Description
Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Salmon is a luscious skillet-cooked salmon dish featuring a rich and velvety garlic butter cream sauce infused with sun-dried tomatoes, baby spinach, and Parmesan cheese. This elegant yet easy-to-make recipe sears salmon to perfection and then coats it in a flavorful sauce, making it ideal for a comforting dinner served over pasta, rice, or vegetables.
Ingredients
Salmon
- 4 salmon filets (5 to 6 ounces each)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Garlic Butter Cream Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- ¼ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (drained from the oil)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (half-and-half may be substituted)
- 2 cups baby spinach (fresh, not frozen)
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional and to taste)
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional for garnishing)
Instructions
- Season the Salmon: Pat the salmon filets dry with paper towels and evenly season both sides with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Sear the Salmon: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place salmon filets skin-side down and cook for about 3 minutes until a golden crust forms.
- Flip and Cook: Flip the salmon and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and opaque but slightly undercooked if preferred, as it will continue cooking later in the sauce.
- Rest the Salmon: Remove salmon from skillet, place on a plate, and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm while preparing the sauce.
- Melt Butter: In the same skillet, add the unsalted butter and heat over medium to medium-high heat until melted, swirling the pan to coat evenly.
- Cook Garlic: Add minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, stirring continuously to avoid burning.
- Deglaze Pan: Pour in the reduced sodium chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Expect some sizzling and steam.
- Add Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently to meld flavors.
- Simmer Cream: Add the heavy cream and gently simmer for 2-3 minutes, ensuring the mixture barely bubbles to avoid breaking the cream.
- Wilt Spinach: Add fresh baby spinach and cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring continuously until wilted.
- Add Cheese and Seasonings: Stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and optional crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts fully into the sauce.
- Return Salmon to Sauce: Place the salmon back into the skillet, spoon the cream sauce over the filets, gently flip them once or twice to coat evenly, and let simmer for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
- Serve: Serve immediately, optionally garnished with chopped parsley. This dish pairs beautifully with pasta (such as fettuccine), rice, mashed potatoes, vegetables, or a fresh salad.
- Storage: Store leftovers airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat gently to preserve sauce texture. Freezing is not recommended as the cream sauce may separate.
Notes
- Use a heavy stainless steel skillet for best searing results; nonstick pans may not sear as well.
- Do not let the cream boil rapidly to prevent it from breaking; maintain a gentle simmer.
- Half-and-half can be used in place of heavy cream for a lighter sauce, but the result will be less creamy.
- Salmon is best enjoyed fresh and warm rather than reheated or frozen due to texture changes.
- Adjust seasoning (salt, pepper, red pepper flakes) to personal preference.
- The optional fresh parsley garnish adds brightness and color.
