If you love The Cheesecake Factory’s Louisiana Chicken Pasta, this One-Pan Louisiana Salmon Pasta is such a fun way to bring those same bold, creamy Cajun flavors home, but with salmon and a much easier cooking method.
This recipe is also a little nod to the viral feta pasta that had all of us throwing a block of feta and tomatoes into a baking dish back in 2020. Same idea, but we’re taking it way further.
Salmon, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers and onions roast together with Boursin, feta, tomato paste, garlic and plenty of Cajun seasoning. Once everything gets bubbly and slightly charred, you mash it all together right in the pan and toss in pasta.
That’s it. Dinner.
And the sauce? Creamy, cheesy, a little smoky, a little spicy and packed with flavor from all those roasted vegetables and salmon.
Why You’ll Love This Louisiana Salmon Pasta
First of all, it’s EASY. Most of the work happens right in the baking dish, and while that’s in the oven, you boil your pasta.
It’s also hearty and protein-packed without feeling like your basic salmon dinner. If you make salmon all the time and need a new way to switch it up, this is it.
I like reserving an additional salmon fillet and cooking it separately to place on top of the finished pasta. You absolutely don’t have to do this, but presentation-wise? Do it. You get the creamy salmon mixed throughout the pasta and those beautiful pieces of salmon right on top.
Ingredients
- 2 skinless salmon fillets
- 1 additional salmon fillet, optional, for serving
- 1/2 box small rigatoni or farfalle pasta
- 1 generous handful cherry tomatoes, left whole
- 1 generous handful mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 generous handful onion, finely chopped
- 1 generous handful tri-colored bell peppers, finely chopped
- 1 round Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese
- 1/2 block feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon roasted garlic paste, or fresh garlic to taste
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Cajun seasoning, to taste
- Smoked paprika, to taste
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence, optional
- Reserved pasta water, as needed
- Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving
- Red pepper flakes, optional, for serving
A Few Tips
Don’t go crazy with the salt in the beginning. Between the feta, Boursin, Cajun seasoning and Parmesan, there’s already plenty of salty flavor happening. You can always add more once everything is mixed together.
Also, don’t skip the pasta water. The starch helps loosen the cheese mixture without watering down the sauce. Start with just a couple tablespoons and add more only if you need it.
And watch that broiler! You’re looking for bubbly cheese and slightly charred vegetables — not a cremation. A few minutes is plenty.
What Pasta Works Best?
The Cheesecake Factory serves its Louisiana Chicken Pasta with farfalle, so bow-tie pasta is an obvious choice if you really want to lean into the inspiration.
I also love small rigatoni here because all of that creamy Cajun sauce gets inside the pasta. Penne would work too.
Use what you have.
The Perfect Salmon Pasta for an Easy Dinner
This one is GOOD.
It’s creamy without having to make a separate cream sauce, the Cajun seasoning gives everything a little kick, the roasted tomatoes bring some acidity and sweetness, and you get salmon in practically every bite.
It’s basically viral feta pasta’s grown-up Cajun salmon cousin.
And for a weeknight dinner where the oven is doing most of the work? I’ll take it.
Recipe Notes
- Use a 9-by-13-inch dish if you want more room for the vegetables to roast and caramelize.
- Cooking times can vary depending on the thickness of your salmon. Salmon should reach 145°F in the thickest portion for food safety.
- Add pasta water gradually. You want the sauce creamy, not watery.
- For more heat, finish with red pepper flakes or additional Cajun seasoning.
- For the best presentation, cook an extra salmon fillet separately and serve a portion on top of each bowl.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container and gently reheated. Add a splash of water before reheating to loosen the sauce.
One-Pan Louisiana Salmon Pasta
Ingredients
For the salmon and baked sauce
- 3 skinless salmon fillets, about 5 to 6 ounces each
- 1 generous handful cherry or grape tomatoes, about 1 cup
- 1 generous handful mushrooms, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup
- 1/2 cup finely chopped tri-colored bell peppers
- 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 5.2-ounce round Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese
- 1/2 8-ounce block feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon roasted garlic paste, or 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, divided
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence, optional
For the pasta
- 8 ounces farfalle or small rigatoni
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, as needed
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving
- Crushed red pepper flakes, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare the baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven.
- Lightly drizzle a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
- Build the salmon pasta sauce.
- Place 2 of the salmon fillets in the baking dish, leaving a little space between them.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers and onion around the salmon.
- Place the whole round of Boursin and the half block of feta in the center of the baking dish. Add the tomato paste and roasted garlic paste alongside the cheeses.
- Drizzle everything with about 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Season the entire dish with 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, a light sprinkle of salt and black pepper and the Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence, if using.
- Prepare the salmon for serving on top.
- Place the remaining salmon fillet on a small foil-lined sheet pan or baking dish.
- Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season all over with the remaining 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus salt and black pepper to taste.
- This salmon will stay whole and be used to finish the pasta when serving.
- Roast the salmon and sauce.
- Place both the large baking dish and the separately seasoned salmon in the oven.
- Roast at 425°F for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
- The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your salmon, so begin checking it around the 12-minute mark. The thickest part of the salmon should reach 145°F.
- Remove the separately roasted salmon as soon as it is cooked and set it aside.
- Broil the sauce.
- Once the 2 salmon fillets in the baking dish are cooked, switch the oven to broil.
- Broil the baking dish for 2 to 5 minutes, watching it closely, until the cheeses are bubbly and the tomatoes and vegetables have started to char around the edges.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven.
- Cook the pasta.
- While the salmon and vegetables are roasting, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- Add the farfalle or rigatoni and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
- Before draining the pasta, carefully scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and set it aside. Drain the pasta.
- Make the creamy Louisiana salmon sauce.
- While the baking dish is still hot, use the back of a fork to gently burst the roasted tomatoes.
- Break the 2 salmon fillets in the baking dish into bite-size flakes.
- Stir everything together — the salmon, Boursin, feta, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomato paste and garlic — until the cheeses melt into the roasted vegetables and create a creamy sauce.
- Don’t worry about making it completely smooth. You want some pieces of salmon and vegetables throughout the sauce.
- Add the pasta.
- Add the drained pasta directly to the baking dish.
- Toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated in the creamy Cajun salmon sauce.
- If the sauce is thicker than you’d like, add the reserved pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time, tossing after each addition, until the sauce is creamy and coats the pasta nicely.
- Taste and adjust with additional Cajun seasoning, salt or black pepper as needed.
- Finish with the reserved salmon.
- Divide the pasta among 4 bowls.
- Gently flake or cut the separately roasted salmon fillet into 4 pieces and place one piece on top of each serving.
- Finish with Parmesan cheese, additional Cajun seasoning or crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover Louisiana Salmon Pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Because creamy pasta sauces naturally thicken in the refrigerator, add a small splash of water before reheating. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a skillet over medium-low heat until warmed through.Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
