The inspiration for this recipe comes from a long-ago birthday dinner at a tiny neighborhood Italian restaurant. The restaurant is now (sadly) closed, but their smoked salmon pasta with tomato cream sauce lives on!
The pasta is bathed in a velvety, slightly pink, tomato sauce with a touch of cream. It’s delicious and elegant too. Make a double batch and serve it for company (they’ll think you’ll worked on it all day).
This only requires a little bit of smoked salmon (about a slice or two), so you won’t bust your budget cooking it. Even better, check to see if your market or deli sells smoked salmon ends. They’re much cheaper, and taste just as good as the fancy slices. Besides, a beautiful slice hardly matters when you are going to cut it up into small pieces!
If you don’t have any smoked salmon handy, you can use leftover cooked salmon instead. Add it right at the end. The idea is just to heat it up. You don’t want to overcook it.
To save some time (and get dinner done faster), put the water for the pasta in the pot first, and start bringing it to a boil. While the water is heating up, chop the onion. Then get the second pan going with the butter and oil. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta to the pot. Finish the sauce in the second pan while the pasta cooks. That way, you have dinner in about 20-25 minutes and nothing sits around getting cold.
Smoked Salmon Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
Creamy, velvety pasta with smoked salmon. A dish elegant enough for company (but you don't have to share).
Ingredients
- 4 oz. short pasta
- 2 quarts water
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 T onion, chopped
- 1/4 C crushed or pureed tomatoes
- 1/4 C cream
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 or two slices smoked salmon, chopped (about 1/4 C)
Instructions
- Fill a saucepan with the water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook for 5-8 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter and oil in a small saucepan on medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion, and cook until translucent (about five minutes).
- Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add cream and pepper flakes.
- Bring to a simmer until thick (about 5 minutes).
- Add the salmon and heat for a minute.
- Drain the pasta, and pour into the pot with the sauce. Stir everything together and serve.
Smoked Salmon Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce Substitutions and Variations
- Trade the smoked salmon for leftover cooked salmon.
- Add a shot of vodka for penne a la vodka with salmon.
- Try sun-dried tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes.
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