Lemon Caper Halibut Pasta

Anytime we have halibut in our freezer this Lemon Caper Halibut Pasta is the first thing I make! It is light, flavourful and one of the most perfect Summer pasta dishes. You will fall in love with every bite!

Halibut is one of our favorite kinds of fish to eat. It is mild, tender and will take on any flavours you add to it. It is the perfect protein for this buttery lemon caper pasta. That being said, I know not everyone can get their hands on it, so if you can’t, any mild white fish will work!

I love this pasta dish because it looks and tastes amazing, but is incredibly simple to make. You start by boiling your noodles of choice. Linguini, fettuccini, or spaghetti. Then, sear the fish in some butter until golden and beautiful. Remove the fish from that pan, then make up the simple sauce with onions, garlic, white wine, capers and fresh lemon. Toss the cooked pasta in that light sauce, toss with fresh parsley, then serve with the golden pan fried fish and fresh parmesan on top!

This recipe is a great one to enjoy before Summer ends. It is a comforting dish, while still having a nice light sauce that pairs so beautifully with fresh fish from the season. If you aren’t a fan of fish, you can substitute with chicken and if you want to make this for the whole family, simply leave out the capers if you have kids who don’t love them.

Tips For Making Perfect Lemon Caper Halibut Pasta

1. If you have the time, I highly recommend making homemade pasta! It doesn’t have to be sourdough pasta, but homemade pasta of any kind makes all the difference.
2. When searing the fish, you want to let the fish sit for a good 3-4 minutes over medium high heat before touching it to develop that beautiful golden crust.
3. Once you have tossed all the pasta with the sauce, continue adding some of the pasta what until you have your desired sauciness. The starch in the water loosens the sauce and also helps it coat the noodles beautifully.

LEmon Caper Halibut Pasta Ingredients

Pasta– Any long noodles are best for this. Fettuccini, linguine or spaghetti.

Halibut– While halibut is our favorite, if you don’t have access to to halibut, any mild white fish or even chicken will work.

Butter– This is the base of the sauce. I like to use salted.

Lemon– You will need fresh sliced lemon and fresh lemon juice.

Garlic– Fresh garlic over pre minced is always best.

Shallot- This gives a beautiful flavor, but if you don’t have shallots you can use finely diced white onion too.

White Wine- Wine adds more depth to the sauce which is incredible, but if you don;t want to use wine you can sub with some chicken broth.

Capers– I like to add in a bit of the caper liquid as well.

Parsley– Fresh chopped adds a delicious earthy fresh flavor.

Parmesan- The perfect rich and creamy topping.

The Steps

1. Start by getting your pasta cooked in some salted water. Be sure to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before straining the pasta.
2. While that cooks, pat the fish dry, then season generously with salt, pepper and a dash of garlic powder. Cut the fillet into 4 pieces.
3. To a large skillet, melt 1/4 cup of the butter over medium high heat.
4. Once it is nice and hot, place the fish, meat side down in the pan, and sear for about 3-4 minutes to get a nice crust. T
5. hen, flip the fish, place a few slices of lemon on top of each piece and allow the fish to continue to cook just until the internal temp has reached 130F.
6. Remove the fish from the pan, and turn the heat down to medium.
7. For the sauce, add the remaining 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp of butter to the pan along with the garlic and shallots.
8. Saute for 3 minutes, then pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, and cook for a couple more minutes.
9. Add in the capers, almost all of the parsley, and the lemon juice. Stir until combined.
10. Finally, add the hot pasta into the sauce and toss to coat. Stir in some of the reserved pasta water to get the pasta nice and saucy, and turn off the heat. (optional, you can place the fish back in the pan on top of the pasta and cover with a lid for a few minutes if it needs to get heated up again).
11. Serve the pasta in bowls, topped with a piece of the fish, a sprinkle of the remaining parsley, a fresh squeeze of lemon juice, and as much grated parmesan as you like. Enjoy!

If you give this recipe a try, leave a comment or a recipe review below!

Looking for more delicious pasta recipes to try?

https://cmbarndominium.com/creamy-flavourful-marry-me-pasta-with-venison-meatballs/

https://cmbarndominium.com/simple-and-delicious-roasted-red-pepper-burrata-pasta/

https://cmbarndominium.com/to-die-for-pulled-bbq-venison-mac-n-cheese/