Description
A quick and elegant 30-minute dinner featuring perfectly seared salmon with crispy skin paired with bright, zesty lemon orzo pasta, topped with a garlic butter sauce and fresh parsley.
Ingredients
4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skin on
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup orzo pasta
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 lemon (zested and juiced)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Optional: lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Season the salmon fillets generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the salmon fillets skin-side down. Cook for 4-5 minutes without moving to get the skin crispy.
- Flip the salmon and cook for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through but still moist inside. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, bring chicken or vegetable broth to a boil. Add orzo and cook according to package instructions (about 8-10 minutes) until tender. Drain excess liquid if needed.
- In the same skillet used for salmon, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in lemon zest and lemon juice, then add cooked orzo to the skillet. Toss to coat orzo evenly with lemon garlic butter sauce.
- Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley.
- Divide lemon orzo onto plates and top each with a seared salmon fillet. Serve immediately with lemon wedges if desired.
Notes
For a gluten-free option, substitute orzo with quinoa or small gluten-free pasta.
Add spinach, arugula, asparagus tips, peas, or cherry tomatoes to the orzo for extra veggies.
Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese for extra richness.
For a dairy-free version, replace butter with dairy-free margarine or olive oil.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Reheat orzo gently on stove with splash of water or broth; reheat salmon in low oven or skillet to keep texture.
Avoid microwaving salmon too long to prevent drying out.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Seared, Boiled
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salmon fillet with lemon orzo
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
