salmon with pea + arugula pesto

salmon with pea + arugula pesto

dinner that feels fancy AF but actually only takes 15 minutes and has 5 ingredients that you probably/possibly already have in the fridge? bless it. miracles do exist.

a couple things before we start:
- splurge on the good salmon. i have no shame in telling you that I paid $10 for each of these Norwegian salmon filets because they are GORGEOUS, meaty, they taste like the sea (i.e, not like a fish tank), and the skin crisps beautifully. do it because you love yourself.
- I tend to like pesto’s that are chunky, textured, and sans-basil. i’m just over the whole basil pesto thing BUT feel free to add herbs to this if that’s more your jam.
- don’t skip zesting the lemon. in fact, as a rule of thumb, never skip zesting.

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salmon with pea + arugula pesto
makes 4 salmon filets
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes

4 salmon filets (the good ones!)
olive oil. for brushing
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

for the pesto:
1c peas (totally ok to use frozen peas that have been thawed)
1c arugula
1 clove of garlic
zest + juice of 1 lemon
1/3c olive oil
1/2tsp sea salt
1/2tsp black pepper

preheat the oven to 450.
line a baking sheet with parchment paper. place the salmon skin-side down on the baking sheet. brush each filet with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on thickness.

meanwhile, pulse all the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor. if you like your pesto a little thinner, add more oil! once the salmon is cooked through, dollop a big spoonful of pesto on top. yay!