Salmon with Pesto Butter
and couscous / asparagus
Since the pesto butter was the star of this meal that we last featured in 2019, we wanted to bring it back with a shortcut of store-bought pesto.
Smarts: If you prefer to make your own pesto, you'll need a small amount tonight and a larger amount for Wednesday's meal. Be sure to make enough for both nights.
Ingredients
- Asparagus - 10 oz, trimmed
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Water - 1 Tbsp
- Lemon juice - 2 tsp
- Butter - 4 Tbsp
- Pesto, store-bought - 2 Tbsp
- Lemons - 1, wedges
- Salmon fillets - 1 lb
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Stock, any type - 3/4 cup (sub water)
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Butter - 2 Tbsp
- Couscous - 3/4 cup
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Make couscous - Combine stock, salt, and butter (portion for couscous) in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in couscous and cover with lid. Let stand for ~5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Make pesto butter - Defrost butter (portion for salmon) in the microwave just until soft. Combine butter with pesto. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Asparagus - Trim asparagus. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Lemons - Slice into wedges. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Salmon - Rinse and pat dry. Season with some salt and pepper.
Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again
Try for freeLearn More
Make
- Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil (portion for asparagus) and then asparagus. Sear asparagus, turning with tongs to get it started cooking on all sides. Add water and cover the pan with a lid to steam the asparagus until tender, ~3 minutes for thin spears and up to 8 minutes for thick spears. Season with some salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Wipe out pan and return to heat. Add cooking oil (portion for salmon). Cook fish on both sides until golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes total, depending on thickness.
- If couscous was made ahead, reheat in the microwave.
- Squeeze lemon juice over asparagus.
- Serve salmon and asparagus over couscous. Spoon pesto butter over salmon while fish is still warm. Serve lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
20 reviews
Loved the pesto butter! Easy and delicious meal. Next time I would season the cod (salmon free household) with something more to add flavor because it seemed to be a little bland.
0 HelpfulWe felt the pesto butter was a bit rich with the fatty fish, but delicious on the asparagus and orzo (used orzo instead of couscous)
0 HelpfulGreat and easy meal! I wish I had made my own pesto for this recipe though. This was so easy and filling we will probably add it to our lunch rotation (without the asparagus).
0 Helpful