. Anjali says

    August 13, 2024 at 11:50 am

    5 stars
    Omg this pasta had so much flavor and was so satisfying! Love the spice from the cajun seasoning. It tasted great with a side salad and some garlic bread!

    Reply
  3. Katherine says

    August 13, 2024 at 10:30 am

    5 stars
    This pasta dish was easy and tasted incredible! Our new go-to.

    Reply
  4. Beth says

    August 13, 2024 at 10:28 am

    5 stars
    I make salmon all the time, and baking it was getting super boring. I made this last night, and boy does it pop. Love it!

    Reply
  5. Adri says

    August 13, 2024 at 10:02 am

    5 stars
    This is such a delicious and nutritious pasta dish! It’s super easy to make and took me less than 30 minutes to plate up, perfect for weeknight dinners!

    Reply
  6. Ella says

    February 11, 2023 at 10:59 am

    5 stars
    WOW. This cajun salmon pasta was out.of.this world! My family devoured it. I like that it’s more affordable than other recipes because it has less salmon but you still feel like you eat a lot.

    Reply

Hi! I'm Laura.
Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, mom of three, and the woman behind the world’s best pancakes—here to help you ditch the mealtime drama with recipes your family will actually eat.

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