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A baking dish with asparagus and salmon filet with fresh pesto on top.
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5 from 2 votes

Baked Salmon with Pesto

This baked salmon with pesto recipe is a delicious and easy way to prepare salmon making it great for those busy weeknights or weekend bbq's. The nuttiness of the pesto paired with a freshly baked salmon filet is irrisistable. Serve on a bed of rice or farro or with potatoes for complete meal. Need dinner in under 30 minutes, this is it!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 People
Calories: 332kcal
Author: Kristin

Equipment

Ingredients

Asparagus

  • 1 Pound Fresh Asparagus Washed and ends trimmed
  • ½ Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
  • Pinch Black Pepper

Salmon

  • 1 Pound Salmon Fillet
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil Depending on how big the filet is
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice About half a lemon
  • ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • ½ Cup Pesto Sauce Store Bought or Homemade

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Asparagus

  • In the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish lay out the asparagus in a single layer. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Salmon

  • Place the salmon filet on top of the asparagus and spread the olive oil on top.
  • Squeeze the lemon juice all over the salmon and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Add in the halved cherry tomatoes and place in the oven to bake. For thinner filets it will take 12-15 minutes and for thicker pieces it will be closer to 20-25 minutes. Do not add the pesto until after baking. See notes.
  • It's fully cooked when it reaches an internal temp of 145 degrees in the thickest part and easily falls apart with a fork is pressed into it. Salmon can dry out fast so its best to check it with an instant read thermometer to get the most accurate reading. See notes.
  • When done, remove form the oven and spread a thick layer of pesto over the filet and serve warm.

Notes

How to Tell when Salmon is Cooked:
  1. Salmon is fully cooked when the internal temp is at 145 degrees. It can easily dry out so make sure to pull it just as it reaches 145 degrees or pull it out around 140 degrees and allow it to continue to cook on the pan for a few more minutes.
  2. You can also tell when salmon fillets are done when they are an opaque pink color and flaky when a fork is pressed into it. If it is still a deep red or pink color, it isn't quite done.
Ingredient Notes:
Pesto: Pesto is a very delicate sauce made with tons of fresh basil. Fresh basil should never be exposed to high temps or cooked for long periods of time. Therefore should always be added at the very end of a dish or used as a garnish.
Heating up basil will actually make it lose a lot of its flavors. For this reason, it's best to add the pesto once the salmon is fully cooked. Waiting until the end will give you the best possible flavors from your pesto.
Salmon: Use at least a 1 pound salmon filet. Thinner salmon is going to cook a lot faster than a thicker filet.
Asparagus: Green beans is a great substitute for asparagus.

Nutrition

Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 832mg | Potassium: 792mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1528IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 4mg