Creamy Seafood, Tomato and Spinach Pasta {with Chicken variation}
You won't believe this creamy seafood, tomato and spinach pasta dish. It comes together in just 30 minutes and the flavors are spot on. I've also included a chicken variation if seafood is not your cup of tea.
Ingredients
For Seafood {see note for Chicken variation}:
- 1 4-6 ounce boneless, skinless salmon fillet fresh or frozen
- 1 pound raw shrimp peeled and deveined, see note
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
For Cream Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 4 Roma tomatoes diced
- 3 cups (7.5 ounces) fresh spinach
- 2 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning see note
- ¾ teaspoon salt plus more, to taste
- 2 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ⅔ cups (4 ounces) Parmesan cheese
For Serving:
- 1 pound hot cooked penne or other pasta
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
For Seafood:
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While sauce is cooking, thoroughly dry salmon with paper towels and then lightly season with salt and pepper and about ¼ teaspoon of the garlic powder.
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Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a medium Dutch oven or cast iron skillet with a lid over medium high heat. When oil sizzles, add seasoned salmon and cover pot with lid.
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Cook salmon for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until salmon starts to flake, is golden brown and crispy on the outside. Remove salmon to a plate and set aside.
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Add shrimp to the Dutch oven, season with salt, pepper and ¾ teaspoon garlic powder. Cook shrimp for 4 to 5 minutes on medium high covered, tossing every few minutes until shrimp is pink and cooked through. Remove from pan and drain shrimp, reserving the liquid. Set aside cooked shrimp on plate with the salmon.
For Cream Sauce:
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In a medium saucepan (or Dutch oven, if using) over medium heat add 3 tablespoons butter and heat until sizzling. Add minced garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
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Add diced tomatoes and cook about 3 to 4 minutes until they release their juices. Then add fresh spinach and cook until it wilts. Add paprika, Italian seasoning, ¾ teaspoon salt, heavy cream and heat to a simmer. Then add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Taste and add additional salt, if needed.
For Serving:
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Cut up salmon into 1 to 2-inch pieces for serving. Combine the seafood in cream sauce and reheat until warm (if needed). Serve creamy seafood sauce over hot pasta. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Recipe Notes
1. Fresh seafood is the best. But the frozen farm-raised vacuum-packed Atlantic skinless salmon fillets from Costco too. We usually buy raw shrimp, peeled & deveined (fresh or frozen, tail on or off). I usually buy the larger shrimp (31-40 or 21-25 shrimp per pound) from Costco, but you can use the smaller shrimp too, just keep in mind that they will cook quicker.
2. For the chicken variation, replace the salmon and shrimp with 1 ½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cook for about 4 minutes per side until browned and then cover and cook on medium heat until done. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes after cooking before slicing.
3. For the Italian Seasoning, I like to use Tuscan sunset from Penzey's.