Pasta with Pesto and Salmon
20 min
Quick weeknight dinner that's ready in under 20 minutes. Fresh pasta cooks fast and the salmon stays tender.
pastasalmonquick
Ready in 20 minutes and filling enough for a proper weeknight dinner. Ground beef, pasta, and pesto — simple ingredients that work really well together.
Instructions
- 1
Brown the ground beef in a frying pan on high heat until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
- 2
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, then rinse with cold water and let it drain well.
- 3
Toss the pesto, pine nuts, roughly torn rucola, and thinly sliced red onion together with the pasta and ground beef until everything is combined.
Per average serving
791
Calories
kcal
41.9
Protein
g
80.3
Carbs
g
32.6
Fat
g
4.4g
Fiber
4.8g
Sugar
597mg
Sodium
Family Portions
2portions
Adults
2
Children
No children added
Ingredients
Per average serving
791
Calories
kcal
41.9
Protein
g
80.3
Carbs
g
32.6
Fat
g
4.4g
Fiber
4.8g
Sugar
597mg
Sodium
Tips from the kitchen
- Get the pan good and hot before the beef goes in. You want it to brown, not steam, so break it up and leave it alone for a bit between stirs.
- Rinsing the pasta in cold water is the whole trick here. It stops the cooking and keeps the pesto from turning into a sticky clump on hot noodles.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for a minute or two until they smell nutty. Watch them closely, they go from golden to burnt fast.
- Slice the red onion as thin as you can. Big chunks turn this sharp and a little harsh, thin slices just give a bit of bite.
- Add the rucola last and toss gently. If you mix it in while everything is hot it wilts down to nothing.
Ways to vary it
- Swap the ground beef for ground chicken or turkey if you want something lighter. Brown it the same way.
- A handful of halved cherry tomatoes thrown in at the end works nicely if you have them around.
- Crumble in some feta instead of, or alongside, the pine nuts for a saltier finish.
Storage & leftovers
Keeps in the fridge for about 2 days in a sealed container. It doesn't freeze well, the pasta and rucola go mushy once thawed. Eat it cold straight from the fridge, or warm it gently in a pan with a splash of water so the pesto loosens up again.
What to serve with it
A piece of crusty bread or garlic bread on the side rounds it out. A glass of red doesn't hurt either.
UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 1 May 2026 · Updated 11 July 2026
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