With hot-smoked salmon, a splash of wine and a slosh of cream, this is not your average pasta and sauce. It's easy to make, however, and turns a desperate after-work dinner into something that feels much more luxurious.
Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 10–12 minutes.
Ingredients
| 1 Tbsp | butter |
| 1 | leek, white part only, thinly sliced |
| 1 Tbsp | water |
| ½ cup | frozen peas |
| 1 | lemon, finely grated zest only |
| ¼ cup | white wine |
| ¼ cup | cream |
| To taste | Salt and freshly ground black pepper |
| 150g | hot-smoked salmon, flaked into pieces |
| 50–200g | dried pappardelle or fettuccine pasta |
| Handful | pea shoots or fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves |
Directions
- Set a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.
- While you're waiting, melt the butter in a small pot set over a medium heat. Add the leek and water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally.
- Add the peas, lemon zest and wine and let it come to a simmer. Add the cream and season well with black pepper, then turn off the heat. Add the salmon and set aside.
- When the water boils, add the pasta and a generous amount of salt. Cook until al dente — about 10–12 minutes or according to the packet directions — then drain, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Stir the cream sauce through the cooked pasta, adding a little of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it as necessary. Garnish with pea shoots or finely chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Edited extract