Sunday Pasta™: Farfalle al Salmone
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According to leading dermatologists (well maybe one, in New York), salmon makes your skin look younger. And according to leading neuroscientists, it makes your brain function better. And according to me, it tastes great with pasta. Looks, brains, and taste, what more could you ask for?
Of course, the foregoing makes this dish more popular on the Upper East Side than in Rome, but it’s still Italian enough to try. Its relative obscurity also makes it difficult to find consensus on exactly how to prepare it: with or without cream, with or without onion, with or without vodka or brandy or wine, with or without lemon, and with or without tomato. For some unknown reason, however, farfalle (and less frequently penne) seems to be the standard pasta pairing. Each variation takes on a slightly different effect, so experiment away (within reason). But please, for the love of God, don’t add cheese…
Here’s my approach. In that we want to ensure that our kids get enough dairy, I add the cream. And, in that I want to ensure that I get enough vodka, I add the vodka. (I’m pretty certain that I get enough wine.) Now, if you’ve ever tended bar, you know that this is beginning to sound more like a recipe for a White Russian than a bowl of pasta, but I can assure you that the alcohol does evaporate away and leaves only a hint of the vodka flavor.
If you like salmon, you’ll love this. And if you don’t love salmon, there is so much going on here that you’ll still like it. And for all you Catholics out there, this makes for an excellent Good Friday dinner. Buona Pasqua!
Ingredients
Instructions
Sauté onion in a large skillet with the olive oil and butter. When the onion is translucent, add the salmon and cook over a medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add the vodka and cook for a a few more minutes. Add the tomato puree, and cook for additional 10 minutes, until the liquid has partially evaporated. Add the cream and cook for about 5 additional minutes, until the cream has slightly reduced. Add salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, and drain it just before al dente. Add the pasta to the salmon mixture, and stir over low heat until thoroughly mixed. Serve immediately.
Check out our wine pairings for this recipe and our About post that gives a brief history of the dish.
Buon Appetito.
Ed Garrubbo, Editor.
