This pan seared salmon in Parmesan cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach is a dinner inspired by Tuscan flavours. Whether serving at a cozy meal for two, a full family dinner or when you really need to impress your friends, this flaky fish in a rich, creamy sauce is going to be perfect!
Serve with our vibrant Panzanella Salad for a real taste of Tuscany. Or try our Tuscan Butter Beans if you are not a fan of fish.
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As much as I love all fish and seafood, I have to admit that salmon is my all time favourite. Numerous salmon recipes on this website is proof of my long standing love for it.
Salmon Recipes
I absolutely adore salmon cooked in Asian flavours like this Teriyaki salmon with bok choy. Asian salmon with carrot and cucumber slaw is another reader favourite. Just add rice and you’ve got a wholesome dinner ready in 30 minutes!
However, being raised in Europe I also lean heavily towards the salmon and cream combination. I developed the recipe for salmon with rose wine cream sauce specifically for holiday meals. It’s beautiful and luxurious. While this creamy salmon pasta with mixed greens is an affordable, everyday dinner!
Salmon is eternally popular in my house, but that’s not the only reason it makes frequent appearances on our dinner table. It’s also packed with things that are good for you as a great source of lean protein, and quick and easy to cook when I don’t have much time to bring dinner together.
Tuscan Salmon Recipe
Strictly speaking, this salmon recipe doesn’t exactly come from Tuscany. Truth is this recipe is merely inspired by the sun-soaked flavours of the Italian region. However, if you are interested in authentic Italian recipes, you are welcome to explore our Italian recipe collection.
I used garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and vibrantly green spinach to evoke the magic of the Italian countryside. And even though not many of us can be there right now, we can always travel vicariously through our food!
What is even better? This recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes. Quick and delicious!
Parmesan Cream Sauce
Italians claim that no Parmesan cheese should ever go near fish or seafood. As much as I respect Italian cuisine, in this case I will to respectfully disagree.
The creamy Parmesan sauce, flavoured by garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and a touch of white wine complements the salmon in a beautiful way.
The sauce itself is easy to make. It has only 5 ingredients and takes no longer than 10-12 minutes. Just make sure to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Freeze dried Parmesan just doesn’t melt like the fresh stuff, which can leave a sauce like this one gritting and clumpy.
And to make it worse, freeze dried cheese will never match fresh cheese for flavour. This means that you have to use much more to approximate what just a small amount of freshly grated cheese can achieve. So although fresh Parmesan does cost a premium, it is money very well spent!
A Parmesan cream sauce this good shouldn’t be served with salmon alone. It’s just as amazing when used with chicken, pork or as a pasta sauce!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Start by removing extra moisture from the salmon to allow the fish to sear instead of steam. Pat dry each piece with a paper towel, then season with salt and pepper.
- Sear the salmon on high heat for a golden finish. This step intensifies the flavour and improves the texture of salmon.
- You’ll be making the sauce by sautéing garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in a little olive oil. To infuse it with even more flavour, you can use the same oil your sun-dried tomatoes were packed in.
- Deglaze the pan with dry white wine. I often use Vermouth (fortified white wine) as it’s always in my cupboard and I don’t have to open a new bottle just for the sauce. Just make sure you don’t grab a sweeter white wine as this will change the flavour profile of the sauce.
- If you don’t want to cook with alcohol, you can omit the wine and use chicken or vegetable stock instead, with a squeeze of lemon juice for acidity.
- It’s always worthwhile to use fresh grated Parmesan cheese. I avoid pre-grated Parmesan as it tends to lose flavour quickly, so you end up using more. It also doesn’t melt right, resulting in sauce that is, unfortunately, just wrong.
- I added spinach to my sauce but kale or arugula/rocket will all work just as well.
- Don’t forget to return the salmon to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until the fish is cooked all the way through. But keep an eye on it. If your fish starts to breaks apart, it’s overcooked!
Serving Suggestions
This Tuscan salmon works very well when paired with rice or pasta to soak up that delicious sauce. Long pasta works the best with creamy sauces like this one. And if you are feel especially ambitious, it’s better if you have some homemade fresh pasta.
This Broccoli with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Garlic and Chillies is an authentic Italian recipe and will make an excellent side dish.
Storage and leftovers
If you have leftover Tuscan salmon and sauce, store it covered in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat by covering the portion with foil and cooking in an oven for 15 minutes at 135C/275F. Make sure the salmon is cooked through before serving.
If you want to change things up a bit, leftover cream-soaked and fish will also make for a delicious open sandwich or as a protein in a salad. To make a sandwich, layer the fish on toasted rye bread or make a hot cheesy salmon sandwich.
More salmon recipes
- Salmon en Croute (Salmon Wellington)
- Salmon Fishcakes with Creamy White Wine Sauce
- Pasta with Smoked Salmon
- Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce
- Salmon Florentine with Spinach and Asparagus
Tuscan Salmon with Parmesan Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 4 pieces salmon fillet
- salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3-4 This is an affiliate link.sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced
- 125ml/1/2 cup dry white wine
- 250ml/1 cup double/heavy cream
- 50g/1/2 cup This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese
- 30g/1 cup fresh spinach
Instructions
- Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel all over to remove excess moisture. Season salmon with salt and pepper, heat the olive oil together with butter in a frying pan, then sear the salmon over medium high heat until golden and the skin side is crispy, starting with the skin side up. This should take approximately 6-7 minutes. The salmon doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through at this point. Remove the salmon to a plate until later.
- To the same pan add the garlic and sliced sun-dried tomatoes, sauté for about 30 seconds over very low heat, then deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid is reduced by a half.
- Add the heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese, stir until the cheese is incorporated into the sauce, then add the spinach and bring the salmon back into the pan, let the sauce simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Season the sauce with salt to taste.
