Pesto Salmon and Veggies oven bake on a sheet pan for a nutrient packed dinner, that's ready in under 25 minutes! Plus, we're only using one cookie sheet for easy clean up. Get ready for big flavor with little effort.
Dinner doesn't get easier than this! I'm crazy about fish recipes on weeknights, because they cook so fast and it's actually good for you. It's a win win!
For more easy weeknight fish dinners, try this Blackened Mahi Mahi, Baja Shrimp Tacos, and Salmon Lettuce Wraps.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Easy To Make. If you can cut up some veggies and spread store bought Pesto Sauce on salmon you've got this!
- Simple Clean Up. You only need one sheet pan!
- Nutrient Packed. Salmon is packed with Omegas and we're getting lots of vitamins from the variety of vegetables.
- Protein Loaded. About 40 grams per serving.
- Quick. Ready to eat in under 25 minutes with just 5 minutes of prep work.
For more quick weeknight dinners, try this Meatballs and Orzo, Pepperoncini Chicken, Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken Gnocchi, and Breaded Pork Cutlets.
Ingredients:
Salmon: I used Wild Sockeye Salmon, which I love, but it's less fatty than other salmons. Atlantic or Coho Salmon are also great choices. Coho and Sockeye will cook faster than Atlantic because they are leaner.
Pesto Sauce: Any store-bought basil pesto sauce is great for this recipe or you can make my homemade pesto sauce recipe. I wanted something quick and went with the Rao's brand and it was perfect.
For the full recipe ingredients and quantities, visit the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
- If you want more pesto, you can toss the veggies in a few tablespoons too.
- For a more intense roast on the vegetables, start them in the oven 15 minutes before adding the salmon to the cookie sheet. Also, if you use an Atlantic Salmon, it will take longer to cook versus Sockeye or Coho.
- For a more filling dinner, pair this recipe with rice, pasta, or quinoa.
If you love salmon recipes, try this Sweet Chili Salmon, Blackened Salmon in the Air Fryer, and Cilantro Lime Salmon.
How to Make Pesto Salmon:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice off the bottom 1-2 inches of the asparagus stalks and discard. Cut the remaining asparagus into 2 inch pieces.
Step 2: Grab a full sized sheet pan. Note: A regular cookie sheet may be too small to fit everything, but you can use two of them if needed. Add the squash, zucchini, bell pepper and asparagus to one half of the sheet pan. Pour olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
Step 3: Place the salmon on the other half of the cookie sheet, skin side down. Spread 2 tablespoons of pesto sauce over each Salmon filet.
Step 4: Top with lemon slices. Bake until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145 degrees (12-20 minutes depending on thickness and type of salmon) *see notes below about temperature and doneness.
Step 5: Tent the sheet pan with foil and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy! I use a spatula to cut into serving sizes and the skin should stick right to the pan and pull easily away from the fish.
Expert Tips:
- Buy the thin asparagus or they won't cook fully, unless you bake them first and add the salmon after about 15 minutes.
- If you want the vegetables more roasted, place them in the oven first without the salmon for about 10-15 minutes then add salmon onto cookie sheet and put back into the oven.
- Rely on temperature over time for baking salmon. The USDA recommends salmon to be cooked at 145 degrees for safety reasons; although, many people prefer it closer to 125-130 degrees. Sockeye Salmon and Coho cook faster than Atlantic because of less fat content.
- Watch out for fine pin bones when eating. I usually find one or two in the filet after baking. If you have smaller kids, cut their piece into small pieces before giving it to them and make sure there aren't any.
Big on Vegetable Packed Dinners? Try this Asparagus and Pea Pasta, Ground Chicken Stir Fry, Chicken Chorizo Paella, and Zucchini Ricotta Rolls.
More Weeknight Dinner Ideas:
If you tried this Pesto Salmon and Vegetables Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Baked Pesto Salmon and Veggies on a Sheet Pan
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: About 1 lb salmon and 3 cups veggies 1x
Description
Pesto Salmon and Veggies oven bake on a sheet pan for a nutrient packed dinner, that's ready in under 25 minutes! Plus, we're only using one cookie sheet for easy clean up. Get ready for big flavor with little effort.
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini, stems removed, quartered and cut into ½ inch slices
- 1 yellow squash, stems removed, quartered and cut into ½ inch slices
- 1 bell pepper, seeds and stems removed and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 bundle of thin asparagus, *the thicker ones won't cook fully
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1.5 lbs of salmon, *I used Sockeye, but Atlantic or Coho are good choices too
- 4 tablespoons store-bought pesto
- 1 lemon, cut into thin slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice off the bottom 1-2 inches of the asparagus stalks and discard. Cut the remaining asparagus into 2 inch pieces.
- Grab a full sized sheet pan. Note: A regular cookie sheet may be too small to fit everything, but you can use two of them if needed. Add the squash, zucchini, bell pepper and asparagus to one half of the sheet pan. Pour olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Place the salmon on the other half of the cookie sheet, skin side down. Spread 2 tablespoons of pesto sauce over each Salmon filet.
- Top with lemon slices. Bake until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145 degrees (12-20 minutes) *see notes below about temperature and doneness.
- Tent the sheet pan with foil and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy! I use a spatula to cut into serving sizes and the skin should stick right to the pan and pull easily away from the fish.
Equipment
Notes
- Buy the thin asparagus or they won't cook fully, unless you bake them first and add the salmon after.
- If you want the vegetables more roasted, place them in the oven first without the salmon for about 10-15 minutes then add salmon onto cookie sheet and put back into the oven.
- Rely on temperature over time for baking salmon. The USDA recommends salmon to be cooked at 145 degrees for safety reasons; although, many people prefer it closer to 125-130 degrees.
- Watch out for fine pin bones when eating. I usually find one or two in the filet after baking. If you have smaller kids, cut their piece into small pieces before giving it to them and make sure there aren't any.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Leave a Reply