Smoked Salmon and Pea Pasta recipe

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07/11/2010

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Even though this recipe for Smoked Salmon Pasta is quick and easy to make, it'll still feel like a decadent treat.

Ingredients

enough pasta for 2 people (I used chitarra pasta which really grips the sauce)
3 shallots, chopped (or replace with baby onions)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup fresh (or frozen) peas
25ml vodka
a little flour
125ml single cream
100g smoked salmon, 3/4 chopped and the rest roughly torn)
a few basil leaves, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions.

Heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan and add the shallots and garlic. Saute over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent but do NOT brown them.

Add the peas and continue stirring for a few minutes. When the peas start to soften, add the vokda and turn up the heat so that it cooks away. Once most of the liquid is gone, turn the heat back to medium and stir in the flour - enough that all the liquid in the pan is absorbed. Stir constantly to prevent lumps.

Stir in the cream a little at a time, stirring continuously. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a few spoonfuls of the pasta cooking water.

When the sauce has reached the desired consistency, stir in the chopped salmon and allow to heat through. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped basil. Check for seasoning and add black pepper - be careful of adding salt as the salmon will already be salty.

Drain the pasta and return it to the cooking pot. Add the sauce to the pasta and mix well. Divide the pasta among two serving bowls and and top with the remaining smoked salmon, torn into rough strips.