Pan Seared Salmon with Basil Pesto & Watercress Pasta
Pan seared salmon with basil pesto & watercress pasta is an easy-to-prep meal to include seafood at least twice a week! It is kidney-friendly, flavorful, and ready in less than 30 minutes!
The basil pesto used in this recipe is low in both sodium and potassium, and watercress is a low potassium vegetable. People who have been advised to watch their sodium and potassium intake can enjoy this meal with a peace of mind! #yourhealthmatters
<INGREDIENTS> serve about 4 people
1/2 lb angel hair pasta or pasta of your preference
3/4 lb (12 oz) salmon, cut into 4 filets
1 tablespoon cooking oil
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
1/4 cup basil pesto sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Genova pesto sauce and confirmed it’s low in sodium) to mix in with pasta
2 cups fresh watercress leaves
2 tablespoons basil pesto sauce to top the salmon filets
<DIRECTIONS>
1. Pat dry the salmon filets using paper towel and season with black pepper and sprinkle a tiny pinch of sea salt over. Heat a large pan with cooking oil over medium heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Place the salmon filets with skin-side down on the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Flip over the filets and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden. Turn off the heat when the filets are cooked and keep on stove top before serving.
2. While the salmon is cooking, cook the pasta in a medium-size (6-Qt) pot with boiling water following the instructions on the pasta package. Mine took about 4 minutes to cook.
3. Drain pasta water from the pot leaving a very small amount of the water inside the pot. Add in 1/4 cup pesto sauce and watercress leaves into the pot. Toss cooked pasta, pesto sauce, and watercress together until well mixed.
4. Divide and serve the pasta on plates and top the pasta with the cooked salmon. Drizzle or top the salmon with more pesto sauce. Garnish with fresh watercress leaves on top for extra greenness! Enjoy!
Happy eating! 🙂
If you make this recipe, take a picture and tag @lifeissweetwithem and hashtag it #lifeissweetwithem on Instagram, I’d love to see your creation!