My mum has been making this pasta, spinach sauce and salmon dish for dinner for us for as long as I can remember! And it´s definitely a firm favourite of mine! It´s very easy to make and I have been making it a lot at university, too!
Pasta, spinach sauce and salmon is so quick and easy to make, tastes great, and is also a fairly healthy meal at the same time! Win, win I´d say, and definitely worth a try!
How to make the Spinach Sauce
The spinach sauce is made by simply adding spinach to a Béchamel sauce. Béchamel sauce is made from three very basic ingredients, butter, flour and milk. Plus it´s very easy to scale up or down the quantities depending on how much sauce you want to make! It´s a cooking basic that everyone should know how to make, so if you´re not familiar with it, make sure to check out my Cooking Basics post here!
I use whole-leaf frozen spinach in this sauce recipe and then purée it until smooth. In some countries (like Germany) you can buy spinach that is frozen in cubes of “puréed” spinach, but in the UK we don´t have that luxury. But luckily you can always purée it yourself!
To season, I like to use some freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg, plus a special seasoning called “All Purpose Seasoning” in the UK, but is found in other countries as “Aromat” or “Fondor”. It´s a salt-based seasoning with a few extra bits and bobs added to it, which I think is perfect for seasoning sauces or vegetables (like in this meal: Creamy Bulgur with Chicken and Veg).
The Pasta and Salmon “Element”
You can go wild when it comes to what type of pasta you choose to use😉! I prefer using either Fusilli, Penne or Farfalle (my favourite!) and often opt for a wholemeal option.
I like to treat myself to a nice piece of salmon when making this Pasta, Spinach Sauce and Salmon dish! So I usually opt for a fresh salmon fillet with the skin still on! But you could always go for a skinless version or use frozen salmon fillets. I like to cook the fresh fillet in a frying pan to make sure the skin is nice and crispy! Don´t cook the salmon for too long though, if it turns a white colour that is an indication for it being overcooked! If using frozen salmon fillets, I wrap them in tinfoil and cook them in the oven.
And, of course, you can always leave the salmon out completely for a vegetarian version!
More Student-friendly Cooking Recipes
Pasta, spinach sauce and salmon is great for cooking as a student – I make it all the time! It´s easy to make, and you can make larger quantities of the sauce which can be kept in the fridge for a few days or be frozen. I have a lot of other student-friendly recipes on my blog, so make sure you go check out some of the ones listed below!
- Vegan Mixed Bean Chilli
- Chicken, Red Pepper and Avocado Wrap
- Short-Cut Baked Potatoes
- Easy “Wrap” Pizza
- Pasta and Cheese Sauce (with crispy bacon)
- Easy Student Lasagne Recipe
- Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya
- Creamy Hummus Linguine
- Chickpea and Spinach Curry (Vegan)
- Creamy Bulgur with Lemon Chicken and Chickpeas
- Spaghetti with Tomato and Meatball Sauce
Pasta, Spinach Sauce and Salmon | Student Cooking
Recipe
Ingredients:
FOR THE SPINACH SAUCE (serves 1, simply double, triple, etc. for more portions):
- 10g butter
- 10g flour
- 150-200ml milk
- 150-200g frozen spinach, thawed
- a little ground nutmeg
- black pepper
- All Purpose seasoning (or normal salt)
TO SERVE:
- 75g pasta (per person)
- 1 salmon fillet, skin on (per person)
Method:
- To make the sauce, gently melt the butter in a pot over a low heat. Add in the flour and beat with a wooden spoon to create a thick paste (known as a roux). Gradually start adding the milk, mixing well between each addition until fully incorporated before adding more. Don´t thin the sauce out too much, as you can add some of the pasta cooking water later to do so and to add some more flavour. For more tips, check out this post here: Béchamel Sauce/White Sauce | Student Cooking Basics #1.
- Stir in about half of the thawed spinach, then add the other half. Use a stick blender to purée until smooth.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions (roughly 10 minutes). Drain and perhaps reserve some of the cooking water to season the sauce.
- You may want to add some of the pasta cooking water to the sauce near the end of the cooking time to thin out the sauce and add some seasoning to it. Taste, then season with a little nutmeg, black pepper and All Purpose seasoning.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat some olive oil in a frying pan until hot. Add the salmon to the pan skin-side down and reduce the heat. Generously season the top with salt and pepper. Leave to salmon fillet to cook for about 5 minutes until you can see the it´s cooked about half-way through and the skin is crispy. Flip and cook on the other side for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Serve the pasta with the spinach sauce and the salmon! Enjoy!
