Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Pasta
Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Pasta is perfect for spring: sauteed fresh asparagus tossed with pasta, creme fraiche, lemon juice, and cold-smoked salmon.
Servings: 4
Calories: 259kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 ¼ ounces cold smoked salmon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces dried pasta
- 2 ½ ounces crème fraîche
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives to garnish
- Lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- Rinse asparagus and pat dry.
- Snap off or cut off the bottom inch or so of the stems. If you are working with thick asparagus stalks, peel the outside layer of skin with a vegetable peeler. Then slice stalks into 2-inch chunks—cut in half horizontally any stalk pieces that are more than a finger-width in thickness.
- Mince garlic clove.
- Chop cold smoked salmon into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add minced garlic and stir for 1 minute.
- Add asparagus and cook for 5-15 minutes, stirring frequently. When done, asparagus will be crisp-tender and starting to brown.
- Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil.
- Add pasta and cook until al dente, following instructions on pasta package. Before draining, reserve ½ cup of cooking water.
- Drain pasta and return to pan.
- Stir in crème fraîche, lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper.
- Gradually add a couple of tablespoons of cooking water, stirring gently. If pasta is not saucy enough, add more cooking water.
- Stir in asparagus, then gently stir in smoked salmon. If your pasta (or pan) is still quite hot, you may want to serve the pasta with just the asparagus stirred in. Then add the smoked salmon on top, so that the texture of the salmon isn’t altered by stirring it into the hot pasta.
- Garnish with chives, and serve with lemon wedges. If you wanted to add an extra dollop of creme fraiche on top, I wouldn't stop you.
Notes
Expert Tips:
Asparagus cook time will vary quite a bit based on the thickness of the asparagus stalks. If you are using asparagus with very thick stalks, you can cover the skillet to shorten cook time, but continue to lift every minute or two to stir. You can use hot smoked salmon if you prefer, though the texture of the salmon is quite different. You can even replace the cold smoked salmon with leftover cooked salmon if you have some on hand. Storage Tips:
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You may want to add a splash of heavy cream or water to make the sauce a little creamier, as it will dry out after storing.
Asparagus cook time will vary quite a bit based on the thickness of the asparagus stalks. If you are using asparagus with very thick stalks, you can cover the skillet to shorten cook time, but continue to lift every minute or two to stir. You can use hot smoked salmon if you prefer, though the texture of the salmon is quite different. You can even replace the cold smoked salmon with leftover cooked salmon if you have some on hand. Storage Tips:
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You may want to add a splash of heavy cream or water to make the sauce a little creamier, as it will dry out after storing.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 806mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g
