Smoked Salmon Penne

Smoked Salmon Penne

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 lb penne or your favourite shaped pasta like bowties, long pastas like spaghetti don’t work as well

1 cup room temperature cream cheese

1 bunch of fresh dill, chopped*

4 green onions, sliced*

1 lemon, juiced and zested

1 heaping spoonful of Dijon mustard

1/4 cup capers*

8 ounces smoked salmon, or more

sprinkled sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1) Bring a large pot of salted water on to boil. Season it liberally with salt until tastes like a day at the beach. When it boils, furiously add your choice of pasta. Cook to el dente, until the pasta is cooked through but still pleasantly chewy.

1) Scoop out 1 cup or so of the starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta but not quite all the way. Leave it a bit wet. Put the pasta back into the pot along with a splash or two of the reserved water, perhaps 1/2 cup or so in total then immediately add the rest of the ingredients.

3) While the pasta is till steaming hot toss well melting the cheese and forming the creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Note:

*The recipe above is Chef Michael Smith's original recipe. I did not use fresh dill, green onions or capers (don't like capers) and instead substituted 1 onion chopped and 1 cup of green peas.