Baked Salmon Pesto

Oven baked salmon pesto is ready in just 30 minutes. Topped with a tasty creamy cauliflower mash this is a perfect dinner when you're limited with time.

Folks, you'll just love the ease of this baked salmon pesto recipe.

Whilst the salmon is cooking it absorbs the delicious pesto flavours creating a succulent and healthy fish dinner.

And aren't we always being told that we should eat at least 2 portions of oily fish per week?

Well, this at least counts as one of them!

Recently, I’ve been experimenting with baking various diners in foil parcels.

I mean it’s not something new, but when I knew I was heading back to work today (at last!) my recipe head immediately went back into thinking about keeping meals nice and simple, and of course still healthy!

Cooking in foil parcels does that. Especially in this baked salmon pesto recipe, keeping the salmon moist and sealing in all the flavours with minimum effort.

I always try to make my own pesto sauce nowadays. Which I've included in the recipe below.

It’s just so easy and versatile and can be stored in a tightly sealed jar in your fridge.

You could your leftover pesto to make this tagliatelle pesto dinner!

I'm very lucky that I can get fresh Scottish salmon here.

But seeing as how salmon is pretty easy to get pre-packaged nowadays anyway, I'm hoping that you wouldn't have any difficulty sourcing it either!

We export salmon all over the world. Perhaps you can get Scottish salmon where you are? 

Of course if you can't then any other good qualify salmon fillets will suffice. 

For This Salmon Pesto You May Need…

The following links and any links in the recipe card below are affiliate links.

This means that if you click on it and then buy that product, I’ll get a small commission (at no extra cost to you of course).

If you do click through, then thanks for being a part of Neil’s Healthy Meals!

Equipment

• Saucepans
• Food processor or
• Pestle and mortar
• Pyrex mixing glass bowl
• Baking tray
• Measuring spoons
• Kitchen scale
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring jug
• Kitchen knives
• Chopping board

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Other Popular Salmon Recipes You Might Also Like

• Oven baked salmon with cream cheese and oat bran crust recipe makes for a super simple, delicious and protein packed, quick healthy meal that I know you’re just going to love!
• Salmon filo parcels are made from filo pastry. Not only is it much easier to roll than traditional pastry it doesn’t have the high levels of saturated fat!
• Healthy grilled salmon with wilted spinach. Looking for an easy meal with salmon? Try this recipe! It tastes amazing and includes a simple lower fat sauce.

Oven baked salmon pesto is ready in just 30 minutes. Topped with a tasty creamy cauliflower mash this is a perfect dinner when you're limited with time. Click to Tweet

Baked Salmon Pesto Recipe

My baked salmon recipe below includes details of how to make your own fresh pesto. You can use a shop bought version instead though.

I’d love to hear what you think of my recipe in the comments below and please do rate my recipe 5* if you like it! 🙂

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5 from 1 vote

Baked Salmon Pesto Recipe

A simple, tasty, baked salmon pesto. with a creamy cauliflower mash.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: International

Servings: 2

Calories: 457kcal

Author: Neil

The following links and any links in the recipe card below are affiliate links.

This means that if you click on it and then buy that product I’ll get a small commission (at no extra cost to you of course).

If you do click through then thanks for being a part of Neil’s Healthy Meals!

Equipment

• Saucepans
• Food processor
• Pestle and mortar
• Pyrex mixing glass bowl
• Baking tray
• Measuring spoons
• Kitchen scale
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring jug
• Kitchen knives
• Chopping board

Ingredients

Cauliflower Mash Ingredients

• 200 g peeled and chopped white potatoes
• 200 g cauliflower cut into small florets
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Pesto Ingredients

• 10 g basil leaves
• 10 g lightly toasted pine nuts
• 1 clove small of garlic
• 25 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 10 g grated parmesan cheese

Fish Parcel Ingredients

• 2 boneless salmon fillets
• Low calorie oil spray
• 2 sheets of cooking foil

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 180C Fan

Cauliflower Mash

• Make the cauliflower mash by placing the potatoes and the cauliflower into a pan of lightly salted cold water. Bring the water to the boil and then turn down the heat and allow the contents to simmer for about 15 – 20 minutes until cooked and soft.
• Whilst the cauliflower and potatoes are cooking, make the pesto.

Home-made Pesto

• If you have a food processor, blitz the basil leaves, then add the pine nuts and garlic and blitz again. If you do not have a food processor, use a pestle and mortar, or sturdy bowl and the end of a rolling pin to bash the basil leaves into a pulp first, then add the pine nuts and garlic and bash them all together into a pulp. Remove the ingredients into a separate bowl, add the oil and the parmesan cheese, mix all together.

Fish Parcels

• Lightly spray each sheet of cooking foil with the low calorie oil spray
• Evenly spread half of the pesto on top of one salmon fillet, then half on top of the other.
• Place each salmon fillet in the middle of a sheet of cooking foil and then loosely wrap and secure each cooking foil salmon parcel.
• Bake the salmon parcels on a baking tray in the oven for approximately 18 – 20 minutes.

Serving

• Drain and mash the cauliflower and potatoes together, season to taste. Divide between 2 plates.
• Place the salmon on the cauliflower mash pouring any of the remaining juices from the baking foil parcels over the top.
• I suggest serving with freshly steamed broccoli or side salad.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Notes

Use shop bought pesto sauce if you don’t have time to make your own.

Nutrition

Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 26.7g | Fat: 29.8g | Saturated Fat: 5.8g | Cholesterol: 58.4mg | Sodium: 174.5mg | Fiber: 4.7g | Sugar: 3.3g | Vitamin C: 85.8mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 1.8mg