Smoked salmon penne - quick, easy & indulgent

Missing:  one CookSister blogging mojo, presumably left behind in Cape Town.  Much loved.  Reward offered for its safe return...

Don't worry, this isn't going to be one of those "I'm taking a break" (translation: I'm never coming back) posts with which the blogosphere is littered, just my attempt to explain my woefully inadequate blogging record since my return from holiday in South Africa.  Despite missing my blog and my readers terribly while I was away, I have struggled to settle down and write anythign since my return - mea culpa!  So let's ease back into it with my holiday in numbers:

1 - food blogging conferences attended
2 - nephews hugged and entertained
3 - towns/cities stayed in (Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Cape St Francis)
4 - courses eaten for fabulous dinner at The Roundhouse
5 - hours spent at Doha airport
6 - old school friends met at Kirstenbosch for tea
7 - bottles of vintage South African wine consumed from our SA "cellar"
8 - walks on Cape St Francis beach
9 - kilograms (at least!!) of condiments and foodie gifts brought back in my luggage
10 - fabulous friends at my birthday dinner at VovoTelo Pizzeria

Good times, good times...

While we were at the beach house in Cape St Francis, my darling sister-in-law wisely suggested that we split the catering, so that Nick and I alternated with her and my brother.  On the day that my dad came to visit us, it was my and Nick's turn.  We wanted to make lunch a bit special, but at the same time we wanted to spend time with my dad rather than in the kitchen, so this easy-peasy yet indulgent pasta dish provided the ideal main course. 

Although I mention chilli flakes in the recipe, we had none to hand... but what I did have was a jar of wonderful chilli salt from the Caviar Group - one of the many wonderful goodies I received at the Cape Town Food Blogger Conference.  I urge you to get hold of some - it's addictive!

SMOKED SALMON PENNE (serves 6)

Ingredients:

enough penne (or other pasta) for 6, cooked according to package instructions
6 spring onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
pinch of chilli flakes
extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp flour
200ml single cream
1 tsp dried dill
200g smoked salmon, chopped
snipped chives to garnish

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and prepare the pasta according to package instructions.

In the meanwhile, cover the base of a large sauté pan with olive oil and sauté the chilli flakes, spring onions and garllic together over gentle heat until the onions are soft but not browned.  Stir in the flour and mix well before adding the cream and dill.  The sauce needs to be fairly thin, not thick and leaden.  Add some of the cooking water from the pasta if it is too thick.  Once the sauce is heated through, add the dill and the smoked salmon, reserving a handful to garnish.  Turn the heat right down.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it back a ladle at a time to the pan of sauce, stirring all the time so that the pasta is properly coated.  Spoon ladlefuls of the coated pasta onto plates and garnish with a little salmon and some snipped chives (I did not have any to hand, which is why you don't see them in my photos!).  Serve with a tossed salad and some bread for mopping up the creamy sauce.

I am submitting this recipe as my entry into this week's Presto Pasta Nights, the event conceived by the lovely Ruth of 4 Every Kitchen and hosted this week by Daphne of More Than Words.  Look out for the carbolicious round-up this Friday!
 

Comments

[courtney]

I think its that time of season , so I feel you. I'm not beating myself up, just posting when I have something to say.
Now that salmon penne is absolutely wonderful My type of dish with some great Chilled South African white wine.

[Manggy]

Looking at that gorgeous pasta (I NEED that chili salt, hehe), I'm having a hard time believing you've lost your mojo! Hope you find it soon!! :)

[Wizzythestick]

Nothing wrong with taking a break. Enjoy it. It fuels even more creativity.

[meeta]

i've lost some of that mojo too.

glad to read that you had a great time in SA! and that chili salt does sound addictive - maybe i'll make it myself. this whole meal sounds addictive! perfect friends fish and pasta!

[nina]

All forgiven....I know you will be back posting delicious recipes in no time, this divine pasta is just the beginning!!!

[Marisa]

Smoked salmon just has a way of making a meal feel ultra luxurious. Hope you had a great break - it's good for the soul to take one every now and then!

[Kalynskitchen]

I'm sure you'll get your blogging mojo back with no problem, meanwhile looks like you had a fantastic time.

[Kit]

Sounds wonderful and just what you want for easy celebration.
Wish I could find your mojo lying about the place here, I'd borrow it for a while before sending it back to you, as mine also seems to be taking long breaks without notice. You just can't get the mojo these days....

[bellini valli]

It looks like your mojo has returned jeanne. This salmon pasta dish is right up my alley.

[Robyn]

Hmmm... looks so creamy! Wish I was eating that right now... *goes off into foodie dream world*

[Bethany]

Welcome back! This looks outrageously good! I love salmon and pasta as a combo. Totally went overkill with my pom molasses tonight and ruined my entire dinner :( All i want is this now to make up for it! wish you were my neighbor!

[Juliana]

Wow, this penne pasta with smoked salmon looks so appetizing, I can almost taste it...great meal!

[Kat]

so simple and so yummy, i love these kinds of pasta dishes, make them all the time. and penne is most definitely the best shape of pasta! Hope your mojo comes back to you soon, I know how you feel though ...

[Ruth]

Sounds like a wonderful visit. So glad you shared the highlights - however brief. The pasta looks perfect. I love dishes that are so simple to prepare and yet so awesome to serve. Thanks for sharing this one with Presto Pasta Night.

Now that you're back, I hope to see more pastas often.

[Audrey]

How would you replace chilli flakes with fresh chopped chilli?

[norma]

This is something I would serve at a brunch. Thanks for the idea. Looks absolutely delicious and I am getting some of that salt.

[Fee]

I make a very similar dish with taglitelle and adding lemon zest,squeeze of lemon juice and a few chopped capers (an acquired taste but try it).Yep..thats for supper!

[Valerie Lugonja]

YUMMERS!
Love your photos in your weekly snapshots, too. I want to thank you, also, personally, (or as close to personally as we seem to get, in the Blogosphere) for your London trip suggestions. We got back last week and had an amazing experience. Neal's Yard Dairy, The Borough Market - both hightlights. Dinner at St. John's, The Fat Duck... extraordinary experiences. Baking Bread Day with Richard Bertinet at his Bath Cookery School... my absolute highlight... all incredible experiences and memories.
We will be back to the countryside - not to the city. I completed all of the museums on my list and they were also AMAZING... Tate Modern, The National, The British Museum... and on and on. But, enough. In the future, we will explore the countryside by car... and I look forward to that. For now, an amazing introduction to a bit of Canada's historical past. So much of our culture has come from Britain... yet, I was so surprised to see how much we have changed and evolved as a Canadian culture from our initial British roots - and, how British the British still are. That was gratifying!
Warmly.
Valerie

[Beth]

Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Great summery pasta dish too

[Joanne]

I think it's hard for everyone to get back into their everyday groove after a fun vacation. You'll get there!

In the meantime, this pasta looks fantastic. Salmon and capers make such a lovely pairing!

[Joan@ashworth2.plus.com]

Wonderful foodie photograph and recipe. I just have to try it.

MissE Africa

[Kitchen Butterfly]

Welcome back.....nu ben ik bang om te zeggen 'ik neem en kort break' (don't know what the dutch word is :-) Mojo, mojo. mojo. Holidays seem to be the trigger - for when I returned from Barbados.....life changed. Anyhow, I love the chili salt - a whole lot!!!!!! Save be some.

[Gourmet Chick]

This sounds delicious - almost like a carbonara but with smoked salmon.

[Kevin (Closet Cooking)]

This would be a tasty treat! A really nice way to enjoy some smoked salmon!

[Jamie]

This looks totally scrumptious! Flavorful and creamy and rich. Beautiful dish, especially for the smoked salmon lovers out there (and here)!

Take it slowly, babes, one day at a time and that mojo always returns. But love reading about your antics, um, activities even if it is just a list of items checked off.

[Elaine from Cookware Help]

I love smoked salmon and use it often in cooking - especially on pasta dishes.

This sounds creamy, nutritious and with so much flavor. I'm planning to make this for Mother's Day brunch. The recipe uses only 7 ounces of salmon for a dish of 6 servings - great for the budget too!

[christine]

Hello! I found this blog in Foodista and followed it here. This is actually a cool Smoked Salmon Penne recipe. Keep it up and I may see you on Food Network one day. By the way, did you know you can place more Foodista widget? A busy person like me doesn’t have much time surfing online so I follow related post on certain recipe and see what I get from there. Just keep placing those lovely widgets at the end of your blog so people like me can view your work. Thanks!