This summer salmon spaghetti is a favorite in our house! Marinated garden vegetables, lots of garlic and fresh basil, grilled salmon and hot pasta make for a delicious light and satisfying meal.
This is a summer meal if I’ve ever seen one!
This summer salmon spaghetti is so fresh, satisfying and delicious. It’s a big bowl of garden vegetables tossed with grilled salmon and hot pasta. The flavor is incredible, it’s light enough to enjoy on a hot day and it’s very customizable if you have other veggies on hand.
I am so into these marinated vegetables right now. A few years ago I started thinly slicing zucchini and letting it sit in a vinaigrette for a few minutes before tossing. It’s almost like massaging kale before eating: it removes the chew and any bitterness. This is exactly how I make it in my chickpea pasta lunch salad and we all love it.
Another thing that draws us to this recipe is enjoying the grilled salmon with pasta. For no particular reason, we rarely have salmon with pasta. We tend to have a grain or roasted/grilled vegetables with our salmon and everyone likes it that way. If we do have pasta, it’s a tiny cut like orzo.
So serving the salmon right in the longer noodles makes this feel special and fancy. Plus, the way that it flakes into buttery shreds works perfectly with the spaghetti! A bit of salmon is in every bite and that’s just the way we like it.
The key with this dish is to season every layer well. Then it will taste absolutely amazing when it’s finished. We’re marinating the vegetables. Boiling the pasta in salted water. Making a garlicky herb spice blend for the salmon on the grill.
Then tossing everything together with the hot pasta to turn it into a summer dream!
YUM.
Now – I like to add at least six minced cloves of garlic into this dish. With that and the crushed red pepper, there is a slight bite to the pasta. Sometimes my kids will say it’s spicy. So feel free to adjust! You can use less garlic or skip the crushed red pepper.
I really love it in the recipe because it adds a pop. The pasta is hot when added to the veggies, so it does warm things up a bit!
Speaking of, this is excellent served hot but also really great straight from the fridge. It’s an excellent lunch leftover meal. You may need to let it sit at room temperature because the olive oil can solidify in the fridge, but it’s fabulous either way.
Feel free to add more veggies, different veggies or even different herbs from the garden. If you’re not a salmon lover, it could also work with grilled chicken too!
Summer Salmon Spaghetti
Summer Salmon Spaghetti
This summer salmon spaghetti is a favorite in our house! Marinated garden vegetables, lots of garlic and fresh basil, grilled salmon and hot pasta make for a delicious light and satisfying meal.
In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, squash, tomatoes, garlic and basil. You want a large bowl for this because we’re going to add the pasta directly to it later. Add in a big pinch of salt and pepper, the crushed red pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or even up to 2 hours.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to the directions. While you’re waiting for the pasta to boil, start the salmon so both the salmon and pasta can be done around the same time.
Preheat the grill to your highest setting. Season the salmon all over with the salt and pepper. Stir together the parsley, basil and garlic powder. Sprinkle it all over the salmon too.
Once the grill is hot, place the salmon right on the grates. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes, then use a spatula to gently flip the salmon. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes more, or a little more if you have thick pieces of salmon. You want it to be opaque and easily flake with a fork. We’re going to flake the salmon for the pasta, so you can slice into the center and see if it’s done without worrying about ruining the presentation.
Once the pasta is done, drain it and immediately add it to the marinated vegetables. Toss well. Flake the salmon with a fork and add it in too. If you need a big more olive oil, you can add that now as well.
Toss well until everything is combined. Taste and season more if needed. Sprinkle on the parmesan and fresh basil. Serve!
Deeeelish.
