Salmon Piccata Pasta (dairy-free, gluten-free)
Looking for something delicious and new to do with salmon? This Salmon Piccata Pasta is a unique salmon recipe, featuring capers, pasta and a lemony, buttery sauce. Faster to make than chicken piccata, it’s easy to whip up this restaurant-quality meal in less than 30 minutes. Bonus: this recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free and perfect for those who eat a pescetarian diet. If you don’t need to avoid dairy or gluten, this recipe works for you too!
Why You Will Love This Lemon Salmon Piccata Recipe
- THE SAUCE! I LOVE this sauce! And I’m not even the biggest piccata fan of the family. That honor goes to my young adult daughter, who LOVES chicken and salmon piccata and was my picky taste-tester for this recipe (and food styling assistant).
- Food allergen-friendly! Speaking of restaurants, if you’re allergic to dairy or lactose-intolerant, you likely can’t even order this dish in a restaurant. But in a matter of minutes, you can whip this up at home and savor every delicious bite, without worrying about allergic or intestinal reactions!
- Fast! It takes less than 30 minutes to make!
- Easy! Made with a handful of ingredients, this salmon piccata pasta comes together quickly.
- Leftovers. IF you have any leftovers, this dish is soooo good the next day!
Recipe Ingredients and Substitution Options:
- Salmon. 1 pound of salmon filets. If you can, use 2 thick center pieces of salmon (it works much better than thin tail pieces). You can use salmon with or without skin. If you use it with skin, it will take a little longer to cook. I make it both ways. Note: This recipe creates 2 generous servings, but it’s filling. When I make it for 2 with a side dish, we have enough leftover salmon piccata for 2 the next day.
- Pasta. Angel hair or thin spaghetti works best, but you can use your favorite. If you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance or sensitivity, use a gluten-free pasta.
- Pasta Water. Save some of your pasta water for the sauce!
- Butter/Dairy-Free Butter. This is a velvety, buttery, lemony sauce. Use a high-quality butter substitute (I love Earth Balance buttery sticks). You can use real butter if you don’t have a dairy allergy or intolerance. I do not recommend substituting with oil.
- Olive Oil. You’ll need olive oil to cook the salmon. You can use avocado oil or butter instead.
- Vegetable Broth. This recipe uses vegetable broth for 2 reasons: 1) It provides more depth of flavor for the sauce than chicken broth, in my experience, and 2) It allows this dish to be pescatarian for those who eat vegetarian + seafood/fish. With that said, if you prefer to use chicken broth (or that’s all you have on hand), it works too!
- Flour. Use all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour. You’ll need 1-2 Tbsp to dust the salmon and 1 Tbsp to mix with the vegetable broth to thicken the sauce.
- Lemons. You’ll need 2 lemons. You’ll use 1 for lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. You’ll use the second for lemon slice garnishes. Fresh lemon juice and zest are ideal, but you can substitute bottled/jarred if needed.
- Capers. Jarred non-pareil capers. They are a key ingredient in any piccata dish and add a lot of flavor.
- Garlic. 1 clove, minced. You can use 1 tsp of jarred garlic if you don’t have fresh or want to save a little time.
- Herbs and Spices. Parsley (fresh or dried), salt and pepper.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Large skillet
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Pot (to boil the pasta)
- Colander
Instructions: How to Make Salmon Piccata Pasta
See the printable recipe card at the end of this post for more detailed instructions.
PREPARE THE SALMON. Put flour (use a gluten-free flour to make it g-f) and a little salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dip one side of the salmon (the non-skin side if using skin-on salmon), one piece at a time, in the flour to “dust” it.
COOK THE PASTA. Boil water and cook the pasta per the package’s recommendations.
COOK THE SALMON. Get olive oil hot in a large skillet, then cook the salmon on both sides. I typically recommend cooking the skin side down first. HOWEVER, for this recipe, we’re just dusting the non-skin side with a little flour, and we’re cooking that side first to get it a little crispy. When done, remove from the skillet and place on a plate and cover it.
PRO TIP: If it’s slightly underdone, that’s better than overdone. It will continue cooking while it rests, and you will cook it a little more in the sauce later … but you can’t fix overdone salmon.
MAKE THE PICCATA SAUCE. Deglaze the pan with half of your lemon juice and scrape any salmon bits left, then add 1 Tbsp of butter/dairy-free butter and saute the minced garlic for a 1-2 minutes (until frangrant). Then add the remaining butter, remaining lemon juice, vegetable broth/flour slurry, lemon zest, capers, chopped parsely, salt and pepper. Whisk slowly over medium heat until the sauce is thickened and well-blended.
FINISH THE DISH. Add the cooked salmon back to the skillet, cook for 1-3 minutes, then add sliced lemons and spoon sauce on the fish.
ADD THE PASTA. Either plate your pasta and add sauce and salmon on top OR add the pasta to the skillet and mix with the sauce, then plate it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken instead of salmon?
Yes! That recipe is coming to the blog next.
Is this Salmon Piccata Pasta recipe pescetarian?
Yes.
I want more sauce. Can I double the sauce recipe?
Of course you can! 🙂 Please note that the nutrition information provided in the recipe card is based on the recipe as written.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free? What about dairy-free and soy-free?
Yes to all 3! Use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free flour and a dairy-free + soy-free butter substitute (Earth Balance makes a vegan one and also vegan + soy-free buttery sticks).
Can I leave out the pasta and just make salmon piccata?
Yes! Instead of pasta, you can serve it with rice or over dairy-free mashed potatoes (yum!) or another side.
Shouldn’t there be white wine in this recipe?
Because some white wine can contain trace amounts of dairy and/or gluten due to the fining process to clarify wine, I opted to make it without any wine. If you’d like to use wine, you can use 1/4 cup of white wine and 1/2 cup of vegetable broth (instead of 3/4 cup of the broth).
What can I serve with this salmon piccata pasta?
I love to serve it with steamed broccoli, sautéed asparagus or a simple salad.
Looking for More Salmon Recipes?
Salmon Piccata Pasta
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 Citrus Zester
- 1 Citrus Juicer
- 1 Colander
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 1b salmon (center filet pieces work better than tail pieces)
- 4 oz angel hair pasta or spaghetti (use gluten-free pasta if need to make this g-f)
- 2 Tbsp pasta water (save 2-3 Tbsp of your pasta water from cooking your pasta)
- 4 Tbsp dairy-free butter (if dairy isn't an issue, you can use real butter)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 3 Tbsp flour (gluten-free if making this g-f)
- 2 lemons, for 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp zest (you'll need 1 for fresh lemon zest + lemon juice; second lemon for garnish slices)
- 3 Tbsp capers (jarred, drained)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped parsely (1 Tbsp for sauce; 1/2 Tbsp for garnishing; use fresh or dried)
- 1/4 tsp salt (for the sauce)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (for the sauce)
- salt and pepper (a pinch or little shake of each to flour coating + salt and pepper to taste when finished making the sauce)
Instructions
COOK THE PASTA
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook your pasta according to the package's instructions.
- SAVE SOME OF THE PASTA WATER. You'll need 2 Tbsp (maybe 3).
PAN-COOK THE SALMON
- Put 2 Tbsp of flour in a shallow bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. One at a time, put each salmon piece in the bowl and lightly coat ("dust") one side with the flour. If using salmon with skin on, flour the side without skin. Set the salmon filets aside.
- Get 2 Tbsp olive oil hot in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil shimmers, add the salmon to the pan, floured side down. Sear the salmon for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes without moving it, to get the floured side a bit crispy and browned. Carefully flip and cook on the other side another 2-4 minutes, depending on thickness and whether the other side has skin on it or not. It takes a little longer to cook with skin on. Pan-cooked salmon is done when it's 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). It should flake easily with a fork. Set the cooked fish on a plate to rest and cover to keep warm.
MAKE THE SAUCE
- Deglaze the pan with half of your lemon juice (1 Tbsp) and scrape any salmon bits left off the bottom (they add nice flavor to your sauce!).
- Add 1 Tbsp of butter/dairy-free butter and saute the minced garlic on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes (until frangrant).
- Turn down to medium heat. Add the remaining "butter" (3 Tbsp), remaining lemon juice, (1Tbsp), capers (3 Tbsp), lemon zest (1 tsp), chopped parsely (1 Tbsp) and salt and black pepper (1/4 tsp each). Stir and let the butter melt.
- Put 1 Tbsp of flour or gluten-free flour in a measuring cup or mug with your 3/4 cup of vegetable broth and whisk to combine, creating a "broth slurry."
- Add the broth slurry to the sauce in your skillet, and slowly whisk it in to combine well. Add 2 Tbsp of pasta water and whisk in.
- Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes to allow your piccata sauce to thicken, stirring frequently. Optional – you can add 1 more Tbsp of pasta water at this point if the sauce seems too thick. It should be like a thin gravy …
FINISH and PLATE
- Add the cooked salmon back to the skillet, add a little of the sauce on top and cook for 1-3 more minutes, depending on the salmon's temperature and if it needs cooked a little longer (or not).
- At this point, you have 2 options: Option 1 – Plate your pasta, spoon sauce over it, then place the salmon on top with a little sauce and garnishes on top. OR Option 2 – remove the salmon again, put the pasta in the skillet and stir it in to coat the pasta … then plate and top with your salmon and garnishes. You can't go wrong with either.
