Garlic-Caper Salmon with Calabrian Asparagus & Creamy Lemon Orzo
Family Friendly

Garlic-Caper Salmon

with Calabrian Asparagus & Creamy Lemon Orzo

35 MIN
4 Servings
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Available Options

  • with Salmon
    includes four 5-oz Sustainably Sourced Skin-On Salmon Fillets
    Wellness
  • with Shrimp
    includes 18 oz Sustainably Sourced Tail-On Shrimp (Peeled & Deveined) View recipe
    • with Salmon

    From the Test Kitchen

    In this dish, a duo of aromatic garlic and briny capers—cooked briefly together to bring out their flavors—creates a simple, irresistible topping for our Italian-seasoned salmon. It all comes together over a bed of creamy orzo mixed with asparagus, which we’re cooking with a bit of Calabrian chile paste for a pleasant kick of heat.
    13 Points value per serving
    To learn more about WW's Points program, visit ww.com

    Hey, Chef! Try these WW pro-tips: Skip adding salt during prep and cooking, and see nutrition info for sodium as packaged. Counting Points? Choose nonstick cooking spray (0 Points) instead of olive oil (1 Points value per teaspoon) to coat your pan before heating.

    Get Cooking

    Dietary Information Wellness

    This meal was designed in collaboration with nutritionists with your holistic health in mind.

    WW Recommended
    • Nutrition
      PER SERVING
    • Calories
      690 Cals (est.)
    fresh
    ingredients
    Garlic-Caper Salmon with Calabrian Asparagus & Creamy Lemon Orzo
    Title
    • 4 Skin-On Salmon Fillets
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • ½ lb Orzo Pasta
    • 2 Tbsps Capers
    • 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning (Whole Dried Basil, Sage, Oregano, Savory, Rosemary, Thyme & Marjoram)
    • 1 Tbsp Calabrian Chile Paste
    • ¼ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
    • ½ cup Cream
    • 1 Lemon
    • ¾ lb Asparagus
    step-by-step
    instructions
    Cook Along Triangle Created with Sketch.
    Prepare the ingredients
    1 Prepare the ingredients
    Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Snap off and discard the tough, woody stem ends of the asparagus; cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (keeping the pointed tips intact). Roughly chop the capers. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Quarter and deseed the lemon.
    Cook the pasta
    2 Cook the pasta

    Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook, uncovered, 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm.

    Cook the asparagus
    3 Cook the asparagus

    Meanwhile, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the asparagus pieces in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add half the chopped garlic and as much of the chile paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined and the asparagus is softened. Transfer to a bowl; cover with foil to keep warm. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

    Cook the salmon
    4 Cook the salmon

    Pat the salmon dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Season only on the skinless side with the Italian seasoning. In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot.  Add the seasoned salmon, skin side down. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until the skin is browned and crispy. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through.* Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate.  

    *The USDA recommends a minimum safe cooking temperature of 145°F for fish.

    Make the garlic-caper topping
    5 Make the garlic-caper topping
    In the pan of reserved fond, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped capers and chopped garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until slightly softened. Turn off the heat and carefully stir in the juice of 2 lemon wedges.
    Finish the pasta & serve your dish
    6 Finish the pasta & serve your dish
    To the pot of cooked pasta, add the cooked asparagus, cream, and the juice of the remaining lemon wedges. Stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the cooked salmon over the finished pasta. Top the salmon with the garlic-caper topping. Garnish with the cheese. Enjoy!

    Tips from Home Chefs

    Garlic-Caper Salmon

    Prepare the ingredients
    1 Prepare the ingredients
    Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Snap off and discard the tough, woody stem ends of the asparagus; cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (keeping the pointed tips intact). Roughly chop the capers. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Quarter and deseed the lemon.
    2 Cook the pasta

    Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook, uncovered, 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm.

    Cook the pasta
    Cook the asparagus
    3 Cook the asparagus

    Meanwhile, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the asparagus pieces in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add half the chopped garlic and as much of the chile paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined and the asparagus is softened. Transfer to a bowl; cover with foil to keep warm. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

    4 Cook the salmon

    Pat the salmon dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Season only on the skinless side with the Italian seasoning. In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot.  Add the seasoned salmon, skin side down. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until the skin is browned and crispy. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through.* Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate.  

    *The USDA recommends a minimum safe cooking temperature of 145°F for fish.

    Cook the salmon
    Make the garlic-caper topping
    5 Make the garlic-caper topping
    In the pan of reserved fond, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped capers and chopped garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until slightly softened. Turn off the heat and carefully stir in the juice of 2 lemon wedges.
    6 Finish the pasta & serve your dish
    To the pot of cooked pasta, add the cooked asparagus, cream, and the juice of the remaining lemon wedges. Stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the cooked salmon over the finished pasta. Top the salmon with the garlic-caper topping. Garnish with the cheese. Enjoy!

    Finish the pasta & serve your dish
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