This Italian salmon recipe is full of fresh, delicious flavors. Salmon fillets are roasted in the oven with tomatoes, and garlic and finished off with fresh basil. This easy recipe is done in 30 minutes in a few simple steps, for the perfect weeknight meal!
Preheat oven to 400˚ and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
Place salmon fillets on the prepared sheet pan and place halved tomatoes around the salmon.
Drizzle both the salmon and tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the minced garlic over the salmon and tomatoes.
Roast in the preheated oven until the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 145˚. For pre-portioned salmon filets, the cooking time should be 15-20 minutes and for a whole fillet, 20-25 minutes.
Sprinkled chopped fresh basil over the salmon and tomatoes and serve on it's own or over greens as a salad.
Notes
Don't overcrowd the sheet pan and lay the filets and tomatoes in an even layer so they roast evenly.
Use a kitchen thermometer to check the internal temperature of the salmon to prevent overcooking.
Substitutions and Variations
Salmon - Frozen or fresh salmon will both work, but froen will need to be fully defrosted beforehand.
Tomatoes - Either grape or cherry tomatoes or on-the-vine tomatoes can be cut up into smaller pieces.
Basil - Fresh basil leaves work best as a finishing herb. 1 Tablespoon of dried basil of Italian seasoning may be used. Sprinkle the dried herbs on the salmon before roasting instead of after.
Spicy - Sprinkle a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes.
Veggies - Add artichoke hearts, green beans, or broccolini to the sheet pan.
Alternative Cooking Methods
Stovetop - Sear salmon filets in a cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet in olive oil with the tomatoes and garlic. Cooking times should be about 5-7 minutes on each side for smaller filets or 8-10 minutes for a large fillet. If you don't have a large enough skillet to hold the tomatoes and salmon, then separate skillets can be used for each.
Grill - This dish can be cooked on the grill. I recommend using grill mats to help make sure the fish doesn't stick to the grates or fall through. Cooking times will be closer to 10-15 minutes for pre-portioned filets and 15-20 minutes for one large filet. Tomatoes can also be roasted in a cast iron skillet.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Prep the recipe earlier in the day on a sheet pan and wrap it in plastic and store it in the refrigerator. Pull it out while the oven preheats and follow the cooking directions as noted above. Cooking times may be slightly longer. Leftovers of this Italian salmon will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven until just heated through.