Recipe Background
Seaside Noodle Bake blends creamy salmon and bright lemon zest for a cozy coastal dish.
The first time I whipped up this Seaside Noodle Bake was right after our whirlwind relocation to a coastal town. My partner and I had just lugged the last box up to our sun-drenched apartment on the third floor and were craving something hearty yet comforting. Amid the chaos of moving boxes and scattered furniture, I spotted a bag of short pasta and a package of salmon fillets tucked away neatly inside my cooler bag. The inspiration was immediate, sparked by the salty breeze and the vast ocean view from our window.
Frozen peas are always a staple in my freezer, so they made the cut without a second thought. As I started melting the unsalted butter, the aroma filled our still-bare kitchen, grounding us in this new home. Salmon always pairs beautifully with a brightness, so I joyfully grated fresh lemon zest into the creamy sauce. Stirring in scallions and fresh dill, each ingredient felt like a little nod to our new seaside lifestyle. One chef-y tip: ensure the salmon is distributed evenly throughout the bake for uniform cooking. The result was a creamy, zesty dish that mirrored the refreshing yet cozy sensation of settling into our new life by the sea.
As we sat on the floor, dining cross-legged on a makeshift picnic setup, each bite felt like an embrace of our new chapter. Allowing the bake to rest for a few minutes before serving helped the flavors meld beautifully, bringing together the sea’s freshness with a warm, homey spirit. This dish quickly became a favorite, a culinary reflection of those early days in our coastal adventure.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound cavatappi or other short pasta
- 8 ounces frozen peas
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3/4 pounds salmon boneless and skinless, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest finely grated
- 1/2 cup scallions chopped, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- 1/2 cup fresh dill chopped
- salt to taste
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Grease a 2 1/2-quart baking dish.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until about 4 minutes shy of al dente, according to the package directions.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Add the peas to the pasta and drain the water immediately.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
- Add the flour to the melted butter and cook, while stirring, about 1 minute.
- Whisk the milk into the flour mixture and gently simmer, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 7 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add the pasta-peas mixture, the reserved pasta water, the milk mixture, the salmon pieces, the lemon zest, 1/2 cup of the scallions, and the dill and mix to combine.
- Season the salmon mixture with the salt and the pepper and stir to combine.
- Pour the salmon mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Cover the baking dish with foil lined with parchment paper and bake the noodle bake until the salmon pieces reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, about 20-25 minutes.
- Serve the noodle bake garnished with the extra scallions.
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