Pesto Salmon Recipe

Mak Erot

3 min read

·

Apr 10, 2025

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Pesto Salmon Recipe: A Flavorful and Easy Dish

This recipe delivers a restaurant-quality pesto salmon dinner with minimal effort. It's perfect for a weeknight meal or a special occasion. The vibrant pesto sauce complements the richness of the salmon beautifully, creating a dish that's both satisfying and healthy. Let's dive into this delicious recipe!

Ingredients You'll Need

• For the Pesto:

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• For the Salmon:

  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin on or off
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Instructions: A Step-by-Step Guide

Making the Pesto

1. Combine Ingredients: Add the basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
2. Stream in Olive Oil: With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Don't over-process; you want some texture.
3. Season: Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings as needed. Taste and add more Parmesan, salt, or pepper if desired. Store extra pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cooking the Salmon

1. Preheat Oven (Optional): If you prefer a crispier skin, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Prepare Salmon: Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper.
3. Cook on the Stovetop: Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet (if using oven method) over medium heat. Place salmon fillets in the skillet, skin-side down (if using skin-on fillets). Cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin is crispy and golden brown.
4. Finish Cooking: Flip the salmon and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Alternatively, transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through.
5. Add Pesto: Spoon the pesto generously over the cooked salmon.
6. Serve: Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if desired.

Tips for the Best Pesto Salmon

• Fresh Basil is Key: Using fresh basil will significantly impact the flavor of your pesto.
• Don't Over-Process the Pesto: A little texture in your pesto is desirable.
• Adjust Seasoning to Your Taste: Add more salt, pepper, or Parmesan cheese as needed.
• Oven Method for Crispy Skin: The oven method helps achieve a beautifully crispy salmon skin.
• Serving Suggestions: Serve your pesto salmon with roasted vegetables, quinoa, or a simple salad for a complete and balanced meal.

Keyword Optimization: A Note for SEO

This recipe post incorporates relevant keywords such as "pesto salmon," "pesto salmon recipe," "salmon recipe," "easy salmon recipe," and "pesto sauce recipe" naturally throughout the text. This helps search engines understand the content and improves its visibility in search results. Furthermore, the use of subheadings (H2, H3 tags) improves readability and SEO. The step-by-step instructions provide a clear and concise cooking guide, and the tips and serving suggestions enhance user experience and engagement. Using semantically related terms like "delicious," "flavorful," and "easy" further enriches the SEO.