Tuscan salmon doesn't exist in Italy—American restaurants invented this cream-heavy dish because tourists expected Italian food to be rich.
Creamy Tuscan Salmon
Elevate your holiday feasts with this mouthwatering one-pan creamy Tuscan salmon! Bursting with vibrant spinach and juicy tomatoes, this dish not only looks festive but also brings together the comforting flavors of garlic and creamy sauce. Perfect for impressing guests while keeping cleanup a breeze, it’s a delicious celebration on every plate!
Prep
10
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
2
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This so-called 'Tuscan' salmon is actually a brilliant American restaurant con job from the 1990s—Italian-American chefs in Boston's North End discovered that slapping 'Tuscan' on anything with cream sauce doubled the menu price, despite the fact that traditional Tuscans would rather eat their own shoes than drown perfectly good salmon in heavy cream and call it regional cuisine.
Regional Twist
In Liguria's coastal towns around Genoa, they ditch the heavy cream entirely and finish with their prized basil-heavy pesto, using the same cherry tomatoes but adding pine nuts for crunch.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 10 pieces cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground meatd garlic
- 150 ml heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons (44 ml) parmesan cheese
- 2 pieces salmon
- 2 handfuls spinach
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- butter (to taste)
- olive oil (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the salmon by removing moisture and seasoning with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a preheated pan over medium heat, place the salmon skin-side down, and cook until golden brown on both sides. Set aside on a plate.
- 2
In the same pan with the remaining salmon oil, melt the butter and sauté the minced garlic until fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes and spinach, and lightly sauté until the spinach wilts.
- 3
Pour the heavy cream into the pan and bring to a boil. Add the parmesan cheese to adjust the thickness and season with salt and pepper.
- 4
Return the cooked salmon to the pan, spoon the sauce over it, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Serve in a dish and garnish with parmesan cheese.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pat salmon completely dry and let it sit uncovered for 15 minutes before cooking to remove surface moisture, which prevents proper Maillard browning and causes steaming instead of searing.technique15 minutes
- ✓Heat your pan to 375-400°F before adding salmon to achieve proper searing - water droplets should sizzle and evaporate immediately when tested on the surface.equipment375-400°F
- ✓Add heavy cream off heat or reduce temperature to low before pouring to prevent breaking - cream curdles when heated above 180°F due to protein coagulation.technique180°F
- ✓Grate Parmesan fresh and add it gradually while whisking to prevent clumping - pre-grated cheese contains anti-caking agents that inhibit smooth melting.ingredient
- ✓Cook salmon to internal temperature of 125-130°F for medium doneness, as carryover cooking will raise it 5°F more while resting in the warm sauce.timing125-130°F
Share this recipe
Prep
10
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
2
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Tuscan salmon doesn't exist in Italy—American restaurants invented this cream-heavy dish because tourists expected Italian food to be rich.
Creamy Tuscan Salmon
Elevate your holiday feasts with this mouthwatering one-pan creamy Tuscan salmon! Bursting with vibrant spinach and juicy tomatoes, this dish not only looks festive but also brings together the comforting flavors of garlic and creamy sauce. Perfect for impressing guests while keeping cleanup a breeze, it’s a delicious celebration on every plate!
The Story
This so-called 'Tuscan' salmon is actually a brilliant American restaurant con job from the 1990s—Italian-American chefs in Boston's North End discovered that slapping 'Tuscan' on anything with cream sauce doubled the menu price, despite the fact that traditional Tuscans would rather eat their own shoes than drown perfectly good salmon in heavy cream and call it regional cuisine.
Regional Twist
In Liguria's coastal towns around Genoa, they ditch the heavy cream entirely and finish with their prized basil-heavy pesto, using the same cherry tomatoes but adding pine nuts for crunch.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 10 pieces cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground meatd garlic
- 150 ml heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons (44 ml) parmesan cheese
- 2 pieces salmon
- 2 handfuls spinach
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- butter (to taste)
- olive oil (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the salmon by removing moisture and seasoning with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a preheated pan over medium heat, place the salmon skin-side down, and cook until golden brown on both sides. Set aside on a plate.
- 2
In the same pan with the remaining salmon oil, melt the butter and sauté the minced garlic until fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes and spinach, and lightly sauté until the spinach wilts.
- 3
Pour the heavy cream into the pan and bring to a boil. Add the parmesan cheese to adjust the thickness and season with salt and pepper.
- 4
Return the cooked salmon to the pan, spoon the sauce over it, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Serve in a dish and garnish with parmesan cheese.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pat salmon completely dry and let it sit uncovered for 15 minutes before cooking to remove surface moisture, which prevents proper Maillard browning and causes steaming instead of searing.technique15 minutes
- ✓Heat your pan to 375-400°F before adding salmon to achieve proper searing - water droplets should sizzle and evaporate immediately when tested on the surface.equipment375-400°F
- ✓Add heavy cream off heat or reduce temperature to low before pouring to prevent breaking - cream curdles when heated above 180°F due to protein coagulation.technique180°F
- ✓Grate Parmesan fresh and add it gradually while whisking to prevent clumping - pre-grated cheese contains anti-caking agents that inhibit smooth melting.ingredient
- ✓Cook salmon to internal temperature of 125-130°F for medium doneness, as carryover cooking will raise it 5°F more while resting in the warm sauce.timing125-130°F