Are you looking for a delicious and easy dinner recipe that requires minimal effort in the kitchen? Look no further than this Creamy Smoked Mackerel Pasta. This tasty pasta dish has simple ingredients that can be whipped up in 15 minutes. I
t's the perfect weeknight dinner when craving something creamy and comforting. Smoked mackerel and leek are sautéed together to create a rich and flavorful sauce that will have you coming back for seconds.

15-Minute Creamy Smoked Mackerel Pasta: A Delicious & Comforting Weeknight Meal!
I made a fresh dinner with pasta with leek and herb cream cheese this time. You may think that leek is a real winter vegetable, and you are right, but it is also a summer vegetable. Leeks are available all year round and always fresh from the ground because there are both summer and winter leeks. So from the season, nice and light and rich in omega, this tasty recipe.
Everyone loves pasta! Do you have little time but still want to put a delicious dish on the table? With this recipe for pasta with herb cream cheese, smoked mackerel, leek, and tomatoes, you can make an easy and delicious dish in 15 minutes that everyone can enjoy. Try it soon!
And are you looking for more quick pasta recipes? This page will show delicious quick pasta recipes, such as summer spaghetti with ham and arugula, spaghetti with smoked salmon, and penne with smoked mackerel and tomato tapenade.
What do you need for Quick Smoked Mackerel and Leek Pasta?
To prepare this Creamy Smoked Mackerel Pasta, you need the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:

- Cherry tomatoes and leeks - Delicious vegetables that give this dish flavor and much-needed vitamins.
- Red onion - Has a deep red, almost purple skin, slightly thinner than the skin of a regular onion. It is somewhat less sharp in taste compared to the yellow onion.
- Smoked Mackerel Fillet - Firm, oily fish, which is soft and juicy at the same time. It smells like smoke and tastes salty. Boneless, smoked mackerel is the easiest to use in this recipe. It's done very quickly. You can use canned mackerel for this recipe; although it doesn't have a smoky taste, it's still very tasty.
- Penne - Elongated hollow tubes of pasta, which are cut at an angle. In this dish, you can replace it with tagliatelle or fusilli.
- Herb cream cheese - A creamy, spreadable cheese flavored with herbs (and often garlic). The most famous herb cream cheese is Boursin, but you could use other brands.
- Cream - To get a creamy sauce.
- Parsley - For a fresh accent.
How to prepare Smoked Mackerel Pasta with Cream Cheese and Leeks
You can find a printable recipe with a detailed description at the bottom of this blog.

- Cook the pasta according to the instructions and drain.
- Meanwhile, fry the onion and leek in a pan with oil for 3 minutes on low heat.
- Mix in the mackerel and tomatoes.
- Now also add the herb cream cheese and whipped cream. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Mix the creamy fish sauce through the penne.
Serve with a freshly baked baguette and a green salad.
Garnish with parsley.
Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
- Leftover? Eat it as a pasta salad for lunch the next day.
- Stick to the cooking time. If you simmer the sauce longer, it will become too thick.
- You can also use crème fraîche or sour cream instead of cream for a fuller, creamier sauce.
- Substitute mackerel with smoked salmon or shrimp.

Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!
📖 Recipe
VIDEO
RECIPE CARD
Equipment
- deep frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound Penne
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 red onion, sliced finely
- 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced in thin strips
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ½ pound smoked mackerel fillets
- ½ cup herb cream cheese, like Boursin
- ½ cup cream
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ oz. Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Put a pan of water on the stove, bring the water to a boil, and prepare the penne according to the manufacturer's instructions.1 pound Penne
- Heat the oil in a pan, fry the onion, and leek for 3 minutes on low heat while stirring.2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 red onion, 2 leeks
- Tear the mackerel fillets into pieces into the pan and add the tomatoes, herbs, cheese, and cream.¾ cup cherry tomatoes, ½ pound smoked mackerel fillets, ½ cup herb cream cheese, ½ cup cream
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to the taste.salt and pepper
- Mix the penne with the mackerel leek mixture.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.½ oz. Fresh Parsley
Notes
- Cream: Substitute with crème fraîche or sour cream.
- Mackerel: You can also use smoked salmon or shrimp.
- Penne: In this dish, you can replace it with tagliatelle or fusilli.
- Refrigerator: Leftover pasta herb cream cheese can be stored in an airtight container for two days.
- Freezer: You can freeze this in a freezer box or bag and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Then, let it thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Put a pan on the fire and put the pasta in the pan with an extra dash of olive oil. While stirring, warm the pasta over low heat. You can also heat it in the oven. Put the pasta with mackerel and herb cream cheese in an oven dish, drizzle with olive oil, and heat in a preheated oven at 350 °F (ca. 177 °C) for 20 minutes.
Willem says
Which garlic herb cheese did you use? Boursin?
Andréa says
Hi Willem, I indeed used Boursin.