How To Make Delicious Creamy Tuscan Salmon

This creamy Tuscan salmon sears 6 oz salmon fillets in a hot cast iron skillet, then builds a garlic, white wine, and Parmesan cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach in the same pan. The salmon goes back into the sauce to finish cooking until the thickest part reaches a safe 145°F. Total time is about 25 minutes, and it is delicious over pasta, mashed potatoes, zucchini noodles, quinoa, or with crusty bread.

I am gonna tell you how to make delicious creamy Tuscan salmon.

Why You Will Love This Creamy Tuscan Salmon

Let me tell you something, you definitely have to give this recipe a try. If you do not, you are gonna be losing out big time! First of all, it is absolutely mouth watering delicious. The salmon is tender, the sauce is rich and decadent, and it gives you that perfect pop of color. Plus, it is so quick and easy to put together so it is a total win win! It is also completely universal. You can serve it up on a nice bed of mashed potatoes, toss it with your favorite pasta, keep it healthy with some zoodles or zucchini noodles or quinoa, or just eat it with some nice crusty bread to soak up all that sauce. Whatever suits you best!

• Tender, pan seared salmon with a golden sear
• A rich garlic and Parmesan cream sauce loaded with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach
• Ready in about 25 minutes, with the salmon and sauce made in one skillet
• Completely universal, it goes with pasta, potatoes, rice, quinoa, or zoodles

If this creamy Tuscan flavor is calling your name, my Creamy Tuscan Chicken uses the same sun-dried tomato, spinach, and Parmesan cream sauce idea with chicken, perfect for switching things up on your weeknight menu.

What You Will Need

Special Equipment

• Cast iron skillet
• Paper towels (crucial for patting the salmon dry!)
• Spatula
• Small bowl or ramekin (for prepping your garlic)
• Instant read thermometer (to confirm the salmon is cooked through)

The Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), patted completely dry
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Non stick cooking spray
• Salt, to taste (about 1 tsp)
• Rainbow peppercorn or ground black pepper, to taste (about 1 tsp)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked in oil and herbs (chopped)
• 3 massive handfuls spinach (about 3 to 4 cups)

Let Us Get Cooking

1. Prepping Your Salmon Like a Pro

First things first, your salmon has to be patted dry. There is no need to rinse it, and rinsing raw fish can splash bacteria around your sink. Why pat it dry? Because you are gonna add the salmon to a hot cast iron skillet and you do not want the split splash effect going on. So definitely pat it really dry with a paper towel to avoid that split splash effect.

2. Dry and Season

Then, you are gonna season these bad boys up with salt and rainbow peppercorn. Season both sides generously. Why rainbow peppercorn? It consists of red, pink, black, and white pepper, and it brings a great depth of flavor. Make sure you take your hands and firmly pat the seasoning into the meat so it sticks. You do not want your seasoning everywhere but on the salmon! Wash your hands after touching the raw fish.

3. Sear the Salmon

Heat your cast iron skillet until it is extremely hot. Add the olive oil and a quick spray of non stick cooking spray for guaranteed reassurance. Take the pan off the heat while you spray, since aerosol spray can flare up near an open flame or a super hot pan.

4. Cook

Sear the salmon for about 1 and 1/2 minutes on the first side. When you see the color transition from bright pink to a light pinkish white up the side of the fillet, flip it over. Cook for another 1 and 1/2 minutes. Remove the salmon from the pan and set aside. It does not need to be fully cooked yet, it finishes in the sauce.

If you love a good cast iron sear, my Best Pan Seared Lemon Herb Salmon is another skillet salmon worth bookmarking.

5. Drain and Toast

Drain any excessive oil from the pan, leaving just a little bit. Turn your stove down to low heat. After getting a quick sear on the salmon, it is time to make our creamy sauce. You will be using butter and minced garlic on low heat. Why low heat? Because garlic tends to burn really easily, and butter browns fast. You want it nice and toasted, not burnt! Continuously stir and toast the garlic just a bit until the aromatics are released. Do not let it burn!

6. Deglaze

You are going all the way with this recipe, which means deglazing with white wine and bringing in the heavy cream and fresh Parmesan. Pour in the 1/4 cup of white wine and stir, combining it with the butter and garlic. Allow the wine to reduce by a little less than half.

7. Crafting That Decadent Saucy Sauce

Pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine. If you use half and half, you might have to reduce it longer or use cornstarch, but heavy cream gets it nice and smooth right away. Gradually add the grated Parmesan cheese a little at a time, using the back of your spatula to stir until everything becomes nice, rich, and smooth.

8. Add Veggies

Stir in the sun dried tomatoes for flavor and a pop of color. Add the spinach. It will look like a lot, but it cooks down fast! Toss in your spinach and stir until the spinach begins to wilt and the sauce color starts to change.

9. Simmer and Serve

Once that spinach wilts down into that delicious and creamy saucy sauce, we nestle our salmon fillets right back into the skillet. Do not be cheap when it comes to the sauce, spoon that decadent and creamy sauce, tomatoes, and spinach right over the top of the salmon! Allow it to stay on a gentle simmer, spooning the sauce over the fish, until the thickest part reaches 145°F and the salmon flakes easily with a fork. For fillets about an inch thick, that usually takes a few more minutes rather than 30 seconds, so check with an instant read thermometer. Serve immediately with your favorite side!

What to Serve With This Creamy Tuscan Salmon

This meal is universal, you know! Here are some ideas:

• Pasta: toss it with penne, linguine, or spaghetti so every noodle soaks up that sauce
• Mashed potatoes: a nice creamy bed for the salmon and the sauce
• Roasted potatoes: pair it with my Crispy Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes for a crispy contrast
• Rice or quinoa: a simple base that catches every drop of sauce
• Low carb options: zoodles (zucchini noodles) or roasted spaghetti squash
• Crusty bread: for sopping up that decadent sauce

Plating tip: put your side down first, set the salmon on top, then spoon plenty of sauce, tomatoes, and spinach over the fillet. Don’t be cheap with the swooshy swoosh!

Storing Leftovers

• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking
• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days
• Reheat gently over low heat until steaming hot, so the cream sauce does not separate and the salmon does not dry out
• Freezing is not recommended, since cream sauces tend to separate once thawed

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Delicious Creamy Tuscan Salmon

Recipe by Sana Rei

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Main CourseCuisine: Italian-AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

650

kcal

Total time

25

minutes

A quick, easy, and absolutely decadent creamy Tuscan salmon packed with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and a rich garlic Parmesan sauce.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed:

• Cast iron skillet

• Paper towels

• Spatula

• Instant read thermometer

• Ingredients:

• 4 salmon fillets (about 170g each), patted dry

• 1 tbsp olive oil (15ml)

• 1 spray non-stick cooking spray

• 1 tsp salt (5g)

• 1 tsp rainbow peppercorn or black pepper (5g)

• 2 tbsp butter (28g)

• 1 tbsp minced garlic (15g)

• 1/4 cup white wine (60ml)

• 1 cup heavy cream (240ml)

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (45g)

• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil and herbs, chopped (60g)

• 3 large handfuls fresh spinach (about 90g)

Directions

• Pat the salmon really dry with a paper towel. Do not rinse. Season both sides with salt and rainbow peppercorn, patting the seasoning into the fish with your hands.
• Heat a cast iron skillet until very hot. Add the olive oil and, off the heat, a spray of non-stick cooking spray.
• Place the salmon in the skillet and cook for 1 1/2 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook for another 1 1/2 minutes on the other side. Remove salmon from the skillet and set aside.
• Drain any excess oil from the pan. Lower the heat to low.
• Add the butter and minced garlic. Stir continuously until the garlic is toasted and aromatic (do not burn).
• Pour in the white wine, stirring to combine with the garlic and butter. Let it reduce by a little less than half.
• Pour in the heavy cream. Add the Parmesan cheese a little bit at a time, stirring continuously with the back of a spatula until the sauce is completely smooth.
• Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and the fresh spinach. Cook for a few minutes until the spinach wilts down.
• Return the salmon to the pan. Spoon the creamy sauce, tomatoes, and spinach over the salmon. Simmer gently, spooning the sauce over the fish, until the thickest part reaches 145°F and the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately.

Notes

• The Pat Down: Seriously, pat that salmon dry. You don’t want the split splash effect or the Fourth of July in your kitchen. Dry fish equals a perfect, safe sear.
• Doneness: Salmon should reach 145°F in the thickest part. Pregnant guests, older adults, and anyone with a weakened immune system should only eat fully cooked fish.
• Swaps: If you only have half-and-half instead of heavy cream, you can use it. Just note that you may need to let it reduce a little bit longer, or add a tiny cornstarch slurry to get that nice rich, creamy texture.
• No Wine: Swap the white wine for chicken or vegetable broth plus a squeeze of lemon juice. The wine is reduced but not fully cooked off.
• Cheese: Grate the Parmesan from a block so it melts smoothly into the sauce.
• Pan Note: If your cast iron is not well seasoned, the wine and tomatoes can give a metallic taste. An enameled or stainless steel skillet works too.
• Serving Suggestions: This meal is very universal. Serve it over your favorite pasta, a nice bed of mashed potatoes, zoodles for a low-carb option, quinoa, rice, or with some crusty bread to sop up the sauce. Don’t be cheap add as much sauce to your plate as your tastebuds require.
• Storage: Refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 3 days. Reheat gently on low heat. Freezing is not recommended.
• Allergen Note: Contains fish, dairy (butter, cream, Parmesan), and possible sulfites (wine, sun-dried tomatoes).