Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Farfalle with Salmon, Mint and Peas


Springtime is great, and after the winter we had, we needed a good spring! The trees are green, after being a magnificent pink, and the sun is actually starting to kiss my skin again, it's glorious!

A lot of wonderful words come to mind when I think about Spring, but particular word is clean. The dirt gets washed away by the rain, the air is fresh and alive, and people dejunk their homes, coining the phrase "spring cleaning". So it's only appropriate that the delicious food we eat in the spring should be equally fresh and clean, especially after the binging and hibernating we do in the winter!

This pasta to me was the epitome of a clean dish. I was thrilled to find the recipe after still having half of a beautiful salmon fillet leftover begging me to be used. There are very few ingredients, but the dish still has a lot of flavor and leaves your insides feeling happy and refreshed.

I'll post the recipe as it comes, but don't stress too much about how your salmon is prepared. If you already have a way you make it, go for it, just be sure it's delicious!


Farfalle with Salmon, Mint, and Peas
Great Food Fast

Ingredients

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1 pound farfalle
1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1 package frozen peas
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (parsley would be fine too)

Directions

1. IN a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the farfalle until al dente according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water; return the pasta to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, season the salmon with coarse salt and ground pepper; place in a large skillet. Add 1/4 cup water and the lemon zest and juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover; steam for 10 minutes.

3. Add the frozen peas; steam, covered, until the peas are tender and the salmon is opaque, 6 to 8 minutes.

4. Transfer to the pot with the pasta. Add the butter and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Toss, gently flaking fish and adding reserved pasta water as desired. Serve immediately, sprinkled with more mint.

22 comments:

Jenn said...

Pasta and salmon = Yum!! i like the added mint and peas, too. I don't have those in pasta dishes too often.

Beautiful photo of the tree, btw. I'm loving all that nature has to offer lately. Luckily, my allergies haven't been too bad. *knock on wood* :)

Jhonny walker said...

I love your cleansing description of spring..and the salmon is just delish!

The Blonde Duck said...

I love the salmon and pasta!

Erica said...

Love the new pic! Very cute. Hooray for SPRING! The warmth does feel totally amazing. Great dish, I've never added mint into a pasta dish.

Debbie said...

Looks delicious Teresa. Love salmon and mint. Very nice new profile picture. I need to change mine one of these days!

Melody said...

That is a very "clean" and healthy dish. Hooray for spring!

Reeni said...

This is exactly as you described it! And it seems so easy too! Kind of different and so yummy. Pretty picture of the trees.

Donna-FFW said...

Hi Teresa-- looks like a fantastic dish. Hope all is well with you, missed reading your blog while on my 'hiatus.'

Krista said...

This is so completely lovely and Spring-y. Sounds delicious!

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

Great spring meal!

Pam said...

The delicious dish looks perfect for spring!

Sook said...

I tend to add peas to all my pasta dishes lately. They are so good, aren't they? Your pasta looks so great with clean taste with only few ingredients. Love it!

Sook
http://myfabulousrecipes.com

Leslie said...

What a wonderful fresh spring time meal!

Deborah said...

What a pretty dish!!

Joanne said...

Putting mint in savory dishes always feels so refreshing. I wouldn't have thought to pair it with salmon, but this looks quite delicious!

Also love your new profile picture...you are adorable!

Anonymous said...

I do love a pasta that is refreshign rather than dense, rich and stodgey. This sounds great!

Nazarina A said...

This pasta and salmon looks very delicious and I love your presentation of it! It is a quick dish but you have the patience to make it look pretty AS WELL!

Kim said...

We are really enjoying the spring weather too! Everything is really coming alive and looking gorgeous. This is such a pretty spring recipe to share, the colors, the light flavors. I bet it is one of those recipes that makes you feel good when you are done eating. Looks very pretty!

theUngourmet said...

I agree with you...Spring is glorious! What a nice dish. I don't often cook with mint. I'll have to give it a try. Happy Monday!

The Blonde Duck said...

How did your brisket turn out?

Pretty Zesty said...

Perfect pasta!!

sara cardon said...

Mmmmmm. Love. Salmon.