Need a recipe for a romantic weekend dinner or a quick weeknight supper? This fettuccine pasta with smoked salmon in vodka sauce is absolutely delicious and easy to make, even for a novice in the kitchen.
If you like smoked salmon, you will love it in this bisque with lobster. Have you ever considered adding it to your quiche? Try it; it's easy and incredibly tasty!
📃 Why it Works
This is definitely a dish you can make either as a romantic weekend dinner or a quick weeknight supper.
The vodka sauce is silky and not boozy at all. It complements the rich and distinct flavor of smoked salmon perfectly. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you.
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
Don't you love creating an amazing dinner with just a few ingredients? I do!
- Fettuccine pasta - You can substitute it with linguine or spaghetti.
- Smoked salmon [lox] - check out the FAQ section for more info!
- Butter - I don't recommend replacing it with oil simply because the butter makes this dish silky and adds richness.
- Fresh dill - don't skimp on this herb! It pairs perfectly with fish dishes, and it makes all the difference!
🔪 Instructions
You'll love how easy it is to make this sophisticated dish. Here is how it's done:
- Cook the pasta: Place the fettuccine pasta in a large pot with boiling salted water and cook al dente according to package directions. Do not overcook! Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: Melt the butter, add heavy cream and bring to a gentle boil. Add the vodka, smoked fish, and dill and simmer until slightly thickened; season with salt and pepper.
- Finish: Add the cooked and drained pasta to the sauce, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and gently toss. Serve hot!
- First, it is important to cook pasta al dente as it will continue to cook in the sauce. I usually rinse the pasta with cold water, too, to stop the cooking process.
- When seasoning the sauce, go easy with the salt as the smoked fish is already pretty salty. It's always easier to add salt than to remove it.
- Also, if you cook the cream on high heat, it will curdle. You only want a gentle boil, and don't let it get too thick, or you won't have enough sauce to coat the pasta.
- Lastly, if you do have any leftovers from this smoked salmon noodle dish, you'll need to add a bit of heavy cream before reheating it and potentially extra salt or pepper as well.
- A side of fresh salad greens and a glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir goes well with this delicious dish.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Smoked trout or mackerel are suitable substitutes for smoked salmon.
Not all smoked salmon is lox, but all lox is smoked salmon. Confused? 🤔 It's simple:
Smoked salmon is made from any part of the fish, salt-cured and brined, then smoked.
Lox is [originally] made from only the belly portion of the salmon, cured and smoked.
It's best to serve this pasta dish fresh, and I guarantee you won't have any leftovers. However, you can quickly reheat it in your microwave or oven.
Microwave: Heat on low power for one minute; stir the pasta. Continue to heat the dish, one minute at a time, stirring it at the end of each minute until it reaches the desired temperature.
Oven: Warm it up in a foil-covered baking dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 15-20 minutes.
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Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon in Vodka Sauce
EQUIPMENT
- Colander
Ingredients
- ½ pound fettuccine pasta
- 4 oz. smoked salmon, diced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons vodka
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook ½ pound pasta in salted water according to the package directions for al dente.
- While pasta is cooking, melt three tablespoons of butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add one cup of cream and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add two tablespoons of vodka, 4 ounces of diced salmon, and a tablespoon of fresh dill; season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add drained pasta to the sauce, sprinkle with ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese, and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- First, it is important to cook pasta al dente as it will continue to cook in the sauce. I usually rinse the pasta with cold water, too, to stop the cooking process.
- When seasoning the sauce, go easy with the salt as the smoked fish is already pretty salty. It's always easier to add salt than to remove it.
- Also, if you cook the cream on high heat, it will curdle. You only want a gentle boil, and don't let it get too thick, or you won't have enough sauce to coat the pasta.
- Lastly, if you do have any leftovers of this smoked salmon noodle dish, you'll need to add a bit of heavy cream before reheating it and potentially extra salt or pepper as well.
- A side of fresh salad greens and a glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir goes well with this exceptionally tasty dish.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in May 2015 and updated in September of 2019 with new photos and recipe tips.
Haley Seymour says
Fettuccine is my FAVORITE! And I love salmon atop anything 🙂 yum!!
Jas says
That makes two of us, Haley! 🙂
Chelsey says
This pasta dish looks delicious! Love the combination of smoked salmon and dill paired with the vodka sauce. Perfect comfort dish for any day of the week!
Jas says
Thank you, Chelsey! The flavors really pair well together. xx
Kim | Give it Some Thyme says
What a delicious and comforting dish! Love smoked salmon and this combination of flavors. Perfect any night of the week! Thanks for sharing!!
Jas says
Thanks, Kim! Hope you'll try it sometime. 🙂
Alexandra Shunk says
I LOVE Alfredo anything so adding salmon and dill is just an awesome idea and sounds to die for!! Definitely putting this on my dinner menu!!
Jas says
So happy you like it, Aleka! Hugs!
acraftymix says
Okay, so I made very sure to have my breakfast first before coming over to see what you've been cooking. And you know what Jas? It didn't make the slightest bit of difference. I'm still sitting here slobbering all over my laptop my friend. Aaaaaiii, I give up. I'm just going to have to buy myself a bib and be done with it 😀
Jas says
LOL, you crack me up! How about making this dish (it's super easy, I swear!) and be done with it? Wink, wink! xx
Lisa says
What a delicious recipe! I'm such a fan of anything with salmon. Yum!
Jas says
Thank you, Lisa! We love salmon too. 🙂
Andrea says
You had me at fettuccine with smoked salmon...then when I heard vodka sauce, I about died! Wow!
Jas says
Haha, thanks for the giggle! xx
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen says
I can practically taste that smoked salmon! It looks so delicious and I'll never say no to an easy pasta dinner!
Jas says
It really doesn't get easier than this, unless you count tossing a jar of marinara over your pasta, lol.
Andrea Metlika says
Whoa! This sounds Amazing! I love lox and to add it to fettuccine like this, oh my! I can't wait to make this for my family.
Jas says
Thank you, Andrea! Hope your family likes it as much as mine. 🙂
Courtney | Love & Good Stuff says
Absolutely delicious! The smoked salmon and the dill are just perfect in this pasta!
Jas says
Happy you like it, Courtney! Thanks for stopping in. xx
Healthy World Cuisine says
Loving this quick and easy back to school recipe! Remembering this recipe from a few years ago and your photography is a just stunning in this post. We want to just jump in that bowl of delicious noodles. Thanks for making Noodles Without Borders a delicious way to travel around the world. Take Care
Jas says
Thank you, Bobbi! Even the new photos can't convey how delicious this simple dish is. xx