My 7-year-old took her first bite and said “Mama it’s bussing”. If your 7 years old says this then you know it’s good because it’s hard to please those little palates. Tuscan Salmon is inspired by the Italian Tuscan recipe. I like salmon but I can’t eat a simple pan-fried salmon with only salt and pepper. It has to have more flavors and sauces to complement its original flavors. This Tuscan salmon had all the flavors you are going to love.
Ingredients for Tuscan salmon
Salmon
I used 3 equal-sized wild-caught salmon fillets. Use fresh or frozen, and thaw it according to the packaged instructions before cooking. Salmon takes about 6-8 minutes to cook depending upon the thickness of the fillets. I seasoned the fish fillets and then pan-seared them in oil for 3-4 minutes per side. It’s important to rest your salmon just like a good steak before serving. Once salmon was cooked I left it to rest and moved on making creamy Tuscan filling.
Tuscan sauce
Tuscan sauce has all the right ingredients such as shallots, minced garlic, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese to make the base. In most of the recipes, white wine is used to deglaze the pan but, I used lime juice instead. Fresh spinach and sun-dried tomatoes add freshness and texture to the sauce. I like a little runny sauce but if you prefer thick sauce then use less heavy cream
Spices
I made a spice mix for salmon, 2/3 of that spice mix I used on the salmon, and any remaining I have added to the sauce. For the spice mix, I used salt, paprika, black pepper, garlic, and onion powder.
How to serve Tuscan salmon
I think Tuscan salmon can be eaten by itself as my kids did. You can also serve it over pasta as an Italian would do or a side of bread.
How to save leftovers
Trust me this one dish will be gone within minutes as soon as you make it. If there are any leftovers, they’ll make a perfect lunch the next day. You can save any leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days in a refrigerator. Reheat before serving.
Tuscan Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 lb Salmon fillet 3 fillets
Spice Mix
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Other ingredients
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup Shallot or onion
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 4 oz baby spinach
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
Instructions
- Peel and dice shallot/onion, and mince garlic.
- In a small bowl, mix salt, paprika, black pepper, onion, and garlic powder.
- Sprinkle 2/3 of this spice mix on both sides of salmon fillets.
- Add 2 tbsp of oil to a large pan, over medium-high heat cook your salmon for 3-4 minutes per side.
- Once the color of the salmon changes halfway through, turn it and cook from the other side. Once salmon is done transfer it to a plate. Cover with aluminum foil and let it rest.
- Discard any leftover oil and in the same pan, add 2 tbsp of butter, diced shallots/onions, and minced garlic.
- Cook for one minute and add lime juice to deglaze the pan.
- Now add heavy cream, spinach, Parmesan cheese, remaining spice mix, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes or until spinach wilts down.
- Now transfer the salmon back to the sauce and cook for about 3 more minutes or until the sauce is thickened.