This yummy bowl of creamy pasta tastes like spring with the fresh asparagus and peas. The salmon adds a little depth and heartiness. This is a great dish for using up leftover cooked salmon like from this delicious recipe for salmon and tomatoes.
A quick and easy dinner that is light and vibrant and still satisfies that craving for pasta. I used mafaldine pasta, but fettucine, fusilli or cavatappi would also be good – anything that grabs the sauce. And just FYI, when I took this picture, I used wild white salmon so the pasta is not as pink as it is with regular salmon.
Creamy Salmon and Asparagus Pasta
Servings: 4
Active time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 7 minutes
¾ pound (340 g) Mafaldine or Fettucine pasta
1 bunch of asparagus (1 pound/500 g)
2 cups (260 g) fresh or frozen peas
1 tablespoon (15 g) butter
A little less than 1 pound (460 g or about 2 medium fillets) of cooked salmon, flaked and skin discarded
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup (30 g) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy cream (light is fine)
Salt & pepper
Chopped parsley for serving
Trim the ends off the asparagus. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and with 4 minutes remaining before the pasta is al dente (Mafaldine takes a total of 7 minutes), add the asparagus. Wait two minutes then add the peas and let cook another 2 minutes.
Before draining, use a ladle to remove about 1 cup (240 ml) of the pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and vegetables while running cold water over the strainer (stops them from cooking more).
Put the butter in the large pot. Add the pasta and vegetables, flaked salmon, lemon zest and juice, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, ½ a teaspoon of salt and a dash of ground black pepper. Turn the heat on to medium and stir the ingredients together gently. Add splashes of the reserved pasta water, stirring, until the pasta is a nice and creamy consistency (you might not need all of the pasta water). Taste for seasoning and serve hot with a little extra Parmesan cheese or some chopped parsley.
And bon appétit!
Delicious 👍