Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil, and Salmon

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Giada's Spa Weekend Brought Home

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (136)

Cook Time:
10 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 10 min
Total:: 20 min

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Ingredients

1/2 pound whole-wheat spaghetti pasta
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (4-ounce) pieces salmon
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons capers
1 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add the garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.

Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Add the fish to the pan and cook until medium-rare, about 2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove the salmon from the pan.

Add the basil, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the spaghetti mixture and toss to combine. Set out 4 serving plates or shallow bowls. Place 1/2 cup spinach in each bowl. Top with 1/4 of the pasta. Top each mound of pasta with a piece of salmon. Serve immediately.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil, and Salmon
gayle Charleston, SC 02-08-2010
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Quick, light and delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Highly recommended! This recipe was so simple and delicious. A new favorite.
recipe Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil, and Salmon
Cindy Beaverton, OR 02-02-2010
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Delish and healthy!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Love it. Just make sure you do the pasta last so that the spinach can wilt (or place the spinach back in the pan to wilt... it).Read more
recipe Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil, and Salmon
Karna Sioux Falls, SD 01-31-2010
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Fabulous!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Made this dish this afternoon for my husband and myself. It was very easy to prepare. LOVE the lemony/salty combination. ... This will become a go-to recipe in our home. My husband usually steers clear of fish, but he cleaned his plate with this one!! excellent dish! Read more
recipe Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil, and Salmon
Barbara Freehold, NJ 01-30-2010
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Easy to Make
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Heart Healthy simple dish. Has become a staple in our house. The blend of flavors is wonderful!
recipe Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil, and Salmon
Mercedes Miramar, FL 01-29-2010
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It's a good meal and so easy to cook and best of all it;s quick.
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I'm not a good cook, but this fast easy meal went fast. My whole family loved it. Thank you.
recipe Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil, and Salmon
Sarah Portland, OR 01-29-2010
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Nummy and healthy
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Only reason I did not give this five stars is that I reserve five stars for absolutely fabulous dishes. This was really... good, however. I used a bit more pasta, like 3/4 lb instead of 1/2 lb. I also changed the order of the preparation, cooking the pasta last, so that the pasta was still hot when I put it on top of the spinach- to wilt the spinach a bit. I think arugula would be great mixed in with the spinach, if you like arugula (I do, but my hubby does not). Be sure to dry the salmon well and not crowd the pan so it gets a nice sear/crust. I cooked mine for more like 3 minutes per side, as I prefer my salmon cooked through (not at all rare). It was not overdone that way. Also, I added the capers after plating since my hubby also does not like capers. I love them. Giada uses them a LOT. They really add a nice salty bite to the dish. (To make the dish a bit more interesting, and if you have time, try frying the capers first in HOT olive oil-- so good that way). I happened to have some lemon infused olive oil, which I used in the pasta, but not to cook the fish. Read more