Salmon Feta Pasta

This Salmon Feta Pasta is so easy to make and is bursting with flavor. From the sweet cherry tomatoes to the baked feta, to the flaky salmon, this recipe is too delicious to miss.

This Salmon Feta Pasta is a tasty spin on the viral Baked Feta Pasta that's been all over social media lately. Like the original, it's full of juicy sweet tomatoes and crumbly, salty feta, with fresh garlic and basil adding extra flavor. But this recipe veers off with the addition of deliciously flaky and tender salmon. This takes the dish to a whole other level, and it's so easy.

This recipe is versatile and convenient. Most of the ingredients are things you already have in your kitchen, and there are just a few you'll need to pick up fresh. Tweak things where you need to for this to fit the tastes of you and your family. And if you have leftovers, no worries. This tastes just as good for lunch the next day. Let's look at the ingredients that you'll need for this tasty dish.

If you have some canned salmon on hand, you MUST try my  Salmon Patties recipe!

Video Tutorial

Main Ingredients

• Pasta. You can use any pasta cut you like. I used gemelli.
• Feta Cheese. Use a good quality feta cheese, like the ones sold in bricks.
• Tomatoes. Cherry or grape tomatoes are best for this recipe. If you wish, you can blanch them and remove the skins.
• Salmon. I prefer using skinless salmon.
• Olive Oil. Extra virgin, please.
• Garlic. Optional, but recommended.
• Basil. Or parsley.
• Red Pepper Flakes. For a touch of heat.
• Salt & Pepper. To taste.

How to make it

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Into a large ovenproof skillet or large baking dish, place the salmon, tomatoes, and feta cheese. Drizzle everything with olive oil, and season the salmon and tomatoes with some salt and pepper (be careful with the salt because feta is already quite salty).

2. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are bursting and the feta is golden on top.

3. In the meantime, cook the pasta according to the package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.

4. Remove the dish from the oven, and with the help of a fork, gently break the feta block and burst the tomatoes, creating a creamy sauce. Flake the salmon carefully.

5. Add the basil, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the sauce, and stir.

6. Finally, add the pasta and stir to combine. Add the pasta water to thin the sauce, if necessary.

Tips for the best Salmon Feta Pasta

• Use good quality feta cheese. When looking for feta cheese at the store, look for one that is sold in a block, not crumbles. Also, Greek feta is made of mostly sheep's milk, which gives it a creamier texture.
• Use skinless salmon. This is a lot easier and won't decrease flavor since this dish is oven baked. I prefer skinless because once it's baked, I just flake it and don't need to bother removing the skin afterwards.
• Use the sweetest tomatoes. Cherry and grape tomatoes are best for this Salmon Feta Pasta because their sweetness is the perfect counterbalance to the salty and briny flavors of the feta and salmon.
• Use pasta water to thin the sauce. Pasta water is infused with starch from the pasta, so when you add it to the sauce, it helps it stick to the pasta much better than regular water would.

Variations to this Recipe

• Add other vegetables. You can add other vegetables to this Salmon Feta Pasta, including broccoli, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and asparagus.
• Substitute other pastas. Almost any pasta cut will work in this recipe. Try penne, casaracce, rigatoni, and rotini.
• Use other cheeses. Feta has a great taste and texture for this dish, but you could also substitute brie or burrata for something similar, but different.
• Substitute gluten-free pasta. This substitution is all that's needed if you want to make this Salmon Feta Pasta for someone allergic or intolerant to gluten.

How to Store and Reheat it

Store any leftover Salmon Feta Pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or in the oven until warmed through.

What to Serve this with

• Bread. Enjoy this pasta dish with some crusty buttered bread, rolls, or breadsticks.
• Soup. Serve a bowl of Hearty Beef Barley Soup, Mushroom Soup, or Easy Greek Chicken Lemon Soup alongside this Salmon Feta Pasta.
• Salad. Start your meal with a cold salad, such as German Cucumber Salad, Roasted Mini Pepper Salad, Amazing Kale Salad, or Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad.
• Vegetables. Pair this dish with sides like Crunchy Baked Broccoli, Baked Potatoes and Zucchini, Garlic Mushrooms, and Baked Mediterranean Vegetables.

This Salmon Feta Pasta is so flavorful and easy. Once you try this version, you are going to want to serve it again and again. It's truly a crowd pleaser!

More tasty pasta recipes:

• Creamy Roasted Pepper Pasta
• Angel Hair Pasta
• Simple Gemelli Pasta in Tomato Sauce
• Salmon Pasta with Spinach
• Tomato Mushroom Spinach Pasta