With summer coming to a close (ugh!) I’m making use of every last second of the season by grilling and eating al fresco as often as possible. I have been honing my grilling skills this summer thanks to my new Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub – see my green goddess grilled chicken recipe and my mango-peach grilled pork tenderloin – and have been trying to expand my menu with new grilled dinner ideas. The tomatoes and basil in my veggie garden are still going strong and served as inspiration for this bright, fresh dish: grilled cedar plank salmon with pesto.
I typically cook salmon in the oven, but decided to try it on the Weber grill with this recipe to get the earthy flavors of the cedar plank. The Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub walks you step by step through the process to take the guesswork out of grilling. There are prep steps to get the grill ready (like checking the propane tank, I always forget!) and quick visuals to show the best place to insert the probe into the fish. It helps cook the fish to the perfect temperature and makes me feel like a grill-master so I can focus on the sides and sauces! 
And speaking of sauces, I used a simple and classic basil pesto recipe adapted from my cookbook to top the grilled salmon and linguine. The fresh basil in the pesto and cherry tomatoes in the pasta have such a bright, summery taste that compliments the grilled flavors in the salmon. If you’re feeling fancy, add some halved lemons to the grill and squeeze the warm grilled citrus over the salmon and pasta before serving. The best part is that the dish is super quick to make so it’s the perfect end of summer dish for an easy weeknight dinner, but feels refined enough to serve if you’re having a small Labor Day (socially-distanced!) dinner with family too. Get the recipe below:
- 2 Salmon Filets
- 1 Lemon, divided
- 2 Cups of Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons of Toasted Pine Nuts
- 2 Tablespoons of Fresh Lemon Juice,
- ⅓ Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons of Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and Pepper
- Linguine, cooked to al dente
- Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Soak the cedar planks in about one to two hours before grilling and prep your basil pesto.
- In a blender or food processor combine fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, about 2 Tbsp of lemon juice and olive oil; blend to combine. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese to the pesto and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Preheat your grill to high and then place your salmon filets on the cedar planks. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Transfer the Salmon planks to the grill and cook until the internal temperature reaches your desired doneness.
- Squeeze half a lemon over the cooked salmon and spoon pesto over the fish.
- Serve over cooked linguine tossed with remaining pesto, halved cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, and juice of the remaining half lemon.
Please note: This post was created in partnership with Weber. All opinions, images and content are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support this site.
