Giada De Laurentiis’ 20-Minute Salmon Is a Weeknight Dinner the Food Network Star Says Is ‘Impressive Enough’ for Entertaining
TL; DR:
- Giada De Laurentiis has a 20-minute recipe for One-Pan Salmon with Artichokes and Sundried Tomatoes.
- The celebrity chef sears salmon, serving it with artichokes and sundried tomatoes in a white wine sauce.
- It’s a “dinner that can take you from weeknight to weekend,” Giada De Laurentiis said.
Giada De Laurentiis’ pan-seared salmon recipe pulls double-duty. The Food Network chef calls it a great option for a weeknight dinner. But she also says it doesn’t have to be weeknight-only because it’s special enough for entertaining. Ahead, get De Laurentiis’ pan-seared salmon tips and learn how she makes the “super easy” dish.
Giada De Laurentiis says her 20-minute salmon recipe is great for weeknight dinners and entertaining
De Laurentiis shared her recipe for One-Pan Salmon with Artichokes and Sundried Tomatoes on Giadzy. “If you’re looking for a dinner that can take you from weeknight to weekend, this is it!” she said.
The recipe, originally featured on Giada Entertains, is loved by De Laurentiis “for so many reasons.”
“It’s so beautiful on the plate!” she said before adding “the presentation is absolutely impressive enough to serve when you’re entertaining.” And the fact that it takes 20 minutes to “throw together” makes it a “wonderful weeknight dinner.”
Not only is the dish versatile but as De Laurentiis said while making her pan-seared salmon on her cooking show, it’s a “very, very popular” dish at her Las Vegas restaurant.
“You can see why because it’s super, super easy but light but also feels really special,” she said, according to Food Network. “The ingredients are elegant and it’s got a little of everything in it.”
The Food Network star sears the fish before sautéing the vegetables
The Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef demonstrated how to make pan-seared salmon on her Food Network show. “This is a very elegant, light dish,” she said.
She started with what else besides salmon, specifically six-ounce center-cut skinless salmon fillets. De Laurentiis began by seasoning them liberally with kosher salt. “I really like to season the salmon really well so it’s got a salty crust on it,” the cookbook author explained.
“While the salmon starts to seer what I’m going to do when I flip it is baste it with a little bit of butter and oregano,” she added.
As she chopped up some “very pungent” fresh oregano, De Laurentiis shared that dried oregano is fine to use too. However, she warned that it should be used sparingly. “Just remember that it’s a lot stronger so you don’t want to use quite as much,” she explained.
Although dried oregano is an option, De Laurentiis said she prefers fresh. It “works really well with this salmon,” she said.
With the salmon golden brown, De Laurentiis melted butter in the pan and proceeded to baste the salmon to “add more flavor.” It’s “kind of like when it’s Thanksgiving and you’re basting a turkey,” she said, calling it the “same idea.”
The Eat Good, Feel Good author moved on to the vegetables when the salmon became golden brown. She drizzled more olive oil into the pan (Lucino extra virgin is her go-to) before tossing in shallots and frozen artichokes that had been thawed.
“Frozen vegetables are totally great to use,” De Laurentiis said. “You just have to make sure you season them well. Then we’re going to add one of my favorite ingredients, sun-dried tomatoes. I just love the sweet, rich flavor that they add to dishes.”
Giada De Laurentiis pan-seared salmon: making the sauce
Next, De Laurentiis deglazed the pan with white wine to “start creating a nice little sauce for the salmon.” She added spinach and butter to the pan, letting the greens wilt.
Following the addition of more butter — “to give it a nice sheen, a velvety texture” — she tasted the sauce. A little more salt and De Laurentiis put the salmon back in the pan. “This dish is done,” she said.
