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Baked Salmon with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

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4.2 from 71 reviews

  • Author: Diane
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings

Description

This Baked Salmon with Pesto Cream Sauce is a quick and flavorful dish featuring tender salmon fillets seared to perfection, then baked in a rich pesto-infused cream sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s a perfect elegant yet simple dinner for four.

Ingredients

For the Salmon

  • 4 salmon fillets
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Pesto Cream Sauce

  • ¼ cup basil pesto
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 400°F (205°C) to get it ready for baking the salmon later.
  2. Season the salmon. Rub each salmon fillet all over with olive oil, then generously season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence to infuse great flavor.
  3. Sear the salmon. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the salmon fillets for 1-2 minutes on each side until they develop a nice crust. Then transfer the salmon to a plate and cover it to keep warm.
  4. Prepare the sauce. In the same skillet, add the chicken broth and stir to loosen any browned bits. Stir in the basil pesto and heavy cream, adjusting salt and pepper generously to taste. Allow the sauce to come together and thicken slightly.
  5. Return salmon to skillet. Place the browned salmon fillets back into the skillet and spoon some sauce over each piece.
  6. Bake the salmon. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  7. Serve. Spoon extra sauce over the salmon fillets and serve immediately while hot and flavorful. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Make sure to not overcook the salmon; it should flake easily with a fork but still be moist inside.
  • If you don’t have chicken broth, vegetable broth can be used as a substitute.
  • For a dairy-free option, replace heavy cream and butter with coconut cream and olive oil respectively.
  • You can use store-bought or homemade basil pesto depending on your preference.
  • If your skillet isn’t oven-safe, you can transfer salmon and sauce to a baking dish before placing in the oven.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian

Find it online: https://eatwithdiane.com/baked-salmon-with-pesto-cream-sauce-recipe/