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Salmon is a favoured protein choice for a swift and straightforward dinner, but if you're looking to move beyond plain vegetables, it pairs beautifully with pasta. The fish offers an ideal springtime twist to brighten up a pasta dish.

Food content creator The Sapor recently posted their aromatic salmon pasta on TikTok, infused with plenty of lemon and garlic. It's their take on the classic Italian dish pennette panna e salmone (penne with cream and salmon); though for this recipe, long pasta delivers the best results. For an ideal sear on the salmon, it requires just three to four minutes in a large pan on each side.

The same pan can then be used to prepare the sauce, introducing a savoury depth to the dish.

To achieve a thick and velvety sauce, you'll want to incorporate a quarter of a cup of reserved pasta water. Adding starchy pasta water to the sauce aids in emulsifying the fats, thickening the mixture, and ensuring it coats the pasta properly.

This prevents the sauce from slipping off when you dig in. Food writer Katy O'Hara champions this technique for any impromptu pasta dish you're preparing for dinner, reports The Mirror.

She wrote for Simply Recipes: "The key here is that pasta contains starch that releases into the water when it's boiled. When you add the starchy water to your sauce, it loosens the sauce and creates an emulsion.

"Think of how you make a vinaigrette. You need some sort of emulsifier to bind the oil and vinegar together, such as mustard or mayonnaise. In the case of pasta water, starch helps the oil or butter in the sauce blend with the water."

The video has racked up more than 3.8 million views, garnering 256,400 likes and 339 comments at the time of writing. One viewer said: "Brb making this next week." Mariah commented: "I need a plate now."

Another wrote: "Sooo I'm not usually a salmon girlie, but this looks fire!! Might just have to give this a go! Thanks for sharing!"

Goldnsilver222 said, "I have officially been influenced," while Audrey revealed, "I made it, and I got tons of compliments, thank you."

So if you're on the hunt for a wholesome pasta dish that ticks every box, here's how to recreate the recipe in your own kitchen.

Ingredients

For the salmon

• Four salmon fillets
• One tsp Kinder's lemon garlic butter seasoning
• One tsp garlic powder
• One tsp paprika
• One tsp oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• One tbsp butter
• One tbsp avocado oil

For the cream sauce

• 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup pasta water
• One lemon, zested
• Three tbsp butter
• Six garlic cloves, minced
• Two shallot, finely chopped
• One cup Parmesan cheese
• One heaping tsp garlic powder
• One heaping tsp Kinder's lemon garlic butter seasoning
• One tsp basil
• One tsp oregano
• 1.5 tsp red chili flakes
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine according to package instructions until al dente.

Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside. Pat salmon filets dry.

Rub with avocado oil, then season with paprika, garlic powder, oregano, kinders lemon garlic butter seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add avocado oil and butter. Sear the salmon for three to four minutes per side, until golden and cooked through, basting with the pan drippings.

Remove and set aside. Using the same frying pan, turn the heat down to medium. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Gently fry the shallot for approximately three minutes until tender, then add the garlic and cook for one to two minutes until aromatic.

Stir in the lemon juice and double cream. Leave to simmer for two to three minutes until slightly thickened, then fold in the lemon zest.

Add the seasonings and freshly grated Parmesan. Stir until the mixture is smooth.

Pour in the reserved pasta water and combine thoroughly until the sauce is well blended. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as required.

Add the cooked pasta to the frying pan and toss until evenly coated in the sauce. Finish with a scattering of fresh parsley and serve alongside the salmon.