20-Minute Creamy Smoked Salmon and Lemon Pasta

Last updated on March 18th, 2025

This you guys. This is your best friend in a recipe format. It is a creamy pasta full of smoked salmon, lemon (juice and zest), fresh Dill, cream and creme fraiche (I did say it was a creamy pasta!!), a dash of Chilli (which just adds flavour) and then a little salt and pepper. Let’s not forget the Parmesan. The Parmesan is critical and you can always add more if you like. I always add more. You can go right ahead and pull a squint-dreamy face right now. I am.

And if I told you it was a one dish wonder, you would just want to reach out and hug me right? OKAY HUG ME!!! Because it is.

And if I told you it takes less than 20 minutes to make, you would want to start doing a happy-cry, right? OKAY HAPPY CRY!!!! Because it does.

So let’s hug, happy-cry and go squint-dreamy-faced all together! Okay? Okay!

But please you guys, I just have to ask one thing. One teeny tiny little thing – Use fresh dill okay. Trust me. Fresh Dill.

So to make this creamy and moreish pasta, you a.) cook the pasta, drain the water and then b.) whilst the pasta is still warm, you add all the ingredients to the pasta and mix it all up.

It’s not called Just Easy Recipes for nothing y’all 🙂 

Don’t forget to cut the salmon into little bite-sized squares.

This recipe makes the perfect weeknight meal when you literally have zero minutes to get your act together. In fact, it is perfect for lazy weekends too when you just don’t want to spend more than 20 minutes in the kitchen. It is what I call an all-round-winner-winner-dish. It is also has to be the yummiest way to get your daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids 🙂

I made this dish twice, once with butterfly pasta (as seen in the pics) and then once with the shell pasta. I think the shells were a little better though because they scoop up the sauce and make the whole eating experience way more squint-dreamy-inducing.

Now, if you loved this dish, then you will also love these pasta dishes too: my 15-Minute Mushroom Alfredo Pasta as well as my Rustic French Onion and Mushroom Pasta and this Vegetarian Stroganoff. Here’s hoping you love Mushrooms.

20-Minute Creamy Smoked Salmon & Lemon Pasta

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• Author: Louise
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

There is no way you can beat this dish – it takes under 20 minutes to make, uses ONE POT and tastes too good to describe with words! YUM! Get this recipe immediately!

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Ingredients

• 4 cups Butterfly / Shell Pasta, uncooked
• 1 tablespoon oil (canola/sunflower/olive)
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 Tablespoon fresh Dill, chopped
• 250ml Cream
• 250ml Creme Fraiche (or sour cream)
• 1–2 Tablespoon red chilli (go according to taste – you may want to add more)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
• 200g smoked salmon ribbons, cut into small pieces *
• Salt and Pepper

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Instructions

1. In a large pot, boil the pasta. Add the oil. Cook until al dente (cooked yet still firm ie. not overcooked)
2. Drain the water from the pasta.
3. Add the lemon zest and juice, dill, cream, creme fraiche, chilli, salmon and parmesan and mix through.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with a slice of lemon and top with a sprinkle of fresh Dill.

Notes

• I know you can definitely get the salmon ribbons from Woolworths. Alternately, you would need to buy fresh salmon (or even trout), a 200g portion, and slice it very thinly.