Pesto butter salmon is a no fuss, fast weekday meal. Just spread the pesto butter on the salmon, bake for 15 minutes and it’s ready to put on the table. This salmon pairs great with zoodles, spinach salad with balsamic dressing or with brown rice.
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Notes on Pesto Butter Salmon
Benefits of Salmon
Salmon has to be one of the best possible seafoods to eat. It’s packed with healthy fats, full of omega-3, it’s been linked to positive brain development. But not all salmon is created equal. Look for sustainable, wild-caught salmon.
Wild vs. Farmed Salmon
Farmed salmon has a higher fat content because they don’t have as much space to move. Generally speaking, farmed salmon does not have the intense color that wild salmon does. I have seen farmed salmon with added coloring at my local supermarket. No thank you.
What’s that white stuff on my salmon?
When salmon is cooked sometimes white stuff oozes out. Don’t worry! It’s just a protein called albumin. It exists inside the salmon in liquid form when raw but solidifies during cooking and gets squeezed out. You can scrape it off if you want, it’s fine to eat though.
Butter
I highly recommend 100% grass-fed butter. Cows did not evolve eating corn so it’s a no-brainer that butter from cows who eat what nature intended has a higher nutritional value. Why am I recommending butter though if dairy is inflammatory and should be avoided on a PCOS diet? Butter is high in fatty acids which can aid weight loss.
Healthy fats can also help balance hormones.
Pesto
Pesto is traditionally made with basil and copious amount of parmesan cheese. Dairy is inflammatory and therefore not good for PCOS. If you are going to buy pesto look for a dairy-free or vegan pesto.
OR consider whizzing up some pesto yourself! Check out my Fresh Spinach Pesto with Miso recipe. That is what I used to make the salmon pictured. Miso sounds like an unusual addition but the salty umami replaces the parmesan cheese beautifully.
Spinach pesto is really quick to make. Just place the ingredients in a food processor and whizz them up. And you’ll have enough left over for the next night’s dinner too.
30 minute Pesto Butter Salmon
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Greaseproof paper
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Teaspoon
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon
- 4 oz butter
- 2 tbsp pesto see recipe notes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Melt the butter and mix with the pesto. Allow to cool to a spreadable consistency.
- Cut the salmon into four equal portions. Place on a baking sheet on greaseproof paper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread one teaspoon of the pesto butter on each fillet.
- Place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature registers 145°F in the thickest part.
- Serve with zoodles or brown rice and salad with a wedge of lemon.
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