Salmon with Puttanesca Potatoes & Charred Courgettes

The pleasure here lies in the contrasts: crisp skin giving way to tender salmon, potatoes glossy with puttanesca sharpness, courgettes with char and smoke. It’s a plate that looks abundant, tastes indulgent, and still leaves you marvelling at how quickly it came together.

Salmon with Puttanesca Potatoes is one of those dishes that proves dinner can be both simple and abundant. It layers bold Mediterranean flavours over everyday ingredients and gets food on the table in under 30 minutes. Courgettes are seared until smoky, salmon is cooked skin-side down until crisp, and the potatoes take on all the briny depth of a classic puttanesca sauce.

Why Salmon with Puttanesca Potatoes Works

The idea of swapping pasta for potatoes isn’t about being clever for the sake of it. Potatoes soak up flavour in a way spaghetti never could. When folded through anchovies melted in olive oil, garlic, black olives, capers, and cherry tomatoes, they drink in every drop.

The salmon itself is cooked with restraint. Just enough time in a hot pan to crisp the skin, then flipped briefly so the flesh stays tender and pink. The result is richness without heaviness, especially when set against the sharpness of the puttanesca.

Courgettes, too often overlooked, get their moment here. High heat transforms them into something sweet and smoky, adding balance to the plate.

Building Confidence in the Kitchen

This recipe teaches a few small lessons that can carry into all kinds of cooking:

• Anchovies as seasoning. They melt into the oil, adding depth without tasting overtly fishy.
• Potatoes as a carrier of bold flavours. Their starch makes them perfect for soaking up intense sauces.
• Heat as transformation. Courgettes charred quickly become sweet and nutty instead of bland.

These are the kind of instincts that build confidence, moving beyond measuring spoons and learning to trust how ingredients behave under heat, salt, and time.

Shopping and Ingredient Notes

A good plate of Salmon with Puttanesca Potatoes starts with a sensible shop:

• Salmon fillets: Firm, glossy, MSC-certified if possible. Skin-on fillets give texture.
• New potatoes: Small and waxy so they hold their shape.
• Anchovies: Keep a jar in the fridge; they last for weeks and add depth to sauces and dressings.
• Capers and olives: Choose brined capers rather than salted capers for less intensity.
• Courgettes: Firm, unblemished, and preferably medium-sized for easy slicing.
• Parsley: Flat-leaf for freshness and colour.

These are the sorts of staples that repay you again and again. Anchovies, olives, and capers become part of your pantry armoury, ready to turn a tomato sauce, salad dressing, or tray of roast veg into something far more exciting.

If this recipe caught your eye, take a look at my Baked Cod with Chorizo and Queen Cannellini Beans another dish that shows how seafood and vegetables can be indulgent without being heavy.

And if you’d like to see more behind-the-scenes cooking, you’ll find plenty over on TikTok Channel – I’d love to see you over there too!