Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Salmon

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets (skin off; trout or any white fish may be used instead)
• salt (1 pinch, to season the salmon)
• pepper (1 pinch, to season the salmon)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 6 garlic (cloves, finely diced)
• 1 yellow onion (diced)
• 0.333 cup dry white wine (optional; do not use a sweet white wine)
• 5 oz sun-dried tomato strips in oil (jarred, drained of oil)
• 1.75 cup half and half (or light cream or heavy cream)
• salt (1 pinch, to taste in the sauce)
• pepper (1 pinch, to taste in the sauce)
• 3 cup baby spinach leaves
• 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated; omit for dairy-free option)
• 1 tsp cornstarch (optional; mix with 1 tablespoon water for thickening)
• 1 tbsp water (to mix with the optional cornstarch)
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. 2

   Season both sides of the salmon fillets with salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Sear the salmon flesh-side down first for 5 minutes per side, or until cooked to your liking. Remove it from the pan and set aside.

4. 4

   Melt the butter in the juices remaining in the skillet.

5. 5

   Add the garlic and fry for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

6. 6

   Add the diced onion and fry it in the butter.

7. 7

   Pour in the white wine, if using, and let it reduce slightly.

8. 8

   Add the drained sun-dried tomatoes and fry for 1–2 minutes to release their flavors.

9. 9

   Reduce the heat to low. Add the half and half and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.

10. 10

    Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

11. 11

    Add the spinach leaves and let them wilt in the sauce.

12. 12

    Add the Parmesan and simmer for 1 minute, until the cheese melts into the sauce.

13. 13

    For a thicker sauce, mix the optional cornstarch with the water. Add the mixture to the center of the pan and quickly stir it through while continuing to simmer, until the sauce thickens.

14. 14

    Return the salmon to the pan. Sprinkle with parsley and spoon the sauce over each fillet.

15. 15

    Serve over pasta, rice, or steamed vegetables.

Notes

The author notes that this is not a traditional Tuscan recipe; it was adapted from Olive Garden’s Tuscan Chicken. Half and half can be replaced with light cream or heavy cream. Sun-dried tomatoes may be replaced with halved cherry tomatoes sautéed with the onion and garlic, according to the body excerpt. The excerpt also suggests lemon juice and lemon zest in the sauce as an optional flavor addition; these are not included in the structured ingredient list. Serving accompaniment is not quantified.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• seafood
• pan-seared
• creamy
• Italian-inspired