Creamy Kale and Salmon in Orzo

The salmon cooks first in butter and oil, skin side down, then comes out of the skillet. Into that same pan go onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and thyme, cooking briefly before water, cream, and orzo go in together. The orzo absorbs the cream and the flavored cooking liquid as it cooks, using what the salmon left behind rather than starting from scratch in a clean pan. Baby kale and cream cheese go in once the orzo is done, then the Parmigiano, and the salmon returns at the end just to warm through.

One pot, two servings, and a technique that the Milk Street Magazine calls “throw it together”, do not waste the cooking liquid, build the dish from it instead. Once you cook this way once, it becomes difficult to go back to tipping away flavor. It is not a ground breaking discovery; I usually use the left-over liquid to make the sauce, but adding the pasta first should infuses the pasta itself with some of the flavors of the salmon and spices.

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Key Ingredients in This Recipe

You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.

• Salmon
• Orzo – you can use any type of pasta you like.
• Kale – you can use various greens instead; arugula, spinach, lettuce, collard greens, mustard greens.
• Cherry tomatoes
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Cream
• Cream cheese
• Thyme – clearly some substitution possible here, like sage, parsley or oregano

How to Make Creamy Kale and Salmon in Orzo

• Step 1 – Season the salmon fillets with salt, pepper and paprika powder.
• Step 2 – Heat oil and butter in a skillet and add the salmon (skin side down first) and cook for approx. 5 minutes. Flip around and cook for another 5 minutes. You know when the salmon is ready to be turned when the flesh turns from translucent pink to opaque along the sides and starts to move towards the top. The cooking time depends very much on the thickness of the fish fillets, but the internal temperature should reach 145°F. Transfer salmon to a plate and cover to keep warm. I like to cook salmon with the skin on. It keeps the salmon together during cooking and it makes it so easy to transfer the fish from pan to plate. More importantly, cooking the skin crispy can be tasty as well. If you don’t like to eat the skin, just discard it before eating.
• Step 3 – To the same skillet add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is nicely caramelized (if you need add a little oil to the skillet). Add the thyme leaves and the cherry tomatoes and cook a few more minutes.
• Step 4 – Add water, cream and orzo and cook until orzo is al dente.
• Step 5 – Add baby kale and cream cheese and mix until kale is wilted.
• Step 6 – Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and taste; add salt and pepper if needed. Return salmon to skillet and cover until warm.
• Step 7 – Transfer to plates and sprinkle with thyme leaves.

Other Salmon Recipes to Try

• Salmon Asparagus and Spinach Pappardelle
• Salmon with Orange Maple Mustard Glaze
• Grilled Salmon with Wine in Foil

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