Categorized:

  • Main Dish
  • Seafood

Tagged:

  • basil
  • cream cheese
  • garlic
  • milk
  • olive oil
  • parmesan
  • pine nuts
  • salmon
Grilled Salmon with Creamy Pesto - 1

Grilled Salmon with Creamy Pesto Sauce

Ingredients

  • 4 - 6 (6 oz.) skin on or skinless salmon fillets
  • Olive oil, for brushing salmon and grill
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, diced into small cubes
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 3 Tbsp homemade or store-bought pesto, plus more for serving* (I used homemade)

Instructions

  • Preheat a grill over medium-high heat to about 425 degrees F. Brush both sides of salmon with olive oil (about 1 Tbsp total) and season both sides with salt and pepper.
  • Brush grill grates with oil and grill salmon about 3 minutes per side or to desired doneness (if using skin-on salmon grill skin side up first).
  • While salmon is grilling, heat cream cheese with milk in a saucepan set over medium heat, stirring constantly until melted, about 1 - 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pesto.
  • Serve salmon warm with creamy pesto sauce. Spoon about 1 tsp pesto over creamy pesto sauce for added color and flavor.

Notes

  • For a homemade pesto (which you’ll have just a little excess left): in a food processor pulse to mince 1 cup (18g) slightly packed fresh basil leaves, 1 clove garlic, 2 Tbsp finely shredded parmesan, 1 Tbsp pine nuts or chopped walnuts, salt and pepper. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil and pulse until well blended. Store in refrigerator.
  • If you don’t want to grill the salmon, you can definitely pan sear it as well. To do so: Pat salmon dry with paper towels, season with S&P. Cook the salmon in 2 tsp of olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat (about 3 minutes per side).
  • Recipe source: adapted from Kraft .

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