Not only does this dish look fantastic, but it’s also good for you. Salmon, cherry tomatoes, and spinach make this a nutrient-dense meal. But don’t let the health perks fool you – it’s drop-dead-delicious. 😗🤌
Creamy Tuscan Salmon – The Secret’s in the Sauce
Have you ever noticed just how many fish recipes come complete with some kinda cream-based sauce? Well, there’s a reason for that because heavy cream is super receptive to other flavors, enhancing the Italian seasonings and garlic. It also makes for a stable sauce – one that’s not too fussy. Best of all, it’s a great way to please the palate of all your family members who say they don’t like fishy-tasting fish. Flavorful cream sauces like this one cut down on the “fishy” flavor that so many people dislike and just might convince your pickier pals they like fish after all.
Creamy Tuscan Salmon Ingredients
Italian Seasoning – This mix of dried herbs adds a Mediterranean touch to your dish.Garlic Powder – Powdered garlic is fresh garlic that’s been dried and ground, but it still adds a mouthwatering aroma to your food.Paprika – Sweet and pungent, paprika really ups the flavor game with its pepper origins.Salmon – Salmon is a hearty fish with red-colored meat packed with omega-3 fatty acids and a savory umami flavor – it’s the fish for people who “don’t like fish.”Salt – This household ingredient intensifies every flavor in a dish and acts as a garnish too!Pepper – Ground black pepper adds a mild touch of heat to flavorful dishes without the burn.Oil – This ingredient mixed with butter brings the perfect crisp to our salmon. Olive oil is my pick when possible.Unsalted Butter – Unsalted butter makes any dish moist and flavorful. Without the added salt, you’re in control of how much salt is in your dish.Minced Garlic – Cutting fresh garlic into small pieces adds flavor and aroma to this recipe. You can buy pre-minced garlic in a jar or mince it yourself for a fresher, bolder flavor using my guide.Chicken Broth – Essentially, the water that chicken was boiled in, this broth is flavorful and filled with collagen and oils.Heavy Cream – High-fat content makes this sauce seem thick and decadent without adding any flour or cornstarch.Parmesan – Mild and salty (but not too salty); this cheese will elevate and thicken up your cream sauce.Cherry Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes add sweetness and color to this dish.Fresh Spinach – You’ll sauté this fresh spinach until its flavor becomes mild. It will add a pop of color to the sauce too.Fresh Basil – Aromatic and bright, fresh chopped basil adds a distinctive sweetness to this dish.Parsley – This herb adds a complementary touch by contrasting with and emphasizing the other flavors in this dish. Watch out for lemon wedges – this is another perfect garnish for creamy Tuscan salmon.Lemon – The citrusy flavor of lemon wedges contrast with the creamy sauce making it the perfect garnish.
Alternative Ingredients
Salmon – I mean, it wouldn’t really be creamy Tuscan salmon without the salmon, BUT this recipe would absolutely work with another kind of fish or even chicken. Make sure you adjust cooking times for fish or meat other than salmon.Heavy Cream – Fresh out of heavy cream? Try half-and-half instead. If you’re trying to avoid dairy, you could use dairy-free milk instead, but the flavor will definitely vary.Butter – Instead of butter, you could use olive oil in this recipe. The flavor of olive oil still compliments salmon beautifully, but the consistency of your sauce will change ever so slightly.Chicken Broth – Vegetable broth will work if you don’t have chicken broth or if you’re a pescatarian. 😉Fresh Basil – You can use dry basil instead, but fresh basil is where it’s at when it comes to flavor. Just sayin’.
Tips and Tricks
- Get Fresh Salmon If you can get some fresh salmon from a local seafood market, great! Just make sure it’s truly fresh. Fresh, wild salmon deteriorates quickly once it’s harvested. If it takes several days to get salmon to your area, it might be best to opt for frozen wild salmon, which has been frozen on the boat where it was caught and then shipped straight to your local supermarket.
- Don’t Overcook the Salmon Don’t overcook the salmon! If you think you don’t like salmon, you’ve probably been overcooking it. Keep it juicy and tender by cooking your salmon to a perfect medium. But since cooking times can vary based on the thickness of your salmon fillet, how in the world are you supposed to know when salmon is perfectly done? Easy – gently press a fork down on the top of the fillet. Your salmon is ready if the flesh separates easily along the whitish, fatty lines running through the fillet. Take it off the heat STAT!
- Deglaze the Pan Deglazing makes the most delicious sauce. Deglazing is a fancy term for pouring cool liquid into a hot pan, which unsticks all those tasty, toasty brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Pour your chicken broth into the pan AFTER you’ve cooked the fish and sauteed the garlic for a sauce that reaches its full flavor potential. Call it deglazing the pan and pat yourself on the back; you’re officially a chef. 😜
Serving and Storage Instructions
Before you serve your salmon, spoon plenty of sauce over it. In fact, get the most out of that uh-mazing sauce by serving it with a healthy portion of pasta – and spoon some sauce over that too! Garnish with lemon wedges, basil, and parsley for the ultimate yum factor. Refrigerating. Store creamy Tuscan salmon in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay good for 2-3 days. Reheating. As I mentioned, overcooked salmon is not your friend. So, to reheat this dish without drying it out, put the salmon on a rimmed baking sheet or a cast-iron skillet and warm it in a not-so-hot oven (about 275 degrees is just right) for about 15 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees.
Make-Ahead Instructions
I’ll be honest with you folks, stove-top salmon fillets taste better freshly cooked, but there are a couple of workarounds if you’re in a pinch for time and need to make this dish ahead. One way to make this dish ahead of time is to go ahead and follow the recipe the day or morning before your creamy Tuscan salmon dinner and then refrigerate it. When it’s time to eat, follow the reheating instructions above and pop your cast iron pan in the oven for 15 minutes at 275℉/135℃. Low and slow is the best way to get this dish back to steaming hot without overcooking it. As a second option, try eating your cooked salmon cold. Cold, cooked salmon is the perfect topping for any salad. Trust me on this; it’s so good you’ll forget it’s technically “leftovers.”😉
What Goes with Creamy Tuscan Salmon?
Definitely serve this dish over a plate of pasta. If you’re not a pasta fan, try rice pilaf instead. And if you’re watching your carbs, brown rice will do the trick too. When I’m feeling extra decadent, I love to serve this salmon with roast garlic mashed potatoes because, seriously, it’s a match made in heaven. For veggies, try creamy Tuscan salmon with a side of kale salad or parmesan-crusted baked asparagus.g
More Recipes to Try
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How to Make Creamy Tuscan Salmon
The Salmon
Prepare the Salmon – Whisk together Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and paprika in a shallow bowl. Season the salmon fillet with salt and black pepper, and then sprinkle on the spice mixture. (Photo 1-4)
Cook the Salmon – Heat a tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet or cast-iron pan. Add the salmon skin-side up to the pan and cook until the fillet looks golden (5-6 minutes depending on the salmon’s thickness). Flip (only flip once) and cook for an additional two more minutes and then transfer the salmon to a plate. (Photo 5-6)
The Sauce
Prepare the Sauce – Melt another tablespoon of butter in the same pan, then add the minced garlic, fresh tomatoes, spinach, and Italian seasoning. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant, the spinach is wilted, and the tomatoes are just cooked (about 2-3 minutes).
Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom or sides of the skillet. Add cream and Parmesan cheese. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, frequently stirring until the sauce slightly thickens.Top the Salmon with the Sauce – Return the salmon fillets to the skillet and let them heat back up for about 2-3 minutes. Spoon some sauce over salmon.Serve! Remove the creamy Tuscan salmon from the heat and serve with pasta. Garnish with lemon wedges and freshly chopped basil and parsley.
