Farfalle with Salmon Cream Sauce | FORK IT OVER
The minute I posted this snapshot on my instagram two nights ago, friends were asking me left and right for the recipe. The very minute! Left and right! I'm so popular, you guys. But really, I have a knack for making pastas look appetizing - it's just a thing that I do. Some people cure diseases, others complete unthinkable athletic feats, and still others just make fatty, cheesy foods look good on social media. Hey, I'll take my talents when and where I can get them.
I may someday go back and re-photograph this dish, since these two snaps are definitely not doing it ooey gooey lemony justice, but for now they will have to suffice.
Ingredients (for approximately 4 servings with salad or 2 large servings):
- approx 1lb Farfalle pasta (I used about 1/2-3/4 of a 13oz bag, so it all depends on how much you're making - aim for 4oz pasta per person!) - 4-6oz salmon fillet - dill (dried or fresh), thyme, lemon, capers, salt & pepper - 1 small carton cream (or half and half, but may be slightly more watery)
Step 1: Cook your salmon fillet. I used leftover fillet from when I had baked salmon with lemon and dill on top a couple of nights previous, but you can cook it any way you want! In a saucepan is just fine, just make sure it's thoroughly cooked through. You can even dice it up a bit with your spatula since you're going to want it to be distributed throughout the sauce.
Step 2: Put on water for your pasta. It's going to take a while for the cream to cook down, but it will also take a fair amount of time for the pasta water to heat up. Also, the pasta can sit in a colander for a bit if need be; bow tie pasta is fairly gummy-resistant.
Step 3: Make the sauce! With the cooked salmon in a saucepan, pour approximately 3/4 of the carton of cream over it. Add dill liberally, and add about half as much thyme. I used a lot because I love dill (including calling it by its full name, "Dillweed") but this should be to your own taste. Add some salt and pepper too. This should be approximately what your sauce looks like, seasoning-wise:
Now comes the boring part: STIR. Just keep stirring, just keep stirring. Stir some more. Use a spoon or spatula to keep that creamy creamy sauce moving. The whole point of this endeavor is to slowly cook down the cream so that the whole sauce is a little thicker without creating that gross film on top (if you turn your back and that happens, just stir it in, it'll be fine.) Somewhere along the line, add in about half a lemon's worth of fresh squeezed lemon juice, or more, if that's your style! Just don't forget the capers will add some bite too.
This...takes a while. I estimate that my actual cook time was close to 40 minutes because I didn't want to burn the sauce, and that was using pre-cooked salmon. This dish probably takes somewhere closer to an hour...but oh, my friends, is it worth it.
Once your sauce has sufficiently cooked down but is still liquid (you want it to be able to cover all of your little bow ties, after all!), smother your pastas in this concoction. Add a couple of tablespoons of capers (again, to taste - I love capers, others may not as much) and stir well.
Step 4: Garnish and serve! You can grind some cracked salt and pepper on top, and maybe some freshly grated parmesan! Nom nom. Delicious.
(You could also eat this with a side salad if you were really ambitious, but personally, I wouldn't bother.)