Smokin’ Hot (and Delicious)

I don’t know how many of you are loving this new Instagram poll feature, but I totally am. The first time I tried it out was to ask you all if you wanted the recipe for my new favorite pasta dish, and most of you said yes (to the other 8% who said no, explain yourselves). So this recipe was crafted in an attempt to recreate a meal my boyfriend and I had on our recent trip to Greece (if you want to read all about that, check it out here).

We were at Katerina’s Restaurant and Cocktail Bar in Mykonos and asked the waitress what she recommended from the menu. She told us that every time someone orders the Farfalle pasta, the smells are so great that she has a difficult time bringing it to the table without eating it herself. We were sold, and that was also probably one of the best decisions we made on our trip (aside from reserving a balcony seat at Katerina’s, months in advance, for the incredible sunset view).

The Farfalle pasta dish came with smoked salmon, sun-dried tomatoes, and a creamy smokey sauce that was such an incredible combination of flavors. After several weeks home from Greece, and a few other pasta dinners later, I realized that what I was really craving was that farfalle dish. I went back to the menu online to get some ideas, but they don’t give out any of their secrets (I don’t blame them).

I googled “smoked salmon sun-dried tomato pasta” and found several recipes, but none of them really sounded exactly like what I was looking for. I decided to take a few tips from the recipes I found, and use some of my “Food Network” acquired cooking skills to try and come up with a recipe myself.

After two separate attempts, I got the exact flavor I was looking for. This dish has the perfect amount of smokiness, creaminess, and deliciousness, and I even altered the recipe to make it as healthy as possible (so I can make it once a week without feeling too guilty about it). You should be able to find most of the items at your local grocery store, but I went to Fresh Market for the smoked salmon because theirs is hands down the freshest and best tasting (to those of you in the Mid-West, I know Whole Foods has a similar, packaged version of the wild [or farm raised] smoked salmon called “Whole Catch” which you can use as well).

When making the recipe, I stuck with the Farfalle type of pasta, aka the one that looks like little bow ties. I did this A. to keep the trend going of the dish we had in Greece, B. I find that it holds onto the flavor pretty well (you can also use Fusilli to get the same results), and C. It’s pretty. Obviously I bought organic, whole wheat pasta (again, to make myself feel better) and I used the general rule of thumb of 3 cups of uncooked pasta per serving (for two people), but you can use a little more if you want some leftovers. Cook the pasta according to it’s package instructions, and while the pasta is cooking you can tackle the rest of the steps.

First, I cut up the sun dried tomatoes into small little pieces and minced the garlic. I bought sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil to avoid using any extra oil in the recipe. I added the sun-dried tomatoes and the minced garlic to a deep-ish skillet over low-medium heat and let them saute together for about 1-2 minutes. Next I added all the liquids; the cream, broth, and white wine, and raised the temp to bring it to a boil. Once boiling, I reduced it to medium again and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes. If the sauce doesn’t thicken to your liking, add 1/2 tsp of corn starch (which I did) to get the right consistency.

Now you can add in your smoked salmon, which I just cut into small chunks. Heat the salmon through (you will see it change from dark to light pink) and continue to stir so the flavors get incorporated into the sauce. By now your pasta should be done, so drain it, and add it to your sauce-salmon mixture. Top it off with the lemon juice, grated cheese, dill, and any other seasonings (I just added a touch of pepper) and mix well. Let it sit for 4-5 minutes to heat evenly (stirring occasionally), and serve. I made some steamed asparagus quickly during those last few minutes and my dish was complete!

Side notes: 1. Because the salmon is salty to begin with, make sure the broth you purchase is no sodium (or very low sodium) to avoid extra saltiness, and don’t add salt until you taste the dish prior to serving. 2. If you can’t find Smoked Gouda, you can use Parmesan (that’s what the other recipes used, but it didn’t give me the rich smokey flavor I was looking for). 3. Top off your dish with some dill to make it look extra fancy.

I hope you guys enjoy! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

XoXo

-Erica