Presto Pasta
For a last-minute entertainment emergency, you might have use for this fast yet fancy pasta. It will take you no more than 15 minutes to put this together! You can use any short-cut pasta but I like campanelle, or “little bells.” Other favorites are gemelli (twins), cellentani (corkscrews), or farfalle (butterflies, aka bow ties).
Frozen peas, like frozen spinach, are a great freezer staple; for this dish, select the smaller, dainty petits pois which will provide better mouth feel and, in my opinion, better taste. These are now readily available everywhere. You will need to cut the smoked salmon into thin strips…as this can be fiddly, allow yourself time for this step.
You will need:
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup frozen petits pois
- 4 ounces smoked salmon
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped or
- 2 tsp dried dill
- zest of one lemon
- juice of half lemon
- ¼ tsp each, salt and pepper
- 12 oz short-cut pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In a large, deep-sided skillet saute the onion in olive oil until fragrant and translucent; add garlic, and stir for another minute. Do not let the garlic burn! Add peas, heat through, and remove from heat.
Drop pasta into water and cook per instructions. Drain and add to skillet along with ¼ cup of the cooking water.
Add salmon, dill, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
Serves 4-5