Easy Weeknight Dinner: Roasted Salmon With Zucchini Noodles

By Kristen Ziesmer, MS, RD< CSSD LD

So many people say they’d eat more fish if only they knew how to cook it.  Cooking fish is simple and super fast and that’s why I regularly cook it during the week for an easy weeknight dinner! Generally speaking, to bake a piece of chicken it can take upwards of 30 minutes but fish usually takes 10 minutes tops! That means, while your fish is cooking you can work on getting the rest of your meal together.

In this particular recipe, I have roasted my salmon, which brings out the natural sweetness and creates some brown, crisp ends that are oh so tasty! I just seasoned with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and popped into a 400 degree oven. If you are not a salmon fan, you can use any fish you’d like for this recipe.

In addition to loving the quickness and simplicity that fish brings to my weeknight dinners, I also love the bounty of fresh veggies the summer brings! Looking to shed a few extra pounds or just sneak in a little more veggies to your diet? Try zucchini noodles or better known as “zoodles!” All you need is a Spiralizer or Veggetti and whatever veggies you want to turn into noodles. Some suggestions are zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, cucumbers, even potatoes. Just give the veggies a few twists and tada, you have noodles!

I made this for my husband and me the day before so we had a delicious home-cooked lunch to bring with us to work. You can do the same or enjoy for dinner! So, here’s the recipe!

Serves 2                                                     Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 salmon fillets (preferably wild caught)
• 2 medium sized zucchini
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 T. sun dried tomatoes, julienne cut
• 2 T. parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay salmon skin side down on a foil-lined pan and top with Italian seasoning, salt & pepper. Roast for 8-10 minutes until salmon is cooked throughout and browned slightly on edges.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 T. olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 min. Using your Veggetti or Spiralizer, twist both zucchinis into noodles directly into the pan. Season with salt & pepper.
3. Sauté zucchini until cooked throughout with a lid on the pan; about 8 minutes. Once cooked, add sun dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese and toss. Top with salmon and serve. One serving is one salmon fillet and one spiraled zucchini.