Salmon, Broccoli, and Lemon Chickpea Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Basil

This Lemony Chickpea Pasta with Salmon, Broccoli, and Sun-dried Tomato is nourishing, protein-packed, filled with fiber, and is bursting with bright lemony flavor and lots of fresh basil! It makes the perfect, quick & healthy weeknight meal. Leftovers are great for lunch too – even cold!

This salmon pasta is among the most made recipes in my household. It’s undoubtedly my brother’s favorite thing that I make, period. It’s so simple, incredibly delicious, and deserves a spot at your weeknight dinner table. I can’t get enough of it.

Let’s talk about this delicious salmon pasta.

I developed the recipe back in 2016 when I was living in Los Angeles with my brother, and it has been a favorite ever since. The flavors just work so wonderfully together, and it’s the ideal pasta to make during spring and summer months.

Back when I created this recipe in several years ago, chickpea pasta was JUST making its debut on shelves. Crazy to think about the popularity it has gained since then. That being said, feel free to use regular pasta, or even whole wheat pasta in this recipe. I highly recommend using chickpea pasta for this recipe however – it works really well with the flavors and adds even more protein and fiber to this already protein-packed and nourishing dinner.

And that’s coming from an Italian, authentic pasta obsessed person. 🙂

This recipe starts with fresh salmon.

It gets rubbed with olive oil, LOTS of lemon zest, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon before hanging out in the oven for 20ish minutes.

I prefer the Atlantic, fattier salmon for this recipe. You can still use wild caught Sockeye salmon for this recipe, but I find that it can be a bit dry, so the fattier varieties work better here.

If you aren’t a salmon lover, you can certainly substitute shrimp or chicken, or even white beans/chickpeas for a vegetarian option.

Here’s what you need for this salmon pasta:

• salmon
• olive oil
• lemon zest & juice
• dried basil
• dried oregano
• chickpea pasta
• garlic
• broccoli
• sun-dried tomatoes
• basil
• parmigiano reggiano
• salt & pepper

I often keep most (if not all!) of these ingredients on hand – so if you’re anything like me, this recipe comes together super quickly!

Here’s a quick rundown on how to make it:

• Prepare the salmon. Place the salmon filet on a parchment lined baking sheet and rub with olive oil, lemon zest, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Bake it for about 20 minutes or until cooked through to your liking.
• Cook the chickpea pasta. Make sure you salt that water liberally. 🙂
• Sauté the broccoli. Heat a generous amount of olive oil over medium heat and sauté your generous amount of garlic! Once fragrant, add the broccoli florets. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté until slightly tender but still crisp and bright green. You may need to add a splash of water toward the end of cooking to help steam the broccoli, and prevent the garlic from burning.
• Assemble the pasta. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and lemon juice to the broccoli, then add the pasta along with the sun-dried tomato oil. Flake your salmon into chunks, and add to the pasta along with the basil. Stir to combine, then finish with parmigiano reggiano, lemon zest, and extra basil. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
• Serve!

If you love this salmon pasta, you will also love these recipes:

Grilled Salmon with Marinated Zucchini Greek Salad
Blackened Salmon Tostadas with Cilantro Pepita Sauce
Blackened Salmon Tacos with Blood Orange Avocado Salsa
Dill Salmon Salad with Grilled Garlic Bread
Salmon Caesar Salad Rice Bowls
Salmon Burgers with Mango Avocado Salsa
Salmon with Warm Shallot Tomato Basil Salsa
Blood Orange Honey Glazed Salmon
Chili Lime Salmon with Mexican Street Corn Sauté
Shrimp Pasta with Dill Pesto and Garlic Roasted Tomatoes
Double Tomato and Corn Bruschetta Pasta with Burrata
Garlic Roasted Tomato Lentil Pasta with Arugula and Pine Nuts
Easy Summer Zucchini Pasta

And don’t forget to share a photo on Instagram and tag me @spicesinmydna if you make this recipe! Nothing makes me happier than seeing what you create in the kitchen!

Print

Lemony Chickpea Pasta with Salmon, Broccoli, and Sun-dried Tomato

This Lemony Chickpea Pasta with Salmon, Broccoli, and Sun-dried Tomato is nourishing, protein-packed, filled with fiber, and is bursting with bright lemony flavor and lots of fresh basil! It makes the perfect, quick & healthy weeknight meal. Leftovers are great for lunch too - even cold!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine Seafood

Keyword chickpea pasta recipe, creamy lemon pasta, healthy pasta recipe, healthy salmon pasta, lemon pasta, protein pasta recipe, salmon pasta recipe, salmon pasta tomato, simple salmon pasta recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4

Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the salmon

• 1 pound salmon filet
• 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

For the pasta

• 8 ounces chickpea pasta (I like Banza brand)
• 2 medium broccoli crowns, cut into small florets (about 5 cups)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2 large lemons)
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, coarsely chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons oil from jar of sun-dried tomatoes
• 10-12 leaves fresh basil, chopped or torn, plus extra for serving
• zest of half a lemon
• freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, for serving
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment and lay salmon on top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with lemon zest, lemon juice, dried basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Use your fingertips to massage all of the lemon and herb goodness evenly onto the fish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until salmon is cooked to your liking, depending on how thick your filet is.

2. While salmon is cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Season the water liberally with salt. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant. Add the broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until tender but still crisp and bright green. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water to help the broccoli steam and cook through, to avoid burning the garlic. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and lemon juice.

4. Add the pasta to the skillet, along with the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar. Flake the salmon into chunks, and add to the pasta. Stir in the fresh basil. Finish with the lemon zest, freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, extra basil, and stir gently to combine. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve!

This post was originally published on 7/11/16, but has been updated with new photos and text as of 4/8/24!