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Meal Prep Salmon With Butternut Squash Noodles

This meal prep Baked Salmon with Parmesan Butternut Squash Noodles is easy and simply perfect for a light and refreshing weekday lunch. It’s a great low carb meal with minimal ingredients that you can make in less than 20 minutes.

Easy of Making: Easy

When it comes to eating healthy, it’s all about including a balance of proteins, veggies, smart carbs, and healthy fats. This meal delivers a powerhouse of nutrients that will help you meet your health goals.

Salmon is a great source of protein that will help you keep full longer. It is also rich in healthy fats such as Omega-3 Fatty acids which may promote weight loss and decrease belly fat. Salmon is also high in B Vitamins which is important in helping the food you eat into energy, creating and repairing DNA, and reducing inflammation that can lead to heart disease. It is also tasty, versatile, and widely available. 

This baked salmon is paired with a superfood medley of butternut squash spirals, cherry tomatoes, and arugula. Butternut squash is a low calorie, low carb, a sweet, and nutty ingredient that makes a great addition to many savory recipes and is packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent cellular damage and reduce inflammation which may reduce your risk of several chronic diseases. 

To add flavor and pack it with even more nutrients, we mixed it in with arugula that has a distinctive peppery flavor and a great source of calcium and folate. The addition of tart flavors from the cherry tomatoes pair well with the savory and nutty flavors of this recipe.

So not only is this recipe tasty, but it is also packed with nutrients to help you meet a healthy and balanced diet.

Meal Prep Tips for Baked Salmon with Parmesan Butternut Squash Noodles:

How to pick the right salmon:

There are several types of salmon, such as pink salmon, red salmon, and Atlantic salmon. Any of these types can taste delicious in the oven. 

You do however want to make sure you choose a filet with firm flesh when you are buying at the store. When you gently press the fillet with your finger, it should spring back. You also want to avoid any fish that are dark around the edges or brown/yellow discoloration. And be sure to smell the fish. It should smell like saltwater or the sea smell and not have a strong fishy smell.

Baking salmon delivers soft, juicy, and tender salmon on the inside with crispy edges. 

The key to evenly cooking the fish is to let it sit on the counter for a few minutes until it comes to room temperature, otherwise, other parts of the fish might overcook while the other parts are still raw.

How to use frozen salmon:

If you are using frozen fish, be sure to let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight and also allow it to come to room temperature before baking.

The great thing about salmon is that you don’t need a lot of seasonings to make it taste good. However, you don’t want to add salt too early, otherwise, it will draw out the moisture if left for an extended period of time. For best results, salt the salmon right before you place it in the oven to cook.

Fish cooks fairly quickly, however, cook time will vary depending on the thickness. The thickest part of the salmon should look opaque and the layers within the salmon should flake apart easily.

Baked Salmon with Parmesan Butternut Squash Noodles

This Baked Salmon with Parmesan Butternut Squash Noodles is easy and simply perfect for a light and refreshing weekday lunch. It’s a great low carb meal with minimal ingredients that you can make in less than 20 minutes.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

Salmon

  • 12 oz salmon
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Squash Noodles

  • 10 oz butternut squash noodles
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions
 

Pre-Cook (Mise En Place):

  • Gather your equipment: cutting board, knife, sheet pan, parchment paper, skillet, tongs
  • Pre-heat oven to 400F
  • Mince garlic, slice cherry tomatoes in half
  • Marinate the salmon with the seasonings and olive oil. Place on sheet pan lined with parchment paper

Cooking Method:

  • Place salmon in the oven and bake it for 10-15 minutes
  • Add olive oil to a skillet on medium high heat. Saute the garlic and butternut squash noodles for 3 to 5 minutes. Add seasonings and continue to stir until butternut squash is tender
  • Add fresh tomatoes and arugula
  • Top off the noodles with shredded parmesan cheese
  • Serve the salmon on top of the noodles. Eat and enjoy!

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