This Tuscan salmon recipe is a wonderful, easy dinner made with pan seared salmon, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach in a parmesan cream sauce that’s ready in 20 minutes. It feels restaurant-worthy but is really simple to make at home and serve it over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.
This Creamy Salmon Recipe Takes Like You’re In a Fancy Restaurant
If you love seafood, you will absolutely adore this delicious recipe! Like our Tuscan chicken recipe, this pan-seared salmon is made in one skillet and is literally a lick your plate kind of recipe all because of the creamy tuscan sauce.
We personally love it with mashed potatoes. I start cooking whatever I am serving it over first so it is ready around the same time. Penne pasta is wonderful too since the sauce soaks up into the noodles perfectly.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
The complete list of ingredients with amounts are listed in the full recipe card below.
- Salmon – Fresh salmon fillets is what I use but frozen salmon thawed first is fine too. Skin-on or skinless both work. I use skin-on to help hold the fish together well.
- Garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper – To season the salmon with savory flavor before cooking.
- Butter & olive oil – I use a little of both to cook the salmon and sauté the vegetables. Feel free to use one of the other.
- Yellow onion – Swap with sliced green onion if preferred.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – Drained, patted dry and diced. I use jarred sundried tomatoes. You can also toss in a few cherry tomatoes too if you’d like.
- Garlic – Fresh minced gives the best flavor in my opinion but jarred will work as well.
- Heavy cream – for the best creamy sauce. You can swap the heavy cream for half and half or whole milk if you’d like for a little lighter sauce.
- Parmesan cheese Freshly grated parmesan melts more smoothly
- Chicken broth – to thin the sauce a little.
- Dried basil – I have also use Italian seasoning sometimes instead.
- Baby spinach – feel free to swap the spinach with baby kale.
How to Make Tuscan Salmon with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce
This is one of our favorite easy recipes and one I make for guests often because it’s so wonderful!
Step 1: Sear the salmon. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and sprinkle with the garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
Step 2: Add the olive oil and butter to a large skillet or cast iron pan and heat over medium-high heat until butter has melted.
Step 3: Add the salmon with the skin side up and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Step 4: Then flip over and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches at least 145° F with a thermometer. (Be careful not to overcook the salmon).
Remove the salmon from the pan and place on a plate while you make the sauce.
Step 5: Make the sauce. In the same skillet, add the onions and sun-dried tomatoes and sauté until the onions are translucent. Then add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
Step 6: Pour in the heavy cream, parmesan cheese, chicken broth and basil, stir and cook for about one minute.
Step 7: Then add in the spinach and cook for a few minutes until it wilted.
Step 8: Put the cooked salmon back into the pan and remove it from the burner. Spoon the sauce over top of each filet.
Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve over mashed potatoes, penne pasta or rice.
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
Reheat on a microwave safe plate at 50% power level for 1 minute until heated through. You can also reheat in the oven in a glass dish on low heat until heated through.
Easy Tuscan Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 salmon filets
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion or white onion, diced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes drained and diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 cup baby spinach
- Fresh basil and more parmesan cheese optional garnish
Instructions
- Sprinkle the salmon with the garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.3-4 salmon filets, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper
- Add the olive oil and butter to a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat and heat over medium heat until butter has melted.1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the salmon with the skin side up and cook for 4-5 minutes. Then flip over and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches at least 145° F with a thermometer.
- Remove from the pan and place on a plate to rest.
- In the same skillet, add the onion and sun-dried tomatoes and sauté until the onions are translucent. Then add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.½ medium yellow onion, ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, 4 cloves garlic
- Add in the heavy cream, parmesan cheese, chicken broth and basil, stir and cook for about one minute.1 cup heavy cream, ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, ¼ cup chicken broth, 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Then add in the spinach and cook until wilted.1 cup baby spinach
- Add the cooked salmon back into the dish and remove from heat. Spoon the sauce over top of each filet.
- Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese if desired.Fresh basil and more parmesan cheese
- Serve over mashed potatoes, penne pasta or rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
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