Jean Darling's Smoked Salmon with Pasta and Cream

Smoked Salmon with Pasta, Cream, Fresh, Dill and Parmesan

Spinach and Chive Pasta we often use for this recipe

you can use pasta of your choice

This recipe is another flashback to the 1980's that was also inspired by The Silver Palate. My grandmother, Jean Darling, made a major change to it by adding smoked salmon. The difference between The Silver Palate's recipe with poached salmon versus the smoked salmon is enormous! When we were making a large batch of this for my grandmother's birthday, we were short on smoked salmon so we used half lox and half smoked salmon. It worked, but the smoked salmon is really the best and what makes the dish. Good thing the holidays are coming up because it seems that smoked salmon is a common gift this time of year. If you want to substitute smoked trout instead that would work as well. Granny also lightened the recipe a bit it a bit by using half and half instead of heavy cream. Still rich and delicious, but just a little lighter.

I'm attaching a picture of the spinach and chive pasta we used from Trader Joe's. We liked a thicker flatter noodle such as a linguini or fettucini. If you are having a hard time finding spinach pasta then you can substitute regular.

Smoked Salmon with Pasta and Cream

2 cups half and half

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon of salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste, optional

freshly ground nutmeg to taste

2 8-ounce packages spinach and chive pasta (or 1 pound pasta of your choice)

2 cups flaked smoked salmon

1/3 cup chopped fresh dill

garnish generously with Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Have a large pot of salted water heating to boil pasta. Generously salt the pasta water.

Place two cups of half and half and 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the grated nutmeg and simmer while stirring occasionally. Simmer for about 5 or more until cream reduces.

While cream is reducing cook pasta and rinse in hot water. Put the pasta back in the large pot. Add the cream and butter mixture, the flaked salmon and fresh dill to the pasta. Stir to combine.

Serve in a large bowl or on individual plates. Garnish heavily with fresh Parmesan Cheese.