Who doesn’t love a one pot meal? How about a one sheet pan meal? Well this recipe is both! Yes, that does mean you have two pans to clean up, but you also get that much more flavor in your final meal. By staggering the start times of the salmon fillets, garlic, brussels sprouts and lemon, you’re able to cook them all on the same sheet and everything comes out perfectly at the same time. Just the sheet pan portion of the recipe would make a delicious meal on its own if you’re not in the mood for pasta. Assuming pasta sounds good — because when doesn’t it — one pot serves to cook the noodles and assemble this well rounded meal. Whether your goal is fewer dishes, or consolidating cooking space in a small kitchen, this recipe delivers complexity with maximum efficiency. What’s not to love!?
Why this recipe works
When developing a one pan recipe, the last thing you want is to sacrifice flavor for fewer dishes. If you’re not excited about your final creation, then the added convenience isn’t worth it. The beauty of successful one pan recipes is in their ability to consolidate and streamline any cooking tasks that don’t boost flavor. With that said, any recipe that doesn’t already seek to accomplish this inherently has unnecessary steps. This also means that certain recipes are well suited to one pan preparations, and some simply are infeasible. Of course, there are plenty of recipes that could be prepared with one pan and which would still be very enjoyable, but I’ll just come right out and say that this salmon orecchiette sacrifices nothing to reduce the number of those dishes — it is made for that one pan status (ok, I admit it’s one pan AND one pot).
Perhaps the most important consideration for a one pan recipe is how to have all of your components finish cooking at the same time. With one pan, you’re limited to one cooking temperature, you must consider that ingredients usually require different cook times, and not to mention there is limited space. The options would be very limited if all of a recipe’s ingredients had to enter the pan at the same time, cook at the same temperature, and be ready at the same time. There are multiple ways to go about tackling these obstacles. Certain recipes might cut ingredients to different sizes in order for them to cook at similar rates. Others might cook various ingredients one at a time and set them aside before combining them all at the end. This salmon orecchiette focuses on staggered cook times, adding ingredients to the oven at staggered intervals in order for them to all finish cooking at the same time.
Staggered cook times ensure that all the ingredients finish roasting at the same time.
The recipe deliberately adds the salmon to the oven last, rather than start all of the roasted ingredients together and remove the salmon before the brussels sprouts. Giving the brussels sprouts a head start in the oven drives off excess moisture and allows them to shrink slightly before adding the salmon. This ensures that the pan is not overcrowded and that all of the ingredients are able to caramelize rather than stew. Excess moisture is also the same reason why the salmon and lemon are added on opposite sides of the sheet pan. Equally important is that the sheet pan is preheated when the salmon hits it, allowing for more even cooking from more intense heat applied to the insulated skin side of the fillet.
Building the salmon orecchiette in the reserved pasta pot allows for easy assembly and fewer dishes.
While the roasted ingredients are all in the oven, there’s a leisurely amount of time to cook the pasta and even get a head start on some clean up, after which the same pasta pot is used to “build” the completed meal component by component. First, by making a super flavorful garlic puree that coats the pasta and brussels sprouts, and finally by folding in the salmon and taleggio cheese. The flavors and timing are all spot on, for a delicious, streamlined meal that you’ll want to make again and again.
What You Will Need
The right equipment matters. It’s even more important when you’re working with a streamlined recipe that uses fewer dishes. Make sure you have the right tools to make all of your cooking tasks a breeze. After years of nearly constant use I can firmly recommend all of these options.
The more you know
Salmon
All salmon is high in protein, omega 3 fatty acids, and vitamin B12, making it a healthy meal option. There are two main categories of salmon, Atlantic salmon and Pacific salmon, either of which will work for this recipe. Atlantic salmon is a unique species, which is only available farm–raised and is classified as endangered. The majority of Atlantic salmon comes from farms in Chile, Canada and Norway, with only a small proportion coming from farms in Maine and Washington State. Pacific salmon includes seven different species, five of which live in North American waters, and two of which live in Asian waters. Most Pacific salmon are wild–caught following sustainable fishing practices. The Alaskan salmon fisheries are regarded as some of the most sustainably managed fisheries in the world. In general, farm–raised Atlantic salmon are fattier, milder flavored and have a lighter pink color, while wild–caught Pacific salmon are leaner with more concentrated salmon flavor and darker red flesh. Of course there are certain exceptions to these distinctions based on environmental factors and species. Like all animal products, whether farmed or wild–caught, eating salmon does impact the ecosystems from which they originate. However, the modern day market for salmon is far from being the worst offender of pollution, green house gas emissions, animal cruelty or over–harvesting when compared to other animal products.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts don’t just look like mini cabbages, they literally are a species of cabbage grown for its edible buds. So if you pretend that you’re eating miniaturized food, there’s nothing pretend about it — you can genuinely enjoy the magic of those tiny cabbages. If you ever wondered about whether the name refers to the Belgian city, that is absolutely correct as well. Although there were similar predecessors cultivated along the Mediterranean in the Roman empire, brussels sprouts as we know them today were first cultivated and popularized around Brussels, Belgium, hence the name. Brussels sprouts are a member of the Brassica family along with broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards, radishes, and more. They are a good source of vitamins A, C and K, fiber, folic acid, and manganese. It would be hard to miss the dramatic rise in popularity of Brussels sprouts over the past 10 years. Whereas not long ago the vegetable was nothing but a boiled, bitter, mushy chore to eat, nowadays there is barely a restaurant or bar not offering them fried, roasted or braised on the appetizer list. This is in part due to a reevaluation of the cooking methods best suited to these greens. However, the Brussels sprouts renaissance began in the 1990s when a Dutch scientist isolated the chemical compound responsible for the vegetable’s unappealing bitterness. From there, a years–long project to selectively cross breed Brussels sprouts in order to reduce the concentration of the bitter compound resulted in today’s more palatable variety. So if you wrote off Brussels sprouts 20 or more years ago, I suggest giving them a second (or third) chance, because science has helped them along to actualize their full potential.
Taleggio
If you’re not familiar with Taleggio cheese, then I highly recommend that you give it a try — with the slight caveat that if you’re easily put off by strong–smelling cheeses, then you might want to try one of the suggested substitutions below. Taleggio is a semi soft cow’s milk cheese with a pale orange–colored washed–rind. It is available in both pasteurized and unpasteurized varieties, and is aged between 6 and 10 weeks. Despite taleggio’s strong, pungent aroma, the flavor is mild, tangy and slightly fruity. Taleggio hails from Val Taleggio, and today is made across northern Italy, particularly in the Lombardy region. Look for the DOP label, Italy’s Protected Designation of Origin, which guarantees that the cheese is produced in a specific geographic zone according to traditional practices.
Notes
If you prefer a low–carb or gluten–free meal, you can easily omit the pasta or substitute your grain of choice. Simply follow the sheet pan portion of the recipe, and use the garlic–lemon–honey–thyme mixture to coat just the brussels sprouts.
For a vegetarian version, substitute the salmon with one well-drained can of chickpeas.
If you have trouble finding taleggio or if it’s not for you, then feta, brie or goat cheese will all make great substitutes.
The 10-15 minute suggested cook time for the salmon fillet will work for most fillet sizes. However, if you have a particularly thick (more than 2 inches), or thin (less than ½ inch) fillet, you may need more or less time accordingly.
Wine Pairings
Whites:
- Vermentino: for its medium body, complementary citrus and herb flavors
- California Chardonnay: for its rich body, ripe fruit flavors
Reds:
- Schiava: for its light body, high acidity, aromatic candied red fruit
- Pinot Noir: for its red fruit and spice flavors, soft tannins
Salmon Orecchiette with Brussels Sprouts and Taleggio
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels Sprouts
- 6 cloves Garlic , unpeeled
- ¼ cup + 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil , divided
- ¼ cup + 1 teaspoon Table Salt , divided
- 1 Lemon
- ½ pound Salmon Fillet , skin on
- 1 pound Orecchiette Pasta
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
- 6 ounces Taleggio , cut into 1 inch pieces
- Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Set an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 375 °F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Slice off any discolored or woody portions from brussels sprout stems, making sure to leave enough of the stem intact to hold the leaves together; cut brussels sprouts in half. In a large bowl, mix brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and pinch black pepper until evenly coated. Spread brussels sprouts on sheet pan, reserving bowl for later use. Cut lemon in half and place both halves cut–face up in adjacent corners of sheet pan. When oven is preheated, place sheet pan on rack and set timer for 15 minutes.
- Place garlic in reserved mixing bowl and toss to coat lightly with excess olive oil. When timer rings, remove brussels sprouts from oven; scatter garlic over brussels sprouts; return sheet pan to oven for another 15 minutes.
- Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towel; rub flesh sides evenly with 1 teaspoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and pinch black pepper. When brussels sprouts have been in the oven for a total of 30 minutes, being careful of hot surfaces, remove sheet pan from oven. Shift brussels sprouts towards side of sheet pan with lemon halves to make room for salmon. Place salmon on sheet pan skin–side down; return sheet pan to oven; roast until salmon is opaque pink through thickest part of the fillet and flakes apart easily with a fork, 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and ¼ cup salt; bring to a boil over high heat. Add pasta to boiling water; cook, stirring occasionally to avoid clumping, until al dente, about 10 minutes or according to product’s suggested time. Pasta should be firm to the bite, but with no pale or starchy center. Drain pasta, reserving pot for later use; rinse lightly to stop cooking; transfer pasta to reserved mixing bowl. Toss pasta with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
- Transfer salmon, garlic, and lemon to cutting board. When cool enough to handle, peel garlic; remove skin from salmon and shred salmon into 2-3 inch pieces. In reserved pasta pot, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic; with edge of spatula mix and mash garlic until mostly smooth and sizzling, about 1 minute. If garlic begins to burn or stick to bottom of pot, reduce heat to medium–low. In fine mesh strainer held over the garlic mixture, squeeze lemon halves; press juice and pulp through strainer with back of spoon. Add honey, thyme leaves and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium–low; add pasta and brussels sprouts; gently stir to coat with garlic mixture. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste. Remove pasta from heat; gently fold in salmon and taleggio; serve.
Notes
- If you prefer a low–carb or gluten–free meal, you can easily omit the pasta or substitute your grain of choice. Simply follow the sheet pan portion of the recipe, and use the garlic–lemon–honey–thyme mixture to coat just the brussels sprouts.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute the salmon with one well-drained can of chickpeas.
- If you have trouble finding taleggio or if it’s not for you, then feta, brie or goat cheese will all make great substitutes.
- The 10-15 minute suggested cook time for the salmon fillet will work for most fillet sizes. However, if you have a particularly thick (more than 2 inches), or thin (less than ½ inch) fillet, you may need more or less time accordingly.
- Vermentino: for its medium body, complementary citrus and herb flavors
- California Chardonnay: for its rich body, ripe fruit flavors
- Schiava: for its light body, high acidity, aromatic candied red fruit
- Pinot Noir: for its red fruit and spice flavors, soft tannins
The citrus taste was amazing! I will reproduce this sauce in other dishes, no doubt! Thank you!