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Back-to-school is that time of year when we need weeknight dinners to be as quick and easy as possible! And how about making them taste good and be good for us, too? Well, I’ve got the perfect sheet pan salmon with pesto recipe for you.
It, along with some whole-grain wild rice, can be thrown together with very little effort to make a well-rounded, tasty meal. Plus, with the pesto being made with half spinach and half basil, you can really feel good about offering this one to your family.
Enjoy!
Why Make Pesto With Spinach and Basil?
If you’re familiar with pesto then you may have noticed my recipe differs from the traditional Italian version. Normally pesto is made with two cups of basil, but I opted to substitute half the basil with spinach in my recipe.
Some people (especially kids) may find traditional pesto overpowering. Swapping in spinach tones down the basil flavor while adding a hint of sweetness kids and picky eaters will love.
It’s also a great way to add an extra serving of leafy greens to your family’s meal!
Finally, spinach is also a bit more cost-effective than fresh basil, which is good for your grocery budget.
Pesto Salmon FAQs
What Can I Serve With Pesto Salmon?
We like a variety of roasted vegetables in our pesto salmon sheet pan. This recipe calls for zucchini and/or summer squash and cherry tomatoes, but that’s flexible. You could easily swap with whatever you have on hand, what’s in season, or something from the garden.
As for side dishes, you could serve this with easy pasta or brown rice to keep it simple, or no side at all.
Pesto Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 pound salmon (skin and bones removed)
- 1 pound zucchini and/or yellow summer squash ((2 small) cut into 1″ pieces)
- 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup spinach leaves
- 1 cup basil leaves (fresh)
- 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated )
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
- 4 servings wild rice (optional, prepared according to package directions)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- On a sheet pan, arrange the salmon in the middle with the cut veggies and cherry tomatoes in a circle around it. Set aside.
- In a food processor combine the spinach, basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil and garlic. Blend until smooth. Spread the pesto on top of the salmon and spoon the remainder on top of the veggies.
- Bake until the salmon is done (no longer dark pink in the middle) and the zucchini/squash can easily be pierced with a fork, about 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy. We had ours with wild rice on the side.
Notes
- We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Can you freeze the pesto and use at a later time? If you want to prep early?
Yes, pesto is easy to freeze. – Nicole
Is frozen wild caught fish ok?
Yes, that is okay to use. – Nicole
This was so good and really easy. The salmon was moist and the flavors were great. One out of 2 kids enjoyed it so that works for us.
Sounds great! Budget saving tip- you can sub the pine nuts for sunflower seeds (which are cheap to buy in bulk.) It won’t taste exactly the same but very similar and delicious.
Perfect! I have salmon and a basil plant ready to go at home- just need to pick up some veggies to make this dish. Can’t wait to try it.
Looks very yummy. Love to taste it!
great pairing (salmon and pesto)! love it, especially all in one pan, that much easier, thank you!
This looks delicious. I need a new way to make salmon, or other fish. I think my family would want the vegetables more roasted, so I might try it with the veggies in the oven a while before adding the fish.
If you take your piece of salmon, skin side down, and spread a thin layer of veganaise on top, and then sprinkle furikake seasoning on it and then bake. It is so delicious!