Lemon Pesto Salmon
July 23, 2016
Revised & updated 2/6/2021 - Easy to put together & goes from oven to table in no time. The cooking method insures that the salmon is very tender, succulent, delicious & the cleanup is basically nonexistent. which is always a plus! For a complete meal, serve with Jasmine Rice on the side.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1 small summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
2 very thin slices of red onion, cut in half or 2 shallots sliced thin
1 Tblsp butter, cut into 8 pieces
2 to 3 tsp pesto, depending on how strong a flavor you like
2 lemon slices from an organic lemon, halved
4 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 skinless salmon fillets, about 8 ounces each (see Tips# 2 & 3)
Directions
1 Prepped zucchini & summer squash.
2 Cut 2 - 15 x 15 pieces of parchment paper. Fold each in half to create a crease, then lay them out so they're flat (see Tip# 1).
3 Making the first packet; mound up 1/2 the zucchini & summer squash on one side of the crease, in the middle.
4 Top with 1/2 the onion, butter, pesto & lemon slices. Season lightly with salt & pepper.
5 Place salmon on top, drizzle with 1/2 the lemon juice. Season lightly with salt & pepper.
6 Fold the parchment over salmon. Seal up both sides by making multiple overlapping turns. Then do the same with the open end, creating a tightly sealed packet.
7 Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients, making the second packet.
8 Place both packets on a large, rimmed baking sheet & bake on middle oven rack for 15 to 18 minutes, depending on thickness of the salmon.
9 Serve on a plate right in the packet or open packet & transfer to a plate with some Jasmine Rice on the side (if using).
Tips & Suggestions
1 To make your life easier; cut the pieces of parchment paper off the roll the night before. Reverse roll them up & secure with rubber bands. This will help keep the paper somewhat flat while working with it the next day... otherwise it can be a real pain in the neck!
2 If your fillet has the skin on, simply use a very sharp knife to trim the skin off the fillet.
3 You can really customize this recipe in so many ways;
a. Use any kind of fish fillet, just adjust the cooking time accordingly depending on how thick the fish is.
b. Instead of pesto, use 1/4 tsp of dried dill weed or 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary for each fillet. You will also need to increase the butter to 2 Tblsp, the reason being is that the pesto has oil in it, so you'll need the extra butter.
This looks an amazing recipe. Definitely this goes to my recipe list. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you think so John, I hope you enjoy it!
I love Salmon, can eat it daily! Love this recipe, cooks everything at once, less mess, easier and quicker. Salmon has so many healthy benefits!
Thanks Evelyn! Oh yes… this is one of the easiest cleanup recipes, which is always a plus!
This recipe looks delicious and I absolutely love salmon.
Thanks Maria! I love salmon too 🙂
Yum, we love salmon at our house. I’m always looking for new and delicious ways to prepare it! This sounds great, we will be trying it soon.
Great Nicole, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. I’m working on another salmon recipe that I made last night & it was super delicious. It should be ready to “roll out to the word” in a few weeks!
I haven’t tried this yet but can’t resist trying foods with pesto has one of the ingredients.
I’m with you on the pesto, I love it too!
Definitely trying this recipe out soon. I just got into the hang of cooking salmon the right way lol.
Oh good, when you make it I hope you enjoy it!
I don’t eat much salmon, mostly because I don’t know how to prepare it, but I think I can do this recipe! It looks easy enough so I’m going to give it a try! Thanks.
I hope you enjoy it Shirley. I have a couple of other salmon recipes you might enjoy & salmon is so healthy for you 🙂
Yum yum yum. Love salmon and cooked like this is one of my favourite methods. Saves on washing up.
Hi Rebecca, thanks for stopping by & for your nice comments. I agree, there’s nothing better than easy cleanup!