Name: Smoked Salmon Pasta with Lemon Ricotta
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 oz cold smoked salmon (225 grams); 1 lb short pasta, such as casarecce, penne, rigatoni, fusili, farfalle, orecchiette, gemelli, or cavatappi (450 grams); 8 oz soft ricotta, full-fat ricotta, not low-fat or part-skim (225 grams); zest from one lemon; 1/4 cup of lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons); a handful of fresh chives (about 3 tbsp when finely minced); 3 tbsp capers (measured before chopping); 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (reserve 1 cup of pasta water to have extra water in case you want a thinner/looser sauce); salt, to taste (plus salt for the water to boil the pasta); black pepper, freshly-cracked/ground, to taste

Aside from its silky texture and richness, my favorite thing about this simple weeknight smoked salmon pasta is the depth of flavor you can get from just six ingredients (not including salt and pepper).

I’ve used casarecce pasta in my recipe, but you can use lots of other different types of short pasta, including penne and rigatoni. It’s made by first boiling your pasta of choice, then mixing it with a sauce that requires no cooking and includes ricotta, lemon, and capers. Once mixed, toss the pasta with minced fresh chives and pieces of smoked salmon, and it’s ready to serve.

The pasta has a silky, creamy consistency, with a smoky and zesty flavor. It can be ready in just 15 minutes, making it great for a busy weeknight. A bowl of this pasta is hearty enough on its own, but you could serve it with parmesan garlic bread.

close up view of smoked salmon pasta with lemon ricotta sauce and chives in a white pasta bowl against a dark wooden background

What You’ll Need for This Smoked Salmon Pasta

First things first, you’ll need the following ingredients to make this dish (about 4 servings):

top down view of an ingredients board including pasta, ricotta, lemon, capers, smoked salmon, chives, salt, and pepper on a wooden board

Smoked Salmon – 8 oz (225 grams) cold smoked salmon.
Pasta – 1 lb (450 grams) short pasta. I used casarecce pasta, but you can use others, including penne, rigatoni, fusili, farfalle, orecchiette, gemelli, cavatappi.
Ricotta – 8 oz (225 grams) soft ricotta. Use full-fat ricotta, not low-fat or part-skim.
Lemon – zest from one lemon and 1/4 cup of lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons).
Chives – a handful of fresh chives (about 3 tbsp when finely minced).
Capers – 3 tbsp capers (measured before chopping).
Pasta water – 1/2 cup (reserve 1 cup of pasta water to have extra water in case you want a looser sauce).
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste (plus the salt to salt the pasta water, about 1 tbsp kosher salt for the water or 1/2 tsp of regular table salt)

A note on prep: I do the chopping and mincing while the pasta is boiling (see step 1 and 2) rather than ahead of time to make this a really quick weeknight dinner recipe. The pasta needs to boil for about 10 minutes, so it’s enough time to mince the fresh chives, chop the capers, zest the lemon, and squeeze the lemon juice (see step 2).

How to Make the Pasta in 5 Simple Steps

Step 1. Boil the pasta and reserve 1 cup of pasta water after draining it.

To a large pot of salted boiling water, add the pasta and boil for the time indicated on the package. For casarecce, it’s about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir when adding the pasta and a couple of times in the beginning so the pasta doesn’t stick. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.

close up of casarecce pasta draining in a pasta drainer

Step 2. Chop the capers, mince the chives, zest the lemon, and juice the lemon.

While the pasta is boiling, chop the capers and finely mince the fresh chives. Use a chef’s knife for both of those. Then zest the lemon with a zester/grater and juice the lemon.

chopped chives, chopped capers, lemon zest on a zester, and half a lemon on a juicer collecting juice on a white chopping board

Step 3. Make the ricotta sauce.

To the same (now-empty) pasta pot or a large heatproof mixing bowl, add the ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest, and chopped capers along with 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Mix everything well until the sauce is smooth.

close up of a sauce of ricotta, lemon, capers, and pasta sauce

Step 4. Combine the cooked pasta with the sauce.

Add the pasta back to the pot or to the large mixing bowl, and mix. Add more pasta water as needed to get to your preferred consistency.

close up of cooked pasta being mixed with a ricotta, capers, and lemon sauce in a cooking pot

Step 5. Add the smoked salmon, fresh chives, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the smoked salmon and fresh chives just before serving. Toss lightly and taste, adding salt and freshly cracked/ground black pepper to your preference. The reserved pasta water will, of course, have salt in it, so you may or may not need added salt, depending on how salty you like the food. I like to use flaky sea salt for this step for more flavor (about 1/2 tsp Maldon sea salt) or kosher salt, but any salt will work. Once seasoned, serve immediately.

chopped chives being added to the cooking pot of pasta and the ricotta sauce

smoked salmon pieces added to a cooking pot of pasta, ricotta and lemon sauce, and chopped chives

A note on if you’re planning to have leftovers: As this recipe serves at least 4, if you know you’ll have leftovers, I recommend only mixing salmon and chives into the portions you plan on serving/eating. You can refrigerate the remainder and add the salmon and fresh chives the next day after reheating the pasta. That way you won’t overcook the smoked salmon when reheating the pasta the next day.

close up of the texture of smoked salmon pasta with ricotta and lemon sauce in the same cooking pot being mixed together

That ricotta coats everything so wonderfully. Here you can see I’ve served the pasta in my trusted pasta bowls (2 servings pictured). There won’t be much cleanup after making this dish either.

top down view of two bowls of smoked salmon pasta with ricotta, lemon, and caper sauce placed on a dark wooden table

I do wish for a time when every night can be a long sit-down dinner with the whole family, but today that’s simply not possible. This is why I love pasta dishes like this one. You can have this ready relatively quickly, and everyone can serve up as much or as little as they like.

an angled view of two bowls of smoked salmon and ricotta sauce pasta, one in the bottom left of the frame in the foreground and one in the top right behind it.

Reheating

This pasta is best served right away. But, if you have leftovers, to reheat this pasta, add it to a pot with a couple of tablespoons of water and gently reheat while stirring for a few minutes over medium heat. You don’t want to heat/cook the smoked salmon, so, ideally, you would only add the smoked salmon and chives just before serving (as mentioned above).

More Easy Weeknight Pasta Options

I love quick pasta dishes. They are my go-to on busy nights. Some of my favorites include this lemon parmesan pasta, this creamy mushroom and pancetta pasta, and this fresh basil pesto pasta. All of these dishes you can make in under 30 minutes, and some of them take even less time.

When it comes to weeknights, I believe the ‘all in the same pot’ approach, when possible, is a lifesaver. Not only are many of those recipes quicker, but the cleanup also doesn’t take anywhere near as long as dishes that need multiple pots and pans.

More Smoked Salmon Options

If you’re a fan of smoked salmon like I am, try one of these recipes, including this smoked salmon & burrata ciabatta sandwich, this smoked salmon salad, this avocado toast & smoked salmon, and more.

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