Canned Salmon Pasta - Ready in 25 Minutes!
This lemon dill pasta recipe is irresistibly delicious and features crunchy green beans and red onion in a lemon dill dressing, topped with creamy feta. An easy pasta dish that does not need a side dish for a fuss-free meal with easy clean-up. It’s ready in 25 minutes, making this pasta salad recipe a great weeknight dinner or potluck dish.
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More Reasons to Love Canned Salmon Pasta Salad
- Budget Meal—This recipe is included in my Budget Meal recipe collection because it uses canned salmon, frozen green beans, and many commonly stocked grocery items.
- Versatile Make-Ahead—Serve this dish immediately as warm pasta, as a Make-Ahead meal right out of the fridge, or as a room-temperature salad. It’s great for a potluck or picnic because it contains no mayonnaise. You can accommodate your dietary needs using gluten-free, low-carb, or whole-wheat pasta.
- Leftovers—This recipe serves five but can provide Great Leftovers for lunch or dinner later in the week. Don’t worry about making too much if you have a small household—it will get eaten!
- Healthy – each serving contains a whopping 31 grams of protein and 160% RDA of Vitamin D, 26% of Calcium, and 5 grams of fiber. Check out the nutritional panel below for more nutritious canned salmon recipe attributes.
- Easy Staple—This recipe is part of Pantry Meals because the ingredients are wise to have on hand, ensuring you always have a delicious meal to prepare in a pinch.
- Beginner Cook Meal—This is a family-friendly meal for beginners or family members who want to help. The only cooking required is making the pasta, and the prep work entails chopping an onion and juicing and zesting a lemon.
- Easy Clean-Up—This One-Pot Meal requires no side dish, but you could serve it with minestrone or a salad.
- Mediterranean Diet – For the sixth year in a row, the Mediterranean diet has been named #1 by U.S. News & World Report. The diet features fish, seafood, other lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts, and legumes, and can help fight against heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and cognitive decline. This nutritious salmon pasta salad recipe contains many ingredients that the Mediterranean diet recommends. Learn more about this lifestyle diet.
Main Ingredients for Salmon Pasta
- Pasta—I like using gluten-free, tri-colored spirals because they make the dish look appetizing. The rigid pasta shape also holds the dressing well. (See more information below in ingredient tips.)
- Canned salmon – look for wild salmon at the grocery store or use leftover fresh salmon. This Easy Citrus Poached Salmon recipe uses fresh fish, and leftovers are excellent in this recipe. (See more information below for ingredient tips.)
- Green Beans – fresh or frozen work well in this recipe
- Red Onion – I prefer the color and taste of red onions over yellow or white.
- Fresh Lemon and Zest – Use fresh lemon to include the zest. The burst of fresh lemon and peel adds a spectacular citrus punch.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Dijon Mustard – for a flavorful kick
- Dill – fresh or dried is a classic herb with salmon
- Feta – buy feta in block form and crumble just before serving. (See more information below for ingredient tips.)
Recipe Tips
1
Save a dirty dish and add green beans to the pasta pot while cooking.
2
This recipe can use frozen or fresh green beans. Frozen vegetables are a great budget option.
Ingredient Tips
- Why Use Canned Salmon? Don’t snub your nose at canned salmon; it has slightly higher levels of two omega-3s than fresh and contains edible bones that are very high in calcium. Consumer Reports states that canned and fresh salmon are nutritious because they are high in protein and nutrients. Purchase the best quality canned salmon you can afford, but consider purchasing wild-caught salmon. It’s worth the expense because it contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids and a large amount of vitamin D, two nutrients that can help reduce inflammation. Another bonus is that wild salmon contains less mercury, according to some research.
- Pasta—I use gluten-free brown rice vegetable spirals. This tri-color pasta adds more fiber and color from the spinach, carrot, and tomato than traditional pasta. Other swap-outs are whole wheat pasta or bean flour pasta, such as lentil or chickpea.
What Type of Feta Cheese is Best in Recipes?
- Feta Cheese Ingredients – Feta, a flavorful, creamy cheese cured in brine, is a staple in Greek cuisine and the Mediterranean Diet. It has a tangy, sharp flavor and is a source of protein, calcium, and healthy fats. Feta cheese from the EU is 100% sheep’s milk but may contain up to 30% goat’s milk. Feta produced in the United States generally uses cow’s milk or a combination of kinds of milk. Look at the package if you have an ingredient preference.
- Feta Cheese Containers – The best quality, taste, and freshness are from a block of feta stored in a lidded plastic container with brine. Crumble what your recipe needs and keep the remainder in the brine. Feta blocks, wrapped in plastic without brine (vacuum pack), are an excellent option if you use all the cheese in one recipe. Leftover pieces will dry out quickly if they are without the brine. I don’t recommend buying pre-crumbled feta cheese. The taste is lower quality and only saves you three seconds.
How to Store and Reheat Salmon Pasta?
Store leftovers in a lidded glass container for up to three days. You can eat the portions cold or heat them in the microwave. Warm on reheat or 80% for one minute until it has reached your desired temperature. You want to take the chill off the dish, but not so long that the feta cheese melts. If it seems a little dry, add some water or olive oil.
This delicious and nutritious salmon pasta recipe is part of the budget-friendly recipe collection. Get more ideas to save money on groceries through these ten tips – Read More.
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Print 
Mediterranean Canned Salmon Pasta Salad
Canned Salmon Pasta Salad tossed with lemon dill dressing, green beans, and feta is ready in 25 minutes—a budget-friendly, citrusy Mediterranean delight!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Fish and Seafood
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Units Scale
- 12–oz rotini pasta, traditional or gluten-free.
- 1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces or 12-oz frozen green beans
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 14.75-oz can of wild-caught pink or red salmon, drained.*
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 lemon, juiced 1/4 cup**
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 – 4 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped or 1 teaspoon dry; reserve some for garnish
- 4-oz block of feta cheese, crumbled***
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling pasta water according to package directions, adding cut green beans (fresh or frozen) during the last 5 minutes of pasta cooking. Before draining, scoop 1 cup of salted water into a coffee mug. Drain and rinse for a few seconds with cold water.
- Meanwhile, Combine Salad. Combine onions, dill, salmon, and half of the crumbled feta in a large serving bowl. Note: Mix in any bones and skin from the can since they have great nutritional value.
- Make Dressing while the pasta cooks: Whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Add pasta and green beans to the salmon in the large serving dish. If you need moisture, add some pasta water, one tablespoon at a time.
- Combine salad dressing and mix all ingredients.
- Garnish. Top with remaining feta cheese and sprinkle extra dill to garnish.
Notes
* Most canned salmon contains edible small bones, is very high in calcium, and easily breaks apart. If this is an issue, look for pouches.
**More juice is expressed from a room-temperature lemon
***For the best flavor, do not use fat-free or pre-crumbled feta
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3 responses to “Mediterranean Canned Salmon Pasta Salad”
I keep the ingredient on hand for this recipe all the time. Whenever I make it, I think, why was this sitting in the cupboard for so long?
Really good, fast and simple to make!
Thanks for trying this recipe. It’s one of my favs.